Bumper Help

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Sam

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N/E Ohio
I have a 1973 Dart Sport.I have a bumper that came with it,BUT,no mounting brackets (OR)
Mine has a massive beam on the back of the bumper..No place for normal brackets.Does this call for Shock style?Can it be changed to Bracket style?
I cannot get a straight answer from anyone.
HELP. Thanks,Sam in N/E Ohio

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I have a 1973 Dart Sport.I have a bumper that came with it,BUT,no mounting brackets (OR)
Mine has a massive beam on the back of the bumper..No place for normal brackets.Does this call for Shock style?Can it be changed to Bracket style?
I cannot get a straight answer from anyone.
HELP. Thanks,Sam in N/E Ohio

View attachment 1715187055

View attachment 1715187056

View attachment 1715187057
this pic is on my 75 duster. I have a set from a Dart (longer)if interested, but shipping wont be cheap...about 25pounds.

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That is right for the bumper. I don't know what was correct for your car. One of those frame holes would be threaded for the big bolt. Guys certainly do change them to other style -not sure what is best way to do that. I am sure you could find some options if you search this site
 
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That is right for the bumper. I don't know what was correct for your car. One of those holes would be threaded for the big bolt. Guys certainly do change them to other style -not sure what is best way to do that. I am sure you could find some options if you search this site
It looks to me like that is a 74-76 bumper for big bumper shocks. 73 was last year for conventional brackets.
I think you will need 73 Dart bumper and brackets.
 
You have the wrong bumper for your car. The bumper bracket mounting holes you show on your frame rail are for a standard bumper. The bumper you show is a shock mount bumper.

‘73’s all had standard mount bumpers front and rear, and the frame rails would only have mounting holes for standard brackets. Shock mount bumpers started in ‘74, but then were discontinued for the front starting in December. 74’s built in December until the end of production for the ‘74 model year had non-shock bumpers in the front and shock mount bumpers in the rear.
 
I have a 1973 Dart Sport.I have a bumper that came with it,BUT,no mounting brackets (OR)
Mine has a massive beam on the back of the bumper..No place for normal brackets.Does this call for Shock style?Can it be changed to Bracket style?
I cannot get a straight answer from anyone.
HELP. Thanks,Sam in N/E Ohio

View attachment 1715187055

View attachment 1715187056

View attachment 1715187057
As said a 73 should have regular brackets, but, but, but.... That's a lot of holes in that frame...Which of them have threads (captured nuts)? Also what is the build date? If this is a late 73 build, I would not be surprised to se a 74 absorber style used. Every time I think I know the dates Mopar used something I find a combination to prove it wrong...:BangHead:
 
As said a 73 should have regular brackets, but, but, but.... That's a lot of holes in that frame...Which of them have threads (captured nuts)? Also what is the build date? If this is a late 73 build, I would not be surprised to se a 74 absorber style used. Every time I think I know the dates Mopar used something I find a combination to prove it wrong...:BangHead:
That is one problem.I need someone who REALLY knows these things ,to look at what I have.I hate to spend a ton to find out it's unusable.Thanks,Sam.
 
You have the wrong bumper for your car. The bumper bracket mounting holes you show on your frame rail are for a standard bumper. The bumper you show is a shock mount bumper.

‘73’s all had standard mount bumpers front and rear, and the frame rails would only have mounting holes for standard brackets. Shock mount bumpers started in ‘74, but then were discontinued for the front starting in December. 74’s built in December until the end of production for the ‘74 model year had non-shock bumpers in the front and shock mount bumpers in the rear.
BUT<Could they be used?with the proper mounts.
Thanks,Sam
 
That is one problem.I need someone who REALLY knows these things ,to look at what I have.I hate to spend a ton to find out it's unusable.Thanks,Sam.
We are here.
LOL
Help us help you. Not all frames had that many holes.
Just can't tell in your picture.
Which holes are threaded? That will help tell what can go on without modification.
 
As said a 73 should have regular brackets, but, but, but.... That's a lot of holes in that frame...Which of them have threads (captured nuts)? Also what is the build date? If this is a late 73 build, I would not be surprised to se a 74 absorber style used. Every time I think I know the dates Mopar used something I find a combination to prove it wrong...:BangHead:

We are here.
LOL
Help us help you. Not all frames had that many holes.
Just can't tell in your picture.
Which holes are threaded? That will help tell what can go on without modification.

It has exactly the right amount of holes for a standard mounting bracket frame rail. This is the front of the rail on one of my '71 Darts. Two threaded holes for the bumper bracket, two unthreaded holes that were likely some kind of factory use.
IMG_5307.jpg


While I would never say it couldn't happen that a late '73 build got a shock bumper, I would be VERY surprised. I seriously doubt that ever happened. Regardless, the OP's frame rail is correct for a '73.

