'73 bumper brackets on a '76 ?

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318willrun

318willrun

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I know the bolt pattern is different. Has anyone used these? Looking to get rid of the impact bumper shocks/brackets. Somebody done something else to eliminate?? Or am I left to create my own brackets? I've already cut the brace out behind the bumper. I want to keep the factory chrome bumper, just shed the weight behind it.
 
You’ll have to add the mounting holes to the frame rail if you want to use non shock bumper brackets.

And the hole locations on the bumper are different as well.

Here you go. Non-shock mount brackets use two holes at the front of the rail. The shock mounts use a single mounting hole, much further back. The "74+" label is wrong, part of '74 looked like my rail below
aframerails-2-copy-2-jpg-jpg-jpg.jpg


Some of the '74's got all 3 holes because of a production issue with the shock mounts. You can see all 3 on my '74 Duster
img_1917-jpg-jpg-jpg.jpg
 
72bluNblu said:
You’ll have to add the mounting holes to the frame rail if you want to use non shock bumper brackets.

And the hole locations on the bumper are different as well.

I’ll upload pictures in a second…
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Man, I've been battling this since I fit this one! From the Different stuff I read, the shock brackets are heavy as heck, and a member here said they were only a Lil..
 
Ironracer said:
Man, I've been battling this since I fit this one! From the Different stuff I read, the shock brackets are heavy as heck, and a member here said they were only a Lil..
Click to expand...
The complete set up will "hurt" you if you are not prepared and you unbolt it. I'm not joking. I've cut about 30 lbs from behind each bumper, but now I want to eliminate the shock and brackets that bolt to the bumper. Ideally, I want aluminum brackets from frame to the chrome bumper. However, if '73 bumper/brackets will work, that is what I'll hunt for...
 
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Ironracer said:
Man, I've been battling this since I fit this one! From the Different stuff I read, the shock brackets are heavy as heck, and a member here said they were only a Lil..
Click to expand...

The shock brackets do weigh a ton! Actually about 19 lbs, I believe that's each too.

Pictures are uploaded for the shock mount frame rail differences.
 
72bluNblu said:
The shock brackets do weigh a ton! Actually about 19 lbs, I believe that's each too.

Pictures are uploaded for the shock mount frame rail differences.
Click to expand...
Nice pictures, thanks! I knew one hole had to be drilled. Maybe I just need to hunt for a '73 bumper w/brackets.
 
318willrun said:
I know the bolt pattern is different. Has anyone used these? Looking to get rid of the impact bumper shocks/brackets. Somebody done something else to eliminate?? Or am I left to create my own brackets? I've already cut the brace out behind the bumper. I want to keep the factory chrome bumper, just shed the weight behind it.
Click to expand...
I don't know about 75 or 76 but my 74 had 5 mile an hour shock bumper brackets. I swapped them out for 73 brackets and then worked fine. 74 may have been an odd ball year, idk, but mine had holes in frame for either one if I remember correctly. At least I no I didn't have to to drill any new holes . Hope this helps!
 
moparmandan said:
I don't know about 75 or 76 but my 74 had 5 mile an hour shock bumper brackets. I swapped them out for 73 brackets and then worked fine. 74 may have been an odd ball year, idk, but mine had holes in frame for either one if I remember correctly. At least I no I didn't have to to drill any new holes . Hope this helps!
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I have a '74 that does not have the shock bumper in the front, but has it in the back. It came factory like this! I want to replace my front bumper on my '76 with something similar, and lighter :)
 
moparmandan said:
I don't know about 75 or 76 but my 74 had 5 mile an hour shock bumper brackets. I swapped them out for 73 brackets and then worked fine. 74 may have been an odd ball year, idk, but mine had holes in frame for either one if I remember correctly. At least I no I didn't have to to drill any new holes . Hope this helps!
Click to expand...

'74 is an odd ball year.

Early production '74 cars got shock mount bumpers and the frame rails only had 1 hole for mounting the shock mount brackets.

Then, around late December, there was a production issue with the shock mount bumpers. So, late December through the end of the production year the cars got non-shock mount bumpers. But they got all 3 mounting locations, like mine did.

So if you have a '74, check your frame rail. If it was made mid-year on, it should have all 3 mounting locations. If it was August '73 to December it probably only has one.

And that's all for the front only. The 74's all had shock mount rears.
 
318willrun said:
The complete set up will "hurt" you if you are not prepared and you unbolt it. I'm not joking. I've cut about 30 lbs from behind the bumpers, but now I want to eliminate the shock and brackets that bolt to the bumper. Ideally, I want aluminum brackets from frame to the chrome bumper. However, if '73 bumper/brackets will work, that is what I'll hunt for...
Click to expand...
I've got a set, and the core, we removed the front core from my 74. I have a Bro in NC, that I sold a damn near perfect 76 Feather Duster deck lid to, for 300. He came down, we talked, did the deal, and he turned and burned back there. He found them by accident in a bone yard in SC and mailed em to me.. hurt a Lil on shippin" !
 
