Need help with bumper conversion

Is there anyone out there that can give me the measurements for drilling the holes in the frame for the front small bumper converion?? I have a 77 and am putting small bumpers on it. I need to know where to drill the holes on the frame and I dont have the donor car here. Please help!! I am going to use the small hole/big hole plan. (drilling a small hole on one side and a large hole on the other for the bolt and socket) ...and are the frames the same length on the small bumper cars as the large bumper cars?

Thanks...
JP

 

I have a template that I made and can send it to you as long as you send it back when your done. If your in a hurry, I will dig it out and give you the measurements tonight.

 

Hi,

Thanks!! Measurements should be fine. Is there a way you can scan the template and email it to me?? Just a thought. If we keep it actual size, it should be fine to email unless the template is to big to scan. I would be happy anyway you want do it. Yes, I would mail it back right away if you sent it to me. Let me know what is easiest for you. My email address is jpollard@grm.net.

If I only had a message board like this when I was working on my Cougar!

Thanks again
Jim

 

OK, I had to go get my template from a friend. I forgot I lent it to him. Anyway, its too long to scan so I'll give you the measurements.

 

Perfect!! Thank you. Once again, you are a life saver...or at least a time saver. Thanks again.

btw...what do you do for a living?? Just curious....

JP

 

I work on gas, electric and steam equipment in commercial kitchens. (restauraunts, schools, airports, prisons, etc)

 

"electroholic" & "steamoholic" I could live with!

But a "gasoholic" would get me kicked out of bed!!!!!!!

 

Cool....do you need an apprentice?? I figured it was something to do with the automotive industry. Is that where you get your meticulous attention to detail? Thanks again.

JP

 

dennis, will these measurements work on a 73' frame and what size are the holes?. did you do the same size hole on both sides of the rail ? j.p. was doing the big hole, small hole...frank...

 

Note to all. It is nearly impossible to do these measurements with a yardstick
:bananaman :bananaman :bananaman


Dan
When I converted mine I studied Dennis's write-up on this. It really was very helpful in me getting mine done. But I never measured anything, I put my front bumper brackets on the bumper and then slid the entire assy around the frame. With my stonegaurd already installed I eyeballed the entire deal and clamped it to my frame. Then I tweaked and scratched and drank and jammed and tweaked and eyeballed. THEN I got out a drill and drilled pilot holes. Took everything apart and drilled the holes out bigger. Now I am wondering how close the measurements Dennis provided here match up to my wacky way of doing things. ?
ps my bumper droops on one side, to be corrected this winter as I just really mocked my car up enuff to get to the Roundup.

 

Frank, I dont remember what size the hole was. Just pull one of your bolts and measure it. It works on any year frame. they are all the same. Only problem is the existing bracket inside the frame that the bolts screw into. This needs to be removed unless your just going to drill through both rails and run a long bolt with a nut on the outside of the inside rail.

 

Just a thought ... Im not that far along yet but is it possible modify the holes in the bracket and use the existing holes in the frame rails ... LOL i want to go out and look now but its too dark

 

Nopers,,, not close enuff.
Dan

 

Dan is right. Unfortunately the brackets are too narrow to do something that easy. Something I didnt think about would be to cut the ends of the brackets off, where they sit against the frame rail, and weld on some bigger plates. Then you could drill new holes to match the existing holes.

 

As I recall the factory big bumper holes are aligned about 6'" apart. The idea of modifying the bumper brackets is a good one, but with the stock hole locations aligned it might take some of the adjustment out of the bumper on final assy? But I guess you could build that into the modification of the bumper bracket. Does sound like a better way to do it, if it would work like that.
Dan