Soon to be How To: Convert from Chrome Bumper to Sport Bumper

I posted another thread, but for future searching, I figure a new thread with all of the information in it for others will be a nice thing to have.



I slid into an 8 inch tall concrete post this morning, thanks to rain that froze, and the wonderful towns out here that dont salt or so anything in a timely manner to treat their roads..


After looking for a replacement chrome bumper, and not finding any NEW bumpers for under $6-700 dollars, I decided to see what it would take to put a sport bumper on a non-sport truck..


Here is the parts list for the 13-16's that you need. I found everything on "all mopar parts"


68197698AA BUMPER COVER1
ONE PIECE BUMPER, W/O PARK SENS.
$322.00 $218.09
1 68239435AA BUMPER COVER1
ONE PIECE BUMPER, W/PARK SENS.
$322.00 $218.09
2 6502871 BUMPER COVER RETAINER
ONE PIECE BUMPER
$4.45 $2.99
3 6104370AA BUMPER COVER BOLT
ONE PIECE BUMPER
$4.45 $2.99
5 55277480AD SIDE RETAINER, RIGHT
ONE PIECE BUMPER
$10.35 $7.01
5 55277481AD SIDE RETAINER, LEFT
ONE PIECE BUMPER
$10.35 $7.01
6 68104942AD SIDE RETAINER CENTER SUPPORT
ONE PIECE BUMPER
$39.00 $26.44
7 68104944AD SIDE RETAINER OUTER SUPPORT, RIGHT
ONE PIECE BUMPER
$12.25 $8.31
7 68104945AE SIDE RETAINER OUTER SUPPORT, LEFT
ONE PIECE BUMPER
$11.95 $8.08
8 6101678 SIDE RETAINER NUT, RIGHT
ONE PIECE BUMPER
$6.70 $4.52
8 6101678 SIDE RETAINER NUT, LEFT
ONE PIECE BUMPER
$6.70 $4.52
9 68196999AB IMPACT BAR
ONE PIECE BUMPER
$334.00 $226.00
10 68145441AC ENERGY ABSORBER
ONE PIECE BUMPER
$184.00 $124.30
11 68033135AA AIR DEFLECTOR
ONE PIECE BUMPER
$101.00 $67.91
12 68207015AA








I have everything ordered, and once i get the bumper painted, ill post up some pics of the install.


Ill be honest, i thought it would be more of a direct swap than this, but I had already ordered half the parts before i realized how many more parts i would need...


pics of the "carnage" soon to come

I'm interested in doing something like this soon. Can't wait to see your follow ups!

Here's what I managed to do:








Hard to tell, but you can see how the bumper is pushed up a 1/4 of an inch

good to know.....great job

Ah.. Soo many numbers.. So did you save $$ swapping to the plastic one?


IMO

AustinB said:

Ah.. Soo many numbers.. So did you save $$ swapping to the plastic one?


IMO

Click to expand...

Your question leads me to believe that there is a different sport bumper that is not plastic. Please enlighten us...

AustinB said:

Ah.. Soo many numbers.. So did you save $$ swapping to the plastic one?


IMO

Click to expand...

I'm probably spending about the same honestly, as I sourced the bumper cover, foam, and grille from eBay, and paid a lot less than the website I mentioned.

All said and done, probably around $800 total, to order everything, have it shipped, and for paint.

I initially thought all I had to buy was the bumper cover, foam, and grille.. I later found out I needed an additional $450 worth of parts...

wsutard1 said:

Your question leads me to believe that there is a different sport bumper that is not plastic. Please enlighten us...

Click to expand...

As far as I know, there is no metal sport bumper

So do you regret getting the plastic one now?


IMO

wsutard1 said:

Your question leads me to believe that there is a different sport bumper that is not plastic. Please enlighten us...

Click to expand...

Well he originally had chrome. It would cost him $700 at the top of the list to replace it.

Wondering why he decided to goto plastic.. But I now believe it's because he thought he would be saving money. May actually be spending about $100-$200 more for a weaker bumper, end result.

