rear "bumper" corner bracket - junk?

I barely tapped a stump on rear back bumper corner, bracket holding the bumper cap broke clean and half of bracket and bumper cap just fell off - was barely moving - bit disappointed in durability (and in my driving!). anybody been down this road? does whole bumper need to come off to replace the broken plastic bracket? bumper cap is undamaged. I'd go whole new bumper if you could get one these days but guessing 6 - 8 weeks minimum. could probably get OE bracket quicker, but worried if whole bumper / hitch needs to be removed to replace bracket as I got no helper. I've stared at the assembly looks like at a minimum the center cap will need to be removed.

Suggestions or pointers to useful videos? Guess on cost for shop repair?



cap with half of the bracket still attached:

 

view from under:

 

thanks for the schematic. I miss the bumpers on my '83 dodge ram (though the bumper and the 318 are the only things I miss about that truck)

 

A not so nice lady removed mine while I was parked. You'll need to get the top cover off and check if any of the retaining clips are broken. Chances are that some of them snapped, but you can still replace that corner without removing the entire bumper.

 

Junk… just had the same thing happen to me. Just plastic on top of plastic.

 

Judging by the bent steel on the quarter panel, Id say it was little more than a tap. Time to replace it with a real steel bumper.

 

Looking at how the bed sheet metal is all bent, that a hell of a lot more than my definition of tap.
But yes the bumper cap is just that, a pathetic cap that’s not designed to take any from impact, you can basically kick it and it’ll fall off. The side pieces that you broke can be replaced though and doesn’t need a whole new bumper. But that bed sheet metal is your $$$$ to fix, not the bumper.

 

Sorry this happened. I may think about insurance.

Anytime you hit a fixed object you have to remember it has no give. Your bumper is jacked. You need the reinforcement as well as the side parts. The rear bed panel is damaged as other noticed, and if you look close your rear shackle took a hit . At minimum I would want an alignment checked.

You could be up to 1500 in repairs easily

Edit, tailgate is dented too

 

Dude you knocked the shit out of it. Sheet metal needs fixed too. I hate to think what kind of damage you would have caused if you had a steel bumper! Maybe bubble wrap?

 

They always “barely tap”. 3k later….

 

This is a no win, I've had trucks with metal bumpers, plastic/metal hybrid and none at all. Anyone old enough to remember the short time rear bumpers were optional add ons?

Any OEM metal bumper would have caved in too and most likely folded under or pushed back into the body.

It's a trade off, plastic absorbs shock and snaps but is easier/cheaper to replace with less total damage.

 

about $250. and VIN specific.

 

dang, I didn't even notice that. I was going very slow, creeping, stump was like exact height to catch bottom of cap/bracket (which offered no resistance, and must have bumped qtr panel some expensive stupidity.

 

thanks to all for the feedback - tailgate is fine btw - and I truly was barely rolling - think the height match obstacle to bottom of bumper contributed - no way that should have resulted in damage to qtr panel. Yah it was stupid, but still a bit disappointed. Thinking I'll go aftermarket rear bumper, prob RCI.
Have a great weekend.

 

It wasn't really a short time.
From the inception of the the pick up truck almost everything was optional beyond the basic truck: rear bumpers, outside mirrors, heater, radio, arm rests, the passenger side sun visor and windshield wiper, turn signals -- in the early days even a second taillight was optional, standard was only one.

By the early 1970's trucks began being marketed as personal transportation (lifestyle) vehicles versus the true "work" commercial vehicles that had historically been their segment. The manufacturers responded with much more luxurious (for the times) vehicles and the aftermarket accessory market exploded as well.

During this time many dealers ordered trucks without rear bumpers so they could install a "step-n-tow" bumper at the dealership, an almost passive up sell as every truck on the lot would have one.

By the mid 80's the no rear bumper days dwindled away, probably partially for tougher safety regulations and also because by that time consumers had been buying trucks as personal vehicles for 15 years or so and (as always) expected more features for their dollar.

 

And during that time period many dealers had those optional step-n-tow bumpers "branded" with the dealers name and location. You had to pay for a optional bumper that was in fact advertising for the dealer. I always hated that fact.

 

There was a local Dodge dealer who did that in the 80's, their name was etched the full height of the bumper. I remember seeing those trucks by the 100's.

 

with a steel bumper, it can bend the frame so it's definitely a tradeoff.

 

Chassis unlimited makes a all steel bumpers, $1,200 + and Hooke?

The Tacoma bumpers is a “JOKE”, cosmetic. I saw a video of a Tacoma going up a hill and they caught the corner of the rear bumper, the plastic just tore apart.

Toyota going cheap! Plastic saves weight. But to be use for bumper material? If made like a Tonka toy plastic? I could accept that? Lol

I always thought rear bumpers was to protect you and the truck? And able to handle a bump?