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rear bumper removal

E

edmaude

NAXJA Member #1368
Location
West Milford, NJ
I am having a really tough time removing the rear bumper on my 2001 to install a hitch.

Any suggestions? I have been soaking the bolts in Blaster for weeks and they still will not budge.

I have new nut strips and would like to install the hitch the best way w/o fishing in bolts, but this is becoming a real pain
 
torch or heat, or just snap them off with a big flex bar. It doesn't really matter as you have new nut strips
 
Are you trying to remove the bolts that are in the bumper or the bolts that attach the mounting bracket to the rear crossmember? When I pulled mine off recently I removed the 8 15MM bolts that hold the brackets to the rear crossmember, they were a little tough to get broke free but came out pretty easily without any pb blaster or anything. Before going for those I tried to remove the bolts in the bumper itself and they wouldn't budge.
 
Think ahead!

try a mapp gas torch is burns much hotter.
Also think about doing a gas tank skid & new rear bumper at the same time. if you do all mounting holes lines up and it ties your rear bumper, gas skid, and hitch together and to your frame. I did this all together and it greatly improves frame & hitch strength.
 
You should already have the nutstrip on the passenger side - that's what your exhaust heat shield is attached to.

I took off the bumper first (2 bolts on the bootom, 2 inside) and then just remove the driver's side bracket to insert the nut strip.
 
Heat them up. I hope you're not in the same boat I was when I got my 99. I took off a badly installed U-haul hitch, and found that the f***wits had reattached the bumper bolts with green Loctite! I got them off, but every single turn of the wrench was a struggle, right to the very last thread.
 
1/2" impact ratchet? Actually, if you have any 1/2" tools you should use that, trying to break rusty bolts with 3/8 drive tools is a battle not often won (without 12-foot breaker bars)
 
sorry for the noob question, but where can you buy the nut strips?
my uncle sourced me a factory hitch from his buddy's tow yard but I haven't bothered installing it yet since I didn't get any hardware with it and trying to be a contortionist to get regular nuts down the frame rails isn't on my list of fun things to do on the weekend :roll:
 
for rear bumper removal, whatever you do, don't try getting rear-ended by a Silverado. I got nailed at around 30 mph the other day and nothin but some broken plastic, lights and a few nice sized dents. the truck was totaled though :cheers:
 
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