Step bumpers; I REALLY need to know!!!

[El Jay]

This may be a tad long, but I think everybody that may be able help needs all the details.

I'm the 3rd owner of my '72. When the original owner took delivery from the dealer, it had an 11', slide in, cab over camper that sat clear back on the tail gate. So the Step bumper sat back beyond that.
The friend that I bought the truck from dumped the camper. He had a "friend" remove the extended step bumper. While doing so, said friend also cut off some of the right frame rail with a torch. But there is still a ton of the old step bumper brackets still welded to both frame rails.

This past weekend, I helped my cousin take off the old step bumper that was on his wife's pick up to install a "sport" bumper.
We ran into some welds on her truck that had to be ground out to get the old bumper brackets off the frame rails.

After all this; my question is, is there any legal requirement that a step bumper has to be welded to the frame, rather than just bolted?

The reason I'm asking is that after I get all the old junk off my frame rails, I'm going to install my cousin's wife's bumper on my '72.

I really don't want to weld it after it's been bolted on.
I'd rather that it be able to "float" a bit if some MOE-RON decided to rear end me; so the bumper moves but the frame rails don't.

Thanks to everybody in advance that can help me on this.

Neither my truck, or hers, had receivers. Just balls on the bumper.

El Jay

[samwise68]

I don't know of any legal requirements, so I may not be of much help. But all bumpers I've had experience with have been bolted on.

That includes a '69 K20 step-side (I know, not a step bumper, but still), a '68 C20, my current '69 GMC, a '76 C20...etc etc.

As far as I know, bolting is fine. But then again, I've been known to be wrong before. hah.

-Sam.

[caminokid]

Mine on all my trucks have been bolted.

[tcb-1]

doubt seriously if a step bumper had/has to be weld on. my '69 was ordered with a step bumper and it was bolted on, an it was freaking heavy!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Shyguy]

The step bumper is bolted on my 71 C-10 and so has the ones that my son has taken off of several trucks that he has.

Danny

[El Jay]

Originally Posted by samwise68

I don't know of any legal requirements, so I may not be of much help. But all bumpers I've had experience with have been bolted on.

That includes a '69 K20 step-side (I know, not a step bumper, but still), a '68 C20, my current '69 GMC, a '76 C20...etc etc.

As far as I know, bolting is fine. But then again, I've been known to be wrong before. hah.

-Sam.

Thanks.
My '69 with a "sport" bumper is just bolted, with an under bumper hitch.

I think the best way to further explain is, is neither of these truck had receivers, just ball mounts on the bumpers.

I probably should have put that in the original post.
I think I'll go edit.

[67CHIP72]

Both of my 72's were ordered with Step Bumpers and I concur, bolted. Let me know if you want pictures. By the way is this what yours looked like, before you cut?

[Robert1970C20rstbukt]

I wouldn't reccomend welding the bumper on, it makes it a pain to remove it later. It takes a couple seconds to weld it on, but a couple hours to remove it without damaging the truck frame or bumper bracket! That's what I was always told, just use Grade 8 bolts and that'll do it.

[El Jay]

Originally Posted by 67CHIP72

Both of my 72's were ordered with Step Bumpers and I concur, bolted. Let me know if you want pictures. By the way is this what yours looked like, before you cut?

that's what it looked like.
But the PO had it cut off.

[El Jay]

Originally Posted by Robert1970C20rstbukt

I wouldn't reccomend welding the bumper on, it makes it a pain to remove it later. It takes a couple seconds to weld it on, but a couple hours to remove it without damaging the truck frame or bumper bracket! That's what I was always told, just use Grade 8 bolts and that'll do it.

That's my thinking, exactly.

But with 2 step bumpers welded on 2 different trucks, I had to ask to be sure.

Like I said in the original post, if you get hit in the rear, the bumper and brackets will move; rather than taking out the frame.

I just wanted to be sure because I really had no intention of welding the "new" brackets.

Thanks to everybody for their input.

El Jay

[Jerry Jones]

Originally Posted by El Jay

I think the best way to further explain is, is neither of these truck had receivers, just ball mounts on the bumpers.

Just a FYI Primo, it has a receiver.

[special-K]

My`71 CustomCamper had a slide out bumper for when the camper was on and you could slide it in when the camper was off...all bolts.
Sometimes a welding rod is closer than the corner hardware store.Drilling in heavy steel under a truck sideways is kinda tough,too.And,you need room for the grill.