Rear bumper brackets

[Andy_A]

O.K., i have a request for everyone. I know that one or both of my rear bumper brackets are bent because the are not in the same positon, and the bumper rides so high that my deck lid cannot be closed, I was hoping that someone could either tell me the angles, as maybe the two bends are at 90 degrees? Or if someone could take a picture of one laying on it's side so I can get the angles right. Thanks, Andy

[NAES]

I would pull the bumper and see if the mounts are messed up from a hit before I go trying to bend the brackets. lay the bumper down on a level surface and see if it's straight or if the ends point up or down. If its straight, reinstall it.

If the mounts are tweaked then the quick fix is washers stacked until the bumper looks right. If the bumper ends point up or down then the brackets are bent. Easy fix is to step on the end thats pointing up or to pull up on an end pointing down to tweak the bracket a bit.

It's not a tough job to get it looking pretty good on the cheap.
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[TeamSpatula]

I'm in the same position - scored a nice rear bumper with tweaked brackets at a swap meet, and am still trying to get it figured out. I think what I will end up doing is beat them into as close a shape as possible, then putting both brackets on the bumper, attaching one to the body, then trying to wiggle everything into position...the mounts I have aren't bad enough to justify buying new ones...
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[timbo777]

I have the same problem, on a 66 delux, what is the clearance between the bumper and the bottom of the deck lid? I have to stand on the bumber to get enough clearance for the lid to open, so I have now taken the bumper off. Also, my bumber has two holes drilled through it, why would someone have done that?

[Touch Nicks Thing]

The holes are so someone who is really cheap can put a beetle muffler and tailpipes on. The pee shooters would stick out those holes.

[Stanagon]

Has anyone else found that the WW rear bumper brackets cause the rear bumper tips to point downward way too much.

A few years ago I used a pair to mount the bumper on my '65 panel. I ended up using a bottle jack to lift the tips up to the body to bolt them in place (with splash pans). I chalked it up to a somewhat tweaked rear bumper.

Recently I test fit a set of WW rear bumper brackets using a nice straight rear slash tip bumper blade on my '61. They were way off. I can even see how off they are with the straight bumper sitting on the ground, the mount brackets point up at way too much of an angle. I can get a pix if need be.

Should I just try to find some straight OG brackets? or does someone else make a better repro one?

suppose I should just call splitpile...
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[Stocknazi]

i had some really messed up brackets that i straightened up using a really straight on for a pattern. used the torch and a monkey wrench to correct the twist and a hammer/anvil to starighten them out a bit. when installed they were real close. i ended up having to bend them apart a bit, and jump on the bumper once installed to bring it down some. i would imagine the repo brackets would bend even easier.
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[Spitty1974]

I have one NOS rear bumper mount and one original that was on my bus.

The other original to my bus is all bent up and has been welded back together from a previous hit. It was poorly fixed and is just not right.

I was getting ready to media blast them and I noticed the NOS is slightly longer than the original one by 1/4". NOS one is the gray one, the black one the original.

Am I correct to assume that since the holes to mount the brackets are slotted, it will be ok that one is slightly longer by 1/4"? I can just mount the longer one 1/4" back so the brackets are even?

[hitest]

Your black bracket has had a little bit of a parking lot bender- indicated by the slight flaring at the rearmost bend. The silver one is quite straight- and as a result, does not sit flat on the bottom of the screen- lower left. Clamp both of these brackets side by side to a bench and you'll quickly see they are not parallel on the middle transition or the final straight section at the bumper bracket- then measure and compare the widths of the flared bends. Sometimes you can use a vise and mash those flares a little closer and undo the accordion-shaped damage to the bracket. If you can straighten the black bracket it will come closer to the silver as a match.

Also, the silver one is not NOS- they did not come from the factory with washer scratches.
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[swharris]

Super late to this thread, but does anyone know if the "V" notches in the ends are to indicate L or R or are they related to production. Every bracket I've see has them, but I never noticed if there is a left or right version of these. Thx.

[Lind]

[EverettB]

Weird, I don't remember seeing those Vs before but I may have forgotten.

I have this old pic of rear bumper brackets with the hanger and I don't see the V on them

I don't see it in this photo of my restored original '64 Bus rear bumper either

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[richierich]

[EverettB]

You are correct, I looked at some of my old detailed and larger photos and it's on that one bracket but not the other one.

Weird... I would be surprised if anything was replaced on that Bus as it was low mileage but it's always possible.
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[BarryL]

Two sets of original '65 brackets do not have it. Three sets of original '67 brackets all have it and it's in the same place left or right.

[Bruce Amacker]