That is one problem.I need someone who REALLY knows these things ,to look at what I have.I hate to spend a ton to find out it's unusable.Thanks,Sam.

BUT<Could they be used?with the proper mounts.
Thanks,Sam

Your frame rail will not have the mounting hole and captured nut that was used for a shock bumper. Could you add it? Sure. It would be a lot of work to use the less desirable bumper though, because the mounting location is completely separate from the standard bumper mounting locations.

This is what I'm talking about. Here are the different versions of the frame rail, there are 3 I'm aware of (at least with regard to the bumper mounts). 67-73, which had the mounting holes for the standard brackets shown above, early model year '74 (August '73 until ~December) and then '75 on, and the wild card- mid to late '74 (~December to July).

The 1974 model year started production in August with shock mount front and rear bumpers. Those cars had only one bumper mount location, because the shock mount bumpers are mounted with a single bolt to the frame. And it's not in the same place as any of the standard bumper bracket mounts. You can see that on the picture below, showing a standard rail and either an early '74 rail or a 75+ rail.

framebumpermount-1.jpg


Then, sometime around December of 1973 ('74 model year production), there was an issue with shock bumper production for the front, and starting from some time in December and on the remaining 1974 model year cars got standard bumpers again. But, they kept the shock bracket mounting hole. So, December '73 to July '74, model year 1974 cars had all 3 mounting locations. Like my '74 does.

framebumpermount-2.jpg


But, your '73 will only have the standard bracket mounting locations, which you clearly show in your picture. Can you mount a shock bumper? Sure, but they're big, ugly, and heavy. And you'll either have to open up the frame rail to weld in a captured nut, or you'll have to drill a hole completely through the frame. Either that or you'll have to somehow modify the standard brackets to accept the shock mount style bumper. Which is probably easier than modifying the frame rail, but still. All just so you can run the wrong bumper on you car.

If you don't have any of the mounts I would just locate a set of standard bumper brackets and find a '73 bumper. It's going to be a lot easier than doing the work to run the wrong one, even if you have it already. Just my opinion.
 
yep, agree, what he said...
been a while since I looked at an older bracket type. I didn't realize how close together the holes are in OPs frame pic. Unless it has that other hole back farther like last pic it's definitely the bracket style. Sorry if I added to the confusion
 
yep, agree, what he said...
been a while since I looked at an older bracket type. I didn't realize how close together the holes are in OPs frame pic. Unless it has that other hole back farther like last pic it's definitely the bracket style. Sorry if I added to the confusion
These are the ONLY answers that I've gotten that make sense.Now,Who has a 73 bumper(kind of local)N/E Ohio.
Shipping would kill me $$$$ (and fed-ex.)Thanks Guys,Sam
 
yep, agree, what he said...
been a while since I looked at an older bracket type. I didn't realize how close together the holes are in OPs frame pic. Unless it has that other hole back farther like last pic it's definitely the bracket style. Sorry if I added to the confusion
Thanks,AND thanks again.Sam
 
this pic is on my 75 duster. I have a set from a Dart (longer)if interested, but shipping wont be cheap...about 25pounds.

View attachment 1715187071
[/QUOTE]

zkx - I have a 75 Dart and am in need of the front bumper filler panel. Know of anyone with one of those lying around? I'd also be interested in finding out what the ride would cost for those 75 bumper shocks.

Thanks,
Jim
 
zkx - I have a 75 Dart and am in need of the front bumper filler panel. Know of anyone with one of those lying around? I'd also be interested in finding out what the ride would cost for those 75 bumper shocks.

Thanks,
Jim
Sorry Jim, but I sold the absorbers at Carlisle. Are you talking plastic filler or the inner metal bumper? The plastics are getting harder to find cause they are usually distorted ( mine is) Put up a Wanted ad and you will probably find someone that has what you need. A lot of guys pull them and swap to an earlier bumper to tuck it in.
 
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Thanks,AND thanks again.Sam

I have a 73 Dart Swinger Hard Top and can verify what 72bluNblu showed you.
I would build brackets to attach the shock style bumper to the sides of the rails if the bumper is worth using.
That way if you used the holes in the rail sides like the 73 and down uses, you could always take time and patience to find a 73 bumper and brackets later.

It wouldn't take much to make brackets that attached to the old shock mounts on the bumper and the side of the rail holes.
Then slot those rail side holes and you can adjust the bumper in and out where you like it.
 
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