Replace a rusted or dented pickup bumper yourself.
Time 2 to 5 hours
ComplexityIntermediate
Cost$150 - $300
Introduction
Show your rig a little love with a new bumper.
A rusty or dented bumper can drag down the whole appearance of a pickup that’s in otherwise good shape. Having it replaced by a pro will set you back a thousand bucks or more, but you can save money on labor and parts by doing the job yourself. It takes only a few hours.
We put our truck up on a hoist to replace the bumper, which makes things a bit easier. Don’t be afraid to do the job with the truck on the garage floor, though it’s a good idea to have a floor jack and stands available just in case you can’t reach the upper bolts. An air impact wrench speeds things up, but you can do the job by hand with sockets, a ratchet and a breaker bar. You’ll also need a spray rust penetrant, screwdrivers and eye protection.
We did this project for the September 2016 issue of the magazine, using a staff member’s 2002 Dodge Ram, replacing the chrome step bumper on it. Trucks have changed a lot since 2002 and even since we first ran this story in print. Still, this is representative of most pickup truck bumpers from that period, and it’s instructive for helping understand how rear bumpers attach to a truck and what goes into the process of replacing, whether you’re doing it yourself or taking it to a pro.
If you’re going to attempt to replace the bumper on your truck, I would strongly recommend consulting specific manufacturer specifications for your particular make and model.
Tools Required
- Breaker bar
- Screwdrivers
- Socket and ratchet set
Materials Required
- Rust penetrant
- Truck bumper
Project step-by-step (10)
Step 1
Assess the damage
Before you order any parts, inspect the condition of the bumper step pad, license plate lights, trailer light socket, and any other accessories that might have been damaged by the impact.
Next, get your creeper and take a look behind the bumper. Check the condition of the bumper brackets to see if they’re bent or rusted. If so, buy new ones—trust us, you don’t want to try to bend them back into shape.
Step 2
Buy new bumpers
Replacement bumpers are available from retail auto parts stores, truck and trailer hitch upgrade shops, local bumper reconditioning shops, and online retailers (rockauto.com and autoanything.com are two examples). Auto recycling yards are also an option, but we found we could buy a brand new factory-quality bumper with new brackets and bolts for just a few bucks more than a used part from the local yards.
Low-price bumpers are usually economy-grade units. They’re barebones products (no brackets or bolts) with minimal chrome plating and a short rust-through warranty (if any). An economy bumper for our Ram truck costs about $170 online, including shipping. Those units are perfectly fine for an old truck that you plan to keep for only a short time or just want to get into good enough shape to sell or trade.
However, if you need brackets or want a longer-lasting bumper that matches factory quality, buy a premium version that includes those extra parts. That winds up being cheaper than buying an economy bumper and paying à la carte prices for the brackets. A premium unit for our truck cost $445 including shipping and came with new brackets and bolts and two complete license plate light assemblies.
Step 3
Grease the skids with rust penetrant
Removing the rusted fasteners is the hardest part of a bumper replacement job. To make removal easier, pretreat all the fasteners with spray rust penetrant. Shoot a liberal dose on each nut and bolt a few days before you plan to do the swap, then drive the vehicle to create the vibrations that will make the penetrant work faster. Reapply when you get home so the penetrant can soak overnight. Repeat.
Step 4
Remove the trailer light connector
Reach behind the bumper and hold each nut as you unscrew the trailer light screws. Place the small parts in a magnetic tray or zipper-top bag so you don’t lose them.
Step 5
Twist and remove the bulb sockets
Twist each license plate bulb socket a quarter turn and pull them straight out of the light assembly. Set them aside.
If your bumper has a built-in trailer light connector, remove the fasteners that hold it to the bumper. Next, disconnect and remove the trailer light connector and harness. Then remove the license plate bulb sockets.
Step 6
Remove the smaller bolts
Remove the license plate to reveal the bolts that hold the bumper to the trailer hitch. Use a socket and ratchet to remove them.
Step 7
Disconnect the bracket bolts
Use a deep socket and ratchet to remove the bottom nut connecting the bumper bracket to the frame bracket. Repeat on both sides. Then loosen the top nuts on the same brackets, but don’t remove them until you’re out from under the vehicle.
Step 8
Lift off the old bumper
Remove the remaining brackets, nuts and bolts and lift the bumper up and off the truck.
Our bumper was attached to the trailer hitch and bed, bumper brackets and frame brackets. Start by removing the license plate and the bolts behind it. Next, reach behind the bumper and remove the bolts that connect the bumper to the truck bed. The frame brackets can be difficult to remove and can make bumper removal more cumbersome. So it’s best to remove the bumper first to give yourself more room to access the frame brackets (if necessary). To do that, remove the bolts that connect the left and right bumper brackets to the frame brackets. Then lift off the entire bumper.
Step 9
Snap in the license plate lights
Slide the license plate light into the new bumper. Then, align the legs of the U-shaped spring retainer with the slots on the light. Push the retainer onto the light until it snaps into place.
Step 10
Install the bumper
Lift the new bumper into place and loosely attach the bumper brackets to the frame brackets. Align the bumper with the bolt holes in the bed and insert all the bolts. Then tighten all the bolts to the manufacturer’s specifications.
Place the new bumper on cardboard to prevent scratches, then install the new license plate light assemblies. Then install the new bumper. Reinstall the trailer light connector and harness.
Originally Published: October 23, 2018