Sucks, but **** happens.


IMO

2014moparam said:

I initially thought all I had to buy was the bumper cover, foam, and grille.. I later found out I needed an additional $450 worth of parts...

Click to expand...

I believe you are correct, Austin.

Adam

Obviously, to each their own. But as soon as one of my bumpers get fkd up, I will be replacing it with a steel off road one, for not a bunch more $. Especially on a black truck, would look great.


IMO

I don't regret the plastic, it's not really weaker, as you have to install the reinforcement beam between the frame rails anyway..

I actually like the thought that, if this happens again, I won't have to pay out the butt to replace the bumper..


Not to mention I LOVE the look of the sport front end anyway.






I'll eventually do the black grille as well

AustinB said:

Well he originally had chrome. It would cost him $700 at the top of the list to replace it.

Wondering why he decided to goto plastic.. But I now believe it's because he thought he would be saving money. May actually be spending about $100-$200 more for a weaker bumper, end result.

Sucks, but **** happens.


IMO

Click to expand...

As he said, he decided to go to the superior stock bumper cause he liked the look better.

So now you'll have the sport front bumper and chrome rear?

Yea, to each is their own pretty much. If I had my choice, is go with the sport two door and have it lowered haha.. I only had a few trucks to choose from and mine was the one I liked the best, minus all the chrome.


Definitely like the look of the sports though.. All blacked out looks sharp!

i'm doing the same thing on my 12, i can't stand chrome or metal because i think they suck. a rear OEM non-painted metal bumper cost me 100.00 off CL and a new step pad cost me 38.00. i can do the front swap for 500.00 in parts. so to me, it'll look better and that's all i care about. i had the metal bumper off my truck once, and there's nothing behind it, just the buckets that hold the fogs. IMO, there's more behind the sport bumper. it has a reinforcement and impact bar, two things the metal setup doesn't have

xbxjunkie said:

i'm doing the same thing on my 12, i can't stand chrome or metal because i think they suck. a rear OEM non-painted metal bumper cost me 100.00 off CL and a new step pad cost me 38.00. i can do the front swap for 500.00 in parts. so to me, it'll look better and that's all i care about. i had the metal bumper off my truck once, and there's nothing behind it, just the buckets that hold the fogs. IMO, there's more behind the sport bumper. it has a reinforcement and impact bar, two things the metal setup doesn't have

Click to expand...

You can't compare the durability of the two.. You can put whatever you want behind that plastic bumper.. But plastic is plastic, and its not very well suited on a truck imo.. It may look nicer/cooler..

Chances of the plastic bumper being all scratched up driving through light brush, or a car just simply touching it as they pull into a parking spot beside you. There is nothing beneficial to having a plastic bumper on a full size truck, other than a look.

(Just to go ahead and cover a future debate, the metal bumpers can be painted body color)

The plastic bumpers look great.
There is nothing wrong with them.
This is directed to the comparison.

IMO

ricky2010hemi said:

So now you'll have the sport front bumper and chrome rear?��

Click to expand...

I've got a can of plasti dip to do the rear bumper with,until I get the rear bumper either painted or replaced

Good luck with the swap. To bad you aren't closer to Vegas I have both my front and rears sitting in my garage with all hardware.

AustinB said:

You can't compare the durability of the two.. You can put whatever you want behind that plastic bumper.. But plastic is plastic, and its not very well suited on a truck imo.. It may look nicer/cooler..

Chances of the plastic bumper being all scratched up driving through light brush, or a car just simply touching it as they pull into a parking spot beside you. There is nothing beneficial to having a plastic bumper on a full size truck, other than a look.

(Just to go ahead and cover a future debate, the metal bumpers can be painted body color)

The plastic bumpers look great.
There is nothing wrong with them.
This is directed to the comparison.

IMO

Click to expand...

i have a painted metal lower and the plastic upper and i think it looks horrible, and in regards to durability, we'll agree to disagree. i've seen metal ones all rusted out and IMHO, they don't offer any more protection than their plastic counterparts that come with an impact bar and metal reinforcement