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Old 08-19-2013, 10:18 PM   #1
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Mangled bumper

This afternoon I misjudged where I was backing up and mangled the bumper of my 1987 Excella. The damage is just to the aluminum bumper. What is involved in replacing the bumper? BTW, as far as I can tell, there is no other damage - I just "lightly" tapped the stone beside my garage door - there is no skin damage and no frame damage - I was inching back at the time.

Once this is done, however, I'm going to figure out where I can attach a small piece of sheet steel to the top of the aluminum bumper, as I do have a mag-mounted back-up camera that I normally place on my truck tailgate when hitching up.
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Old 08-19-2013, 10:31 PM   #2
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I replaced my bumper on an 87 several years ago. I backed up a little too far at a storage facility and backed into the pipe that prevents idiots like me from running into the buildings back wall. I hit it dead center.

I recall it being an easy job to take off the old and install the new bumper and since the bumper is all aluminum it's pretty light weight. There are a couple of screws on the bottom and a few on the top. Then the bumper slides off the frame. The trick for me was finding a replacement. There were several size bumpers in that year, according to the parts guy that was ordering it for me. He ordered the wrong one several times then finally he got it right.
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Old 08-20-2013, 05:03 AM   #3
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There should be four bumper bolts and a handful of rivets, it's an easy job.
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Old 08-20-2013, 08:24 AM   #4
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Here' what the damage looks like
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Old 08-20-2013, 08:27 AM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bluto View Post
I replaced my bumper on an 87 several years ago. I backed up a little too far at a storage facility and backed into the pipe that prevents idiots like me from running into the buildings back wall. I hit it dead center.

I recall it being an easy job to take off the old and install the new bumper and since the bumper is all aluminum it's pretty light weight. There are a couple of screws on the bottom and a few on the top. Then the bumper slides off the frame. The trick for me was finding a replacement. There were several size bumpers in that year, according to the parts guy that was ordering it for me. He ordered the wrong one several times then finally he got it right.
Do you recall how much the bumper costs? It's good to know that the replacement should be easy. I noticed that the top is fastened with large rivets, so I'll probably have to order them too.
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Old 08-20-2013, 08:33 AM   #6
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It's been a while so I don't remember but, Overlander63 should be able to get you that info.
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Old 08-20-2013, 08:57 AM   #7
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my bumper looks just like that, only on the other side. lol
talk about a poor design, just hanging out there in the wind waiting to hook onto something.Seems to like to bite folks when they walk too close to the body. I suspect they just were using up some left over bumpers from the dark side of the moon.
Just put a sticker on it and roll.
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Old 08-20-2013, 09:14 AM   #8
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I bent my bumper similar to that one time. I took it off and bent and hammered it back into shape. It surprisingly came out very well. I used a wood block and pounded it from the inside on some old towels laid out on the garage floor.
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Old 08-20-2013, 09:15 AM   #9
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I replaced mine on my '06 but it looks much like yours. It was easy to do and I think I paid close to $350 for it through Airstream. I looked for used ones and did find a few but they weren't "sure" about the year but were quick to assure me that it would fit. Shipping wasn't cheap either.

I found a company that could repair an aluminum bumper but it would have to be heated and straightened. The process would ruin the look of it but with enough money they could restore the looks too. By then a new one didn't sound so bad.

Replacement was easy and everything is back to normal now.
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Old 08-20-2013, 10:03 AM   #10
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Have you tried to pull it back out while it is still on the trailer? Back up near a large tree or other secure point and use a heavy strap load binder to pull tension back on it. You may be able to use a wooden block and a heavy hammer to coax the slight fold on the top and bottom to lay back flat. Using the strap allows for tension to be applied slowly and precisely. If it does not work you will have lost nothing. If it does work you can buy something cool for your AS and not another bumper that you are likely to scuff up in the near future.
JMHO.
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Old 08-20-2013, 10:43 AM   #11
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Here's a pic of mine after bending it back into shape as mentioned in post #8 above. Not perfect, but no one would know except me..
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Old 08-20-2013, 11:55 AM   #12
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did same thing to mine. Took bumper to body shop. Four bolts holding it on. Took 10 min to fix. Did not charge me as I have used him before. Frenchy
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Old 08-20-2013, 06:30 PM   #13
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I called JC and got the part number, then ordered it from Can-Am in London. It should be in within 2 weeks. I'm hoping to time it so that I can stop there on my way to the Ontario Unit rally at Drayton. The cost has gone up to $584. However, I'll keep the old one and get it fixed (as a spare). I'm thinking of taking some thin sheet steel (such as from a tin can) and bending it to make a flat surface that can be secured by opening and then closing the rear window on it. I have a mag mount hitch/back-up camera that I can just attach magnetically whenever I have to back up in a tight space. What galls me is that I originally thought of doing that and didn't out of pure laziness.
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Old 08-21-2013, 06:57 AM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by blkmagikca View Post
I'm thinking of taking some thin sheet steel (such as from a tin can) and bending it to make a flat surface that can be secured by opening and then closing the rear window on it. I have a mag mount hitch/back-up camera that I can just attach magnetically whenever I have to back up in a tight space. What galls me is that I originally thought of doing that and didn't out of pure laziness.
Might want to visit a place that installs custom automotive stereo. Head units that combine radio and GPS often include a magnet-mount GPS antenna for the dashboard, but there's sometimes no metal on the dashboard for it to stick to. The kits usually include a small adhesive-mount steel plate to put on the dash for the antenna to stick to.

Since they'll install kits from time to time where the adhesive-backed steel plate isn't needed, they may have some extra plates they'll let you have for next to nothing. When I had to get my Kenwood head unit replaced after the old one was stolen, the installer told me he had a whole box of those plates that he didn't need, and offered me some. I didn't need any at the time so I declined the offer.

The plates aren't very big, maybe 3cm square, so you might need more than one for your camera.
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Old 08-21-2013, 09:28 AM   #15
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Just spoke with a friend who services hotel & restaurant kitchen equipment. He's getting me a couple of 3-inch squares of a 400-type of stainless steel to which a magnet will stick. I'll pop rivet the plate onto the bumper cover (using stainless steel pop rivets) and then I'll be able to just place the magnetic base of the hitch/back-up camera there. Problem solved!
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Old 08-21-2013, 10:35 AM   #16
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Just spoke with a friend who services hotel & restaurant kitchen equipment. He's getting me a couple of 3-inch squares of a 400-type of stainless steel to which a magnet will stick. I'll pop rivet the plate onto the bumper cover (using stainless steel pop rivets) and then I'll be able to just place the magnetic base of the hitch/back-up camera there. Problem solved!
If you can put a thin layer of rubber (or even Mylar, which is thinner and makes for a neater install) between the steel plates and the aluminum trailer, that will help prevent galvanic corrosion of the aluminum under the steel plates.
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