First attempt at rust repair.

It’s been bugging me for a while that there is rust visible around my tow hooks, so I decided to try to make my first (of many {Never buy an East Coast truck}) efforts at rust repair.

The panel around the tow hook was black when it left the factory , now it’s rust, with black highlights.

Bumper removal is not terrible. You’re going to need your favorite penetrating oil, a small scrap of plywood, a moving blanket, and two 5 gallon buckets in addition to your normal wrenches.

Those bolts next to the the tow hooks are 3/4”. My 2001 also has brackets from the ends of the bumper to the plate between frame rail and spring hanger. You need two 9/16” wrenches for those. I’ve seen comments online indicating that not all years have these brackets, but it’s also possible that previous owners deleted them.

Remove this bolt (you’ll need another wrench on the nut on the backside) from the V- bracket that supports the bumper ends.

Also, check to see if there is a rubber panel running from the bottom of your bumper to the bottom of your radiator. If there is, remove the three plastic connectors carefully before you pull the bumper off.

The normal warnings about 20-year-old plastics apply.

Get all 6 fasteners loose before you remove any.

I removed the side brackets before the four front bolts. Then I removed the bottom bolt on each side before the top. There is a fat spacer that will fall out when you remove these four bolts. It may get caught in the air dam, or it might hit your driveway.

Place the buckets below each tow hook while the bumper is attached with one bolt on each side. The buckets also make a great place to put hardware while you’re working.

When you remove the last bolt, place that end of the bumper on the bucket, then move to the second side. the bumper isn’t really heavy, but it is more than six feet wide, so it’s a bit awkward to move.

I spread the moving blanket on the driveway to avoid scratching the chrome bumper while I worked. Then put the bumper face down on the blanket

This is the piece I’m trying to get to.

There are four 1/2” bolts securing each bumper bracket to the bumperI needed lots of penetrating oil and a breaker bar, bracing the bumper with my foot to remove them.

Free at last

I used a brass bristle brush and steel wool to remove 20 years of rust and dirt, followed by a scrubbing with alcohol to remove any remaining oil / grime.

Less rusty.
Sprayed with rust remover
First coat of gray paint

I tried to remove the two hooks, but could only get five of the six bolts to move. If you’re going for a color change, I would also recommend that you paint the ends of the frame. I didn’t and you’ll see why I should have shortly.

Paint that bit if you’re changing color. Also, why four bolt holes on each side? The bumper only uses the outer pair.

Once your mounting plates are dry, start putting the bumper back together.

To quote Mrrs. Chilton and Haynes, “Installation is the reverse of removal”. Except it’s not really.

Get the bumper back on the buckets, then balance it on the tow hooks. Watch the bumper ends to avoid scratching the paint. I attached the side brackets first, just a few turns into the nut so it couldn’t fall off the truck.

The front bolts are a bit tricky. You have to sit in front of the bumper, feed the bolt through the spacer and then thread it into the nut plate. It’s harder to describe than to do. If you’ve attached the side brackets, there is no danger of the bumper falling onto you.

Once you have all six bolts started by hand, you can start tightening the bumper. The holes on the frame ends are oval so you can adjust the placement of the bumper relative to the frame & grill.

I got the top bolts almost snug, then inserted a scrap of 1/2” thick plywood between the grille and the bumper at one corner. I then lifted the bumper tight against the plywood, held it up with my knees and tightened the bolt fully.

Move the plywood to the other side, and repeat. Tighten the bottom front bolts and then the side brackets.

Before and after.

Why did I choose gray?

Long term, I plan to remove the gray cladding and use gray bed liner up to the character line and around the wheel arches. I think bringing the gray up to the front will tie it all together. Of course it’s also possible that I’m terrible at picking colors.

The tow hooks are begging for a color change (maybe red, or a high-visibility color), if the bumper comes off again, I’ll probably start the penetrating oil the night before.

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Author: rexplex

With a bachelors degree in history, I turn wrenches for a living. I’m most at peace when I hear the wind in the trees or the gurgle of a brook. I’m a believer in the Renaissance Man, as epitomized by DaVinci engineer, artist, soldier, statesman. As Heinlein said, “A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyse a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects.”

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