Rear Bumper Advice


The old and reliable.

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Pile of Parts

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Joined: Mon Sep 25, 2017 6:56 pm

Location: Great Falls Montana

Post Tue Aug 20, 2019 7:31 am

Rear Bumper Advice

I am trying to figure out what I want to do for my rear bumper. I am a purist-I want to restore to original as closely as I can. I am restoring Grandpa's 1949 KB-3. The original invoice says that a rear bumper was added at the dealer. It has a long box and a heavy support piece that went from the frame and around and beneath the end of the box with a local machinists stamp on it. My friend says I should remove that and install a rear chrome bumper-he says that is what the dealers invoice is talking about.

Did the KB-3 come with a factory bumper. Should I add a rear bumper?

Golden Jubilee
Golden Jubilee

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Post Tue Aug 20, 2019 12:11 pm

Re: Rear Bumper Advice

Bob Drake Reproductions of Grant's Pass, Oregon sell a very nice early Ford reproduction rear bumper.
Denis Carpenter has this bumper .DC might be closer to you
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Post Tue Aug 20, 2019 2:56 pm

Re: Rear Bumper Advice

Sir, if the dealer installed a bumper, depending on what your Grandfather used his truck for, would probably depend on the type of rear bumper. Heavy duty bumpers were often put on these trucks. Just my thoughts.
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Golden Jubilee
Golden Jubilee

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Location: Bothell, Washington

Post Wed Aug 21, 2019 12:15 pm

Re: Rear Bumper Advice

does the invoice specify type of rear bumper?

original chromed rear bumper is similar looking to the front, it is mounted with 3 piece spring steel set up, hard to find,

Dealers also put on heavy duty aftermarket rear bumpers, IHC themselves don't list a heavy duty bumper in parts book so any diamond plate type will be aftermarket,

you can google KB trucks to see examples of the chromed bumper,

I have one on my 49 panel truck
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Location: Maple Grove, MN

Post Sat Sep 07, 2019 9:40 am

Re: Rear Bumper Advice

What did these "dealer" bumpers look like? My K2 made it home with front and rear bumpers that look as though they may have been made by an owner:

Rear

Image

Image

Image

Front

Image

Image
2006 Subaru Impala WRX Wagon (daily driver)
2001 Ford F150 Supercrew (hauler)
1985 Ford F150 (donor)
1941 International K2 (project)

Golden Jubilee
Golden Jubilee

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Joined: Fri Mar 18, 2016 9:16 pm

Location: Dallas, TX

Post Sat Sep 07, 2019 11:45 am

Re: Rear Bumper Advice

Yep, those are homemade bummers for sure. You got a good hundred pound of steel there.

Golden Jubilee
Golden Jubilee

Posts: 8937

Joined: Thu Dec 27, 2012 12:45 pm

Location: Canada's left Coast

Post Sat Sep 07, 2019 1:15 pm

Re: Rear Bumper Advice

I prefer the original spring bumpers. They absorb impact. The ugly shyt on the truck will transfer the energy from an impact into the weaker truck frame.
Many of the local yocal fab bumpers were tied to the fenders. The fenders are for style and mud spray control, only.
Old IHC frames flex and are isolated from the body. The sheetmetal parts suffer damage first because they are the weakest.
I would rather have tools I do not need than to need tools I do not have
Thinking risks being controversial and possibly being offensive

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