John-Dennis
Junior Member
After getting my stock bumper bent by an unlicensed illegal immigrant, I had an urge to make my 2016 Ram 1500 a little more armored.
I found this nice kit from Move Bumpers https://www.movebumpers.com/ that nearly fit my needs. The problem with the 1500 design is that any movement of the bumper is transmitted directly to the fender. (see first photo)
This is because the upper bumper valence is replaced with steel. This is not a problem for the 2500 and 3500 since those trucks do not use an upper bumper valence. Instead, they use a plastic trim part between the fender and headlamp assembly.
Part number 55372919AD and 55372918AD These are the Matte Black versions not the paintable ones. They will match the Fender Flares I will add later.
My solution was to order the 2500 Trim parts and the bumper for the 2500 and modify the brackets to fit my truck. I had Move swap the 2500 mounting hardware for the 1500 hardware, a decision I later regretted. I wish I had asked them to include the 2500 brackets and the 1500 flange plates.
One thing I wished I had done, is to do more preliminary planning and prep work before starting. Paint will not stick to a sharp edge, each outside edge should be rounded over before painting. This is much easier before assembly. Also, it is easier to drill holes using a drill press before welding. I had to drill all of these holes with a hand drill.
I also suggest spraying ll of the parts, both sides, with anti spatter coating to reduce weld spatter.
I used a large and small angle grinder and an ordinary woodworking belt sander to smooth the edges
I used aLincoln HD 3200 mig welder with gas for most of the welding. It was barely big enough and would over heat and shut off occasionally.
In one of the photos, you will see I rigged a dolly to hold the bumper for test fitting, this was very helpful.
I modified the receiver hitch so that the bumper would sit flat and it is bolted directly to the receiver. The rear bumper mounting brackets were a little short for me, so I made some new ones that were an inch longer to give a little more clearance between the bumper and sheet metal.
I found this nice kit from Move Bumpers https://www.movebumpers.com/ that nearly fit my needs. The problem with the 1500 design is that any movement of the bumper is transmitted directly to the fender. (see first photo)
This is because the upper bumper valence is replaced with steel. This is not a problem for the 2500 and 3500 since those trucks do not use an upper bumper valence. Instead, they use a plastic trim part between the fender and headlamp assembly.
Part number 55372919AD and 55372918AD These are the Matte Black versions not the paintable ones. They will match the Fender Flares I will add later.
My solution was to order the 2500 Trim parts and the bumper for the 2500 and modify the brackets to fit my truck. I had Move swap the 2500 mounting hardware for the 1500 hardware, a decision I later regretted. I wish I had asked them to include the 2500 brackets and the 1500 flange plates.
One thing I wished I had done, is to do more preliminary planning and prep work before starting. Paint will not stick to a sharp edge, each outside edge should be rounded over before painting. This is much easier before assembly. Also, it is easier to drill holes using a drill press before welding. I had to drill all of these holes with a hand drill.
I also suggest spraying ll of the parts, both sides, with anti spatter coating to reduce weld spatter.
I used a large and small angle grinder and an ordinary woodworking belt sander to smooth the edges
I used aLincoln HD 3200 mig welder with gas for most of the welding. It was barely big enough and would over heat and shut off occasionally.
In one of the photos, you will see I rigged a dolly to hold the bumper for test fitting, this was very helpful.
I modified the receiver hitch so that the bumper would sit flat and it is bolted directly to the receiver. The rear bumper mounting brackets were a little short for me, so I made some new ones that were an inch longer to give a little more clearance between the bumper and sheet metal.