rear step bumpers

[72c20customcamper]

Originally Posted by 68Unicorn

I found this at a salvage yard in KY recently. Similar to Lou Boffa's bumper. I plan to use it on my 68 LB Stepside. Attachment 2062019

Welcome to the site from a fellow long stepper owner .

[slikside]

This has been on my truck since before I got it 38+ years ago.

The sides had swept forward and attached just aft of the rear wheel wells. I shortened them requiring no side attachment, and a better look, IMO.

[rechinca]

It's a distant shot. That was dad's truck, pretty sure it was a 71. Bringing me home my first bike a John Deere bike no less from the dealership he worked at.

[special-K]

Here are a couple better pictures of the Bartens bumper on the '72 GMC and two examples of factory 67-71 step bumpers. The shortbed was a '72. Bumper was added by previous owner. Up through '72 the bumpers were actually step bumpers, only 4" tall and dropped 4" below the tailgate to serve as a 'step'. In '73 they went to 8" tall and tucked up under the tailgate to make for a 4" higher step. With tailgate down you lose the step feature, other than the very end of the bumper.

[katwalk]

Originally Posted by 68Unicorn

I found this at a salvage yard in KY recently. Similar to Lou Boffa's bumper. I plan to use it on my 68 LB Stepside. Attachment 2062019

Really cool. I would love to find one for my stepside. Post up some pics when you install it.

[tdangle]

Mine, dealer installed

[FirstOwner69]

Here are a couple of pictures of the extendable step bumper included in the original truck sale in 1969. Over the years I adapted the bumper for use on a 1986 Chevy dually and a 1999 Ford Super Duty. I added the hitch early on for light duty towing. The first picture is from 1970. The second was a couple years ago.

[special-K]

My '71 Custom Camper had a slide-out as well. Wide enough for a Coleman stove

['68OrangeSunshine]

OK. A SAF-T-BUMPER, dealer add on. Made in LA Calif. Truck originally sold by Felix Chevrolet of Downtown Los Angeles.

[johnnybee]

I’m So low tech. Does anyone see my truck.? I’m wanting to make a hitch with a step bumper that looks good on these trucks . Front bumper is chrome.
I wonder which are good tough ones and which are 12guage

[johnnybee]

Originally Posted by tdangle

Mine, dealer installed

The bumper looks like it belongs.nice

['68OrangeSunshine]

Originally Posted by johnnybee

I’m So low tech. Does anyone see my truck.? I’m wanting to make a hitch with a step bumper that looks good on these trucks . Front bumper is chrome.
I wonder which are good tough ones and which are 12guage

While most of the step bumpers from the 67/72 era were stoutly built, they are usually rated to Class II only. Because they were all locally or regionally contracted for by local dealerships, there was no standard of uniformity.
Then you're dealing with 50 year old metal and putting towing stress on it.
Can we presume you're going to tow something bigger than a rowboat with that big duallie? I wouldn't tow a horse trailer with a bumper hitch.
If I were in your situaion, I would find a vintage step bumper, but mount a Class III or IV hitch receiver to the rear frame coming out under the bumper.
Cutting out a wide notch for the receiver shouldn't be any problem.

[Palf70Step]

On the truck since new.

[Sicklajoie]

Barden bumper here. Love the tow hook hoops.
Any idea how much something like this weighs?

[PbFut]

This thread got me thinking about my Dad's F truck bumper. It had a mount on the bumper to each side of the hitch relief. Mounted was a step that would swing down so you had 2 steps up into the camper. The swing arms had pins that could be removed and the step stowed when camper was off the truck. No pics but a cool useful setup. I could use on on my truck. Getting in and out of the truck bed not so easy any more.

[ghackett1]

Here’s my 68 step bumper

[mr.mud1]

here's my truck with it's oversized,extra heavy duty ugly bumper,but it's been there forever and will do til i get an original style chrome bumper and the brackets to install it.

[72c20customcamper]

Originally Posted by DeadheadNM

I think we have our winner.

On eBay now original paint k20 super: https://www.ebay.com/itm/1972-Chevro...gAAOSwh1tftGy0

I don’t notice the tailgate handle being stainless though, maybe reflecting the ochre.

The bumber on the 72 pulls out just like that one

[Keith Seymore]

Originally Posted by '68OrangeSunshine

While most of the step bumpers from the 67/72 era were stoutly built, they are usually rated to Class II only. Because they were all locally or regionally contracted for by local dealerships, there was no standard of uniformity.
Then you're dealing with 50 year old metal and putting towing stress on it.
Can we presume you're going to tow something bigger than a rowboat with that big duallie? I wouldn't tow a horse trailer with a bumper hitch.
If I were in your situaion, I would find a vintage step bumper, but mount a Class III or IV hitch receiver to the rear frame coming out under the bumper.
Cutting out a wide notch for the receiver shouldn't be any problem.

Good points; I was just thinking the same thing.

Plus - an aftermarket bumper/hitch does not necessarily get validated to the same rigor that a GM OE hitch or bumper would (especially back then).

K

[DeadheadNM]

Nice

[douce48]

If I remember correctly, rear bumpers were an option when buying a new truck.
Pretty sure even in early 90's LOL

Nothing beat riding in the bed of a truck as a kid!!

[Rust_never_sleeps]

this might be a "Bay Bumper" :shrug:

[Cal10]

My 67 came with the same Saf-T-Bumperas ‘68OrangeSunshine posted but it was mangled on the passenger side and even took out the rear fender. I scrounged up a replacement fender and dug through the local pick n pull on 1/2 price day looking for a bumper that at least somewhat matched the vibe of this truck. Found an all steel step bumper on an 82 S10 that seemed to be a decent width to go with my step bed and the crusty old white paint is a pretty good match for my original front bumper. Seems like the s10 bumpers are scaled down in every dimension from the full size step bumpers which works pretty well on these steppers

[cericd]

Here's a rear step bumper made for Carlisle Chevrolet in Waxahatchie, TX made by D&D Bumper Works Inc. in Seguin, TX.

['68OrangeSunshine]

Cal10, Did your Stepside originally come from Los Angeles? Saf-T-Bumper was an LA company, as I understood it. Of course they could have had an associate branch in Northern CA, I guess. People move around all the time and take their trucks with them.
Interesting to note the S/10 back bumpers fit. There is a gap between the end of the stepfender and the start of the bumper that's covered with the original Saf-T-Bumper, but it's non-consequential.