Rear bumper

[57chevyman]

Hi , can someone please post pics of the location to mount the stock rear bumper bracket to the frame ? The way I have it now seems a little off . Do I have the brackets facing the correct way ?

[octanejunkie]

Looks right to me. It's easier to visualize when the bed is on.

You're missing a cross member at the rear of the frame though, no?

[57chevyman]

Thank you. Yes we are going to put a new crossmember at the back . In the middle of installing the tank, and putting filler behind license plate. Hard to visualize without bed

[mr48chev]

He is missing the rear crossmember but I think he took it out to fit the tank in and has to put a tube crossemember across the back of the frame like most guys do when they move the tank.

On the bumper I would think that you will need to get the bed set properly in place and then line the bumper up with the bed.

[57chevyman]

Yes I'm putting a new cross member behind the tank. Pic With cross sill in place . Bolts just hand tight on bumper . The bolts are in the only stock holes that line up so it must be right. There's wiggle room to position the bumper just right when the bed is on.

[57chevyman]

Tanks inc universal mustang tank

[57chevyman]

..

[OrrieG]

Here are two pics of mine, fleetside but the bumper mounts the same. Yours looks close, there is a little vertical adjustment once the bed is on.

[57chevyman]

Thanks orrie. I do have it bolted correctly and bumper bracket the right way. Guess there's really only one way to get it together and have the bolts line up with the holes. Looking at it without the bed , I thought the bumper was too far back.

[Stepside Jim]

57chevyman, I had to chuckle when I open this topic. I too ordered a bumper with new brackets. Not being familiar with the original fit of a '57 rear bumper I installed all the parts, then stood back and said, "that can't be right". I googled rear bumper pics on these trucks and sure enough, it was right.

I did some measuring, then some marking, then some cutting, then some grinding, then some welding, then some more grinding, then some smiling once I re installed my modified brackets.

For a quick peek at what I did, here's a couple of pics.

I removed the section marked on the bracket.


They lined up like this once the bumper was exactly where I wanted it.


With enough welding and grinding it can look original again.


I did the same with the outer brackets, once I was done.


I did want to mention.... a most excellent score to find a good bed so close to home, and affordable too.

[58CameoAZ]

I found that the Later Year 60's stepside brackets will pull the Bumper closer to the bed like you have pictured!
BUT, Believe there could be a Problem with the Stock license plate Light and Bracket being to close.
The Brackets for those years are similar in that they look like the front U-Shaped brackets
and are not the Bent Flat stock
FWIW
Allen

[57chevyman]

I quickly unwrapped both left and right side brackets and I was looking at those four pieces of metal without a clue. Of course after it was far too late I saw the the bags were labeled driver side and passenger side . Pictures on the Internet helped a lot , but I got it bolted to the truck and I thought the same thing. That can't be right.
Nice work on the bracket mod Jim. Subtle chip foose style mod

[octanejunkie]

Nice mod!

I do appreciate the bumper being a bit further out though, not only for the stock license plate mount fit, but for the safety of the sheet metal:

I was rear-ended in my truck and the impact totally collapsed the rear bumper brackets on one side and tweaked my bumper - but the bumper itself never touched the bed/fenders. Had the bumper been closer to the bed I fear it would have caused more damage. Just a thought.

[Dan in Pasadena]

Frank,
Nice work. Is the gas fill going to be hidden behind a drop down license plate? If so, what about the cross sill? I assume you'll have to cut access through it and reinforce it somehow. Can you please post pictures of that?

Also, what car will the hinged license mount come from, or will you fab your own?

[57chevyman]

Dan, yes I'm putting a flip down license plate. I am going to cut a hole with a hole saw in the rear sill and install a gas filler bezel from a jeep tj in the hole. I got a universal flip down license plate frame from eBay..the mounting holes in the license plate frame are on the bottom, so I have to fab a little bracket to the button edge of the sill..

[57chevyman]

The gas filler bezel is available in plastic for under $20, or stainless steel

[57chevyman]

I need to add a couple of inches of metal to the bottom of the sill to mount the license plate bracket to. I'm gonna pick up one of these bezels from the local jeep dealer for 20 bucks and figure out if it will work. I have to be able to mount it high enough to have the angle in the filler neck .
If all goes well, the extra metal I need to mount the license plate bracket will also give me the room I need to mount the bezel without hanging over the edge.
I can trim the top edge of the bezel if I need to.

[57chevyman]

I got the bezel and I believe I'm going to make it work. I will add 2 - 3inches of metal below the license plate area. The hole on the outer side of the sill has to be 5.25" diameter. The hole on the rear side of the sill has to be smaller and lower. Here's a pic of the bezel with the filler neck with gas cap

[Donaldo]

I'd like to put one of those later type rear bumpers on my truck, but all I can find are repops. Anybody in CA have an extra they would part with ?

[57chevyman]

Originally Posted by Donaldo

I'd like to put one of those later type rear bumpers on my truck, but all I can find are repops. Anybody in CA have an extra they would part with ?

The repop bumper I got is nice heavy quality. I can't report on how the finish will hold up. Got mine from an eBay seller

[58CameoAZ]

57Chevyman,FWIW When i got my Re-pop Bumpers they said to not CRANK the Bolt's
Holding the Bumper to the brackets Down Real tight as it would distort the Chrome,
they said to just go past Snug.
Again FWIW.
Allen

[57chevyman]

Originally Posted by 58CameoAZ

57Chevyman,FWIW When i got my Re-pop Bumpers they said to not CRANK the Bolt's
Holding the Bumper to the brackets Down Real tight as it would distort the Chrome,
they said to just go past Snug.
Again FWIW.
Allen

Thank you. Mine came with no instructions and the bolts are hand tight now ..