318willrun said:
I have a '74 that does not have the shock bumper in the front, but has it in the back. It came factory like this! I want to replace my front bumper on my '76 with something similar, and lighter :)
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Crazy ain't it? And mine's a scamp, that may have something to do with it also. And as I remember it now my front bumper came in the trunk so maybe the PO had already bought a 73 bumper?
 
72bluNblu said:
'74 is an odd ball year.

Early production '74 cars got shock mount bumpers and the frame rails only had 1 hole for mounting the shock mount brackets.

Then, around late December, there was a production issue with the shock mount bumpers. So, late December through the end of the production year the cars got non-shock mount bumpers. But they got all 3 mounting locations, like mine did.

So if you have a '74, check your frame rail. If it was made mid-year on, it should have all 3 mounting locations. If it was August '73 to December it probably only has one.

And that's all for the front only. The 74's all had shock mount rears.
Click to expand...
Mine is shock front and rear, but front is only the shock holes.
 
moparmandan said:
Crazy ain't it? And mine's a scamp, that may have something to do with it also. And as I remember it now my front bumper came in the trunk so maybe the PO had already bought a 73 bumper?
Click to expand...

What was the build date on your car?
 
Ironracer said:
Mine is shock front and rear, but front is only the shock holes.
Click to expand...

Same to you, what's the build date? I'd guess between August and December though if it had shock mounts and only the single mounting location
 
What's even crazier is that '74 had two different front bumpers too. The shock and non-shock mount bumpers used different hole locations, they're not interchangeable.

'74 non-shock mount bumper
img_2036-jpg.jpg


'74 shock mount bumper
s-l1600-6-jpg.jpg
 
moparmandan said:
You nailed it. I forget exactly, but it was definitely late. I'll check again and report back. I'm curious now.
Click to expand...

If it had all 3 mounting holes it probably came from the factory with a non-shock mount bumper. I kind of assumed that the factory had planned on returning to the shock mounted bumpers at some point, which is why the mid to late '74 cars got all 3 holes, so whenever the production on the shock mount bumpers picked back up they could just add them back in without a frame rail production line change.

Mine was a June build, and it had a non-shock front bumper but all 3 mounting locations as I showed above.

I converted the rear bumper over to standard bumper brackets too, first with some home made brackets and later by welding up the rear pan and using the earlier brackets.

318willrun said:
Good stuff
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Glad to help! But yeah, if you want to swap to a non-shock mounted bumper it would be best to get the bumper and brackets as a set. Because the '73 bumper was also different from both of the '74's. So it would be really easy to end up with a mismatch and have to fab some mounting locations on the brackets
 
moparmandan said:
Crazy ain't it? And mine's a scamp, that may have something to do with it also. And as I remember it now my front bumper came in the trunk so maybe the PO had already bought a 73 bumper?
Click to expand...
I agree. No reason... LOL. Then again, it was '74, they didn't need a reason. My '74 is a Gold Duster, small bolt pattern wheels, no impact bumper on the front but one in the back, and the "space" Duster (fold down rear seat). Originally a slant car, but I swapped that out in 2016 :)
 
72bluNblu said:
If it had all 3 mounting holes it probably came from the factory with a non-shock mount bumper. I kind of assumed that the factory had planned on returning to the shock mounted bumpers at some point, which is why the mid to late '74 cars got all 3 holes, so whenever the production on the shock mount bumpers picked back up they could just add them back in without a frame rail production line change.

Mine was a June build, and it had a non-shock front bumper but all 3 mounting locations as I showed above.

I converted the rear bumper over to standard bumper brackets too, first with some home made brackets and later by welding up the rear pan and using the earlier brackets.
Click to expand...
I went back and looked at my own damn pictures and just confused myself more, LOL. What I do know for sure is that I didn't have to drill no damn holes in the frame. Which is right in line with what you're saying. But now I'm thinking maybe mine didn't come with the shocks in the front and I just dreamed that s***. Who knows, I got the CRS. I converted the back of mine also.
01414_ioKTgtmKw6S_1200x900.jpg
00i0i_5IfVEhxX4i0_1200x900.jpg
 
moparmandan said:
I went back and looked at my own damn pictures and just confused myself more, LOL. What I do know for sure is that I didn't have to drill no damn holes in the frame. Which is right in line with what you're saying. But now I'm thinking maybe mine didn't come with the shocks in the front and I just dreamed that s***. Who knows I got the CRS. I converted the back of mine also.View attachment 1715871511 View attachment 1715871512
Click to expand...
CRS is a Common issue with Bikers, Car Guys, and Construction Workers. Others may be affected.
 
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