Auto (truck) body repair question

[Jess from VA]

This is the second time some dingbat has rear ended my wife's cherry Dodge Dakota ('04 Sport Plus extended cab)

This hit was not as bad as the first one, and it looks like it is only a new rear bumper, mounts, and maybe small touch of paint (hopefully).  Last time, she got the OE Dodge rear bumper in replacement.

Both times, the OE rear bumper just pretzeled up, and looking at it carefully, it really looks to be made of very thin metal, with coating.... more decoration than protection (and I have not been able to find any actual specs on the OE bumper).

So now I am looking at after market (supposedly pure bolt up) rear bumpers, esp a Westin-Fey black powder coat diamond plate step bumper that would certainly look good on her Patriot (dark) blue truck, and which would seem to be much more heavy duty than the dodge bumper, which can't seem to take any kind of hit at all without major bending.  We don't want chrome.

The OE bumper seems to be $900 or so, and the Westin-Fey around $200.  And yes, she could pocket the difference, but that is not the point of the exercise at all.  I just want the toughest, sturdiest cold rolled steel bumper that bolts right up that I can get, but if she comes away with cash, that will be OK too.  If I found a much better one that used all the insurance bumper money up, I'd use that one.

I know how to work with the bump shop (who know her well) to work a parts switch-up, but I know from reading the forum that some of you guys know this stuff much better than I do.

I found a lot of really heavy duty bumpers for the full size half and 3/4 ton pickups, but the choices for Dakota are much more limited.  

This is what I am looking at.  It comes with a mount kit and free shipping.   I may have found the same one for about $130 on another website.  Any advice, recommendations, opinions would be greatly appreciated.

https://www.etrailer.com/Bumper/Westin/20000.html


There will never be any towing, and with a full time toneau cover, there isn't much climbing into the bed either (lots more crawling over the gate and under the toneau). 

[Patrick]

I think that should be a good replacement especially considering you won't be doing much with that bumper. But, I think its far better than the original and the price is right.  The next time some ding bat hits her there probably won't be as much damage either.

[Robert]

On my 91 GMC it has a bumper that is similar in design to the one in the pick. It has held up fine and the one in the pick says 8k towing capacity. I doubt very seriously you would have a problem with that. The stock bumpers on the Dodges and Chrysler's are garbage as you said pretty much show.

[Jess from VA]

Thanks guys, I was hoping you'd chime in.  

It seems like a wise move.

But how often do find a $200 solution that works far better than a $900 dollar one?

This body shop has been around for a long time and has a good rep, and I intend to ask them about it too, but I'm afraid most of our local suburbanites just want stock parts for everything they bang up, so I don't know if they have any experience with them.

I was looking for something like this, fore and aft. But they are apparently not for sale but have to be home built.  


 

[Rams]

I believe that all OE bumpers are made to pass the five mile an hour crunch test.  

Basically, everything produced this decade is made to egg shell standards, crumples to protect the passenger compartment.  

After market bumpers don't meet the OE standard.   That is not to suggest you should or shouldn't get an aftermarket bumper.    IMHO, it really depends on what you want cosmetically and for protection.
If the bumper doesn't crumple, then you'll most likely have frame damage in the next hit and run.  

BTW, what is this no chrome thing?   You do ride a Valkyrie.  

[Jess from VA]

Yeah, I get the idea of protecting the occupants with the crush stuff, but flimsy bumpers are just ridiculous.   The goal is to screw up the other car, not yours.

The truck has almost no chrome on it at all.  Blue and black and powder coat grey wheels and mat aluminum grille.  Chrome just bumps the price up.  She's got the evil truck look going (I started it).

Gibson single catback in stainless, big air kit, dark (as law allows) windows.  It's a nice head turner, and she's had a bunch of people ask to buy it from her.

Funny, I wanted her in a truck for safety, and she didn't want one.  I had to really work on her to get it.  Now she loves it and doesn't ever want to replace it.

And here's her just for fun car.  Merc Marauder (Crown Vic on steroids).  It is mistaken for an unmarked cop or secret service car, and wherever you go, you create your own slowdown. Lots of fun.

[Crackerborn]

Years ago a buddy added a railroad rail to the rear of his truck for the same reason you want a stiffer bumper. His was a one ton GMC work truck. A few months later he was rear ended at a slow speed at a traffic signal. Thousands of dollars damage to the front end of the offending vehicle, narry a scratch to his.......except his frame was tweaked when his "bumper" didn't  give. And the offending vehicles insuance company sued him for damages to the car that rear ended him since he had a non DOT approved rear bumper.

[Jess from VA]

Years ago a buddy added a railroad rail to the rear of his truck for the same reason you want a stiffer bumper. His was a one ton GMC work truck. A few months later he was rear ended at a slow speed at a traffic signal. Thousands of dollars damage to the front end of the offending vehicle, narry a scratch to his.......except his frame was tweaked when his "bumper" didn't  give. And the offending vehicles insuance company sued him for damages to the car that rear ended him since he had a non DOT approved rear bumper.

I understand the risk to frame.  It can be straightened, or replaced, or totaled all at the at-fault driver's insurance company's expense.  And IMHO, that lawsuit sucks eggs.  In my case, their insured hit someone in the back end in broad daylight for no other reason than she is a lousy driver.  There is no shared fault in the accident whatsoever, so there should be no shared damages either.  You hit someone in back, and every bit of resulting damage to anyone is on you (with rare exceptions).  Now if they could prove a non regulation bumper was specifically constructed and installed for the purpose of inflicting much greater than ordinary damages to others, that would be one thing.  But to stick on an ordinary metal bumper identical to those put out by Detroit for 40 years (as above), I don't see it.  And it is a truck.  And I will pass my state annual safety inspection, so the state approved it as well.

[Steel cowboy]

If your truck has a receiver style hitch, add a "T" shaped adaptor to it that sticks out. You can use it as a step to get in the bed.