5 mph bumpers

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Woody'sScamp

FABO Gold Member
FABO Gold Member
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Anyone every tried taking one of these apart? Do they come apart? I was going to try and remove the radiator support mount part of it and paint it. Not sure if it is worth it? Never going to be a show car. This is the better one of the front 2. Thanks all.

Front Bumper 5 mph cylinder.jpg
 
I have these on my 75 but I've never tried taking them apart. I have the factory service manuals though so I figured I'd post the relevant pages here for you. It does look like they're meant to be serviceable.
Doc - Oct 3 2020 - 6-07 PM.jpg
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How much do those absorbers weigh? Since there’s not many folks restoring late model A bodies, I doubt there’s a bracket made that will save weight?

One of the absorbers on my rear bumper sprang a leak years ago.
 
How much do those absorbers weigh? Since there’s not many folks restoring late model A bodies, I doubt there’s a bracket made that will save weight?

One of the absorbers on my rear bumper sprang a leak years ago.
I’ve seen a couple of posts here about removing the shocks and the heavy steel reinforcement from the bumpers to save weight, but I won’t be doing that with my Duster. I want my collision bumpers working as advertised. Way back in the early eighties my Duster was rear ended hard by a guy in a van and that set up saved it from what otherwise would’ve been catastrophic damage. I drove away virtually unscathed. The van that hit me had to be towed away. I’ve been a fan ever since. That being said, the shocks aren’t the heaviest part of that set up. Behind the chrome plated bumper that everyone sees there’s a very heavy steel reinforcement hiding that distributes the impact of a collision across the bumper to the two shock absorbers.
 
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Those big bumpers have come in handy the odd time for me when jackasses have boxed me in parallel parking. Kiss up to their bumper and then gently push their car forward or backwards for room.

I replaced the heavy steel reinforcement from the front bumper with a Feather Duster bumper reinforcement made from aluminium but the rear bumpers aren’t the same between the hard tops and the Duster.
 
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