84 5th needs fresh rear bumper

[ZieglerSpeed]

any tips on removal? It appears (4) 3/8 bolts hold the whole bumper including shocks. Maybe a tire iron to pry it off then?

 

[Aspen500]

There will be the 4 3/8" bolts on the rear cross panel and, one big bolt on each side. They're maybe a foot forward on the subframe rail and go vertically up into the end of the "shock". Can't recall the hex size off hand (7/8"???)

 

[ZieglerSpeed]

thanks

 

[ZieglerSpeed]

Trying to restore 84 5th, it needs rear bumper, wipers don't work (motor does), sloppy steering (it's the gear), driver's window needs regulator. The car is so damn hard to work on. I've come up with the conclusion you must have all come up with a long time ago. F, M, J body's are all major pieces of junk s--t and the engineers should have been lined up and disposed of in a nice way

 

[Oldiron440]

Man don't work on something new......some of the new stuff is a real pita, personally I hate working on VWs.

 

[ZieglerSpeed]

I won't touch foreign or anything fwd/fuelie/timing belt, -the REAL junk

 

[Opticon77]

Heh. What do you drive, a model T?

 

[ZieglerSpeed]

84 5th & 77 Vet with a few projects to boot

 

[Oldiron440]

I swore of Vets after I left House of kolor in the early 80s, I hate working on the things. We would work on Porsches, Mercedes and Ferraris but the guys with corvettes would come in with their nose in the air and piss and mone so loud about the bill it was crazy.

 

[ZieglerSpeed]

I drag raced my Mopars seriously but when I drag race the Vet I don't put slicks on it. To much $ in the rear end

 

[BudW]

any tips on removal? It appears (4) 3/8 bolts hold the whole bumper including shocks. Maybe a tire iron to pry it off then?

There is a couple of ways to remove the front or rear bumper. Either method – the bumper is heavy and having a helper will be needed.

The easier way is to remove the 4 nuts that attach bumper to bumper shocks. If bumper shocks need to be removed it is a lot easier to remove, once bumper is off.

Also, the bumper shock to frame bolts sometimes can be a pita to remove, because of rust – so a few shots of penetrating oil is advised (if possible).
BudW

 

[ZieglerSpeed]

Thanks Bud, your right on. You know, I ordered 1 new car in my life, the fastest "75 production car, a 360 Duster. It was sad that in 75 they had bumper shocks all around, door beams etc trying to make a heavy weight out of it. I needed all 360 cubes to beat my buddies with earlier 340 A-bodys

 

[BudW]

There is little data published on what those bumper shocks can absorb. I remember everyone saying it can withstand a 30 MPH impact (combined, if more than 1 vehicle is involved) – but later, hearing 20 MPH (without damage to vehicle). I have no idea on what actual number is – but I do know because of it’s purpose. The bumpers and shocks do add a ton (almost literally) of weight onto the front and rear of our cars.

If you think your F or M-body bumper is heavy – you should try to pick up a 74-78 C-body one. Thirty years ago, I could barely help a friend pick one up (2 of us, one per end).

J-body’s don't those heavy bumpers or shocks on them. The front wheel drive cars also do not have them, either.

I do remember the bumper absorbing capacity on my ’87 Daytona to be 5 MPH. My ’92 Shadow was rated at 2.5 MPH (without damage to vehicle).

Weight is not good for racers (well, except for maybe the rear bumper . . .) – but at least it has a "purpose" on for street usage.
BudW

 

[ZieglerSpeed]

Thanks Bud, the 5th bumper is SO tough to deal with. The partser is in a hard to get at situation, not up on a hoist. Can't wait to tell you when I got it

 

[Oldiron440]

They were 5mph bumpers.

 

[ZieglerSpeed]

Holy Toledo, those 1,000 lb bumpers are only 5 mph? Geez. A new car has "bumper cover" and you touch it and you will tear it

 

[Jonnyuma]

Years ago, in an attempt to "tuck" some bumpers in I removed the shock absorbers and drilled holes in em to expell the fluid and collapse them.... no way. Couldn't do it w a hammer and I didn't have a vice big enough.

My "solution" was to jack up my big ol '69 300, place the shock vertically under the K member and repeadedly drop that monster onto the shock until it got shorter.

It worked, but my neighbors thought I was insane.

 

[ZieglerSpeed]

The neighbors video'd you. It was on "America's craziest home video's"

 

[BudW]

They were 5mph bumpers.

Holy Toledo, those 1,000 lb bumpers are only 5 mph?

I believe OldIron440 was referring to J-body bumpers, not F or M-body.

 

[ZieglerSpeed]

ok, the M body bumpers are only 650#. 75-78 eara B-bods are killer heavy too