Replace a rusted or dented pickup bumper yourself

Replace a pickup bumper

We put our truck up on a hoist to replace the bumper, which makes things a bit easier. Don't be afraid to do the job with the truck on the garage floor, though it's a good idea to have a floor jack and stands available just in case you can't reach the upper bolts. An air impact wrench speeds things up, but you can do the job by hand with sockets, a ratchet and a breaker bar. You'll also need spray rust penetrant, screwdrivers and eye protection.

We'll walk you through the steps to replace a chrome step bumper on a 2002 Dodge Ram. It's representative of most pickup truck bumpers, but the number of bolts and their location may be different on your truck.


Step 1: First, assess the damage

Before you order any parts, inspect the condition of the bumper step pad, license plate lights, trailer light socket, and any other accessories that might have been damaged by the impact. Next, get your creeper and take a look behind the bumper. Check the condition of the bumper brackets to see if they're bent or rusted. If so, buy new ones—trust us, you don’t want to try to bend them back into shape.


Step 2: Buy new bumpers

Replacement bumpers are available from retail auto parts stores, truck and trailer hitch upgrade shops, local bumper reconditioning shops, and online retailers (rockauto.com and autoanything.com are two examples). Auto recycling yards are also an option, but we found we could buy a brand new factory-quality bumper with new brackets and bolts for just a few bucks more than a used part from the local yards.

Low-price bumpers are usually economy-grade units. They're barebones products (no brackets or bolts) with minimal chrome plating and a short rust-through warranty (if any). An economy bumper for our Ram truck costs about $170 online, including shipping. Those units are perfectly fine for an old truck that you plan to keep only a short time or just want to get into good enough shape to sell or trade.

However, if you need brackets or want a longer-lasting bumper that matches factory quality, buy a premium version that includes those extra parts. That winds up being cheaper than buying an economy bumper and paying à la carte prices for the brackets. A premium unit for our truck cost $445 including shipping and came with new brackets and bolts and two complete license plate light assemblies.


Step 3: Grease the skids with rust penetrant

Removing the rusted fasteners is the hardest part of a bumper replacement job. To make removal easier, pretreat all the fasteners with spray rust penetrant. Shoot a liberal dose on each nut and bolt a few days before you plan to do the swap, then drive the vehicle to create the vibrations that will make the penetrant work faster. Reapply when you get home so the penetrant can soak overnight. Repeat.

Step 4: Remove the accessories first

Reach behind the bumper and hold each nut as you unscrew the trailer light screws. Place the small parts in a magnetic tray or zipper-top bag so you don't lose them.

If your bumper has a built-in trailer light connector, remove the fasteners that hold it to the bumper. Next, disconnect and remove the trailer light connector and harness . Then remove the license plate bulb sockets.


Step 5: Then remove the bumper bolts and brackets

Remove the license plate to reveal the bolts that hold the bumper to the trailer hitch. Use a socket and ratchet to remove them.

Our bumper was attached to the trailer hitch and bed, bumper brackets and frame brackets. Start by removing the license plate and the bolts behind it. Next, reach behind the bumper and remove the bolts that connect the bumper to the truck bed. The frame brackets can be difficult to remove and can make bumper removal more cumbersome. So it's best to remove the bumper first to give yourself more room to access the frame brackets (if necessary). To do that, remove the bolts that connect the left and right bumper brackets to the frame brackets (Photo 4). Then lift off the entire bumper .


Step 6: Install the new bumper

 Snap in the license plate lights

Slide the license plate light into the new bumper. Then align the legs of the U-shaped spring retainer with the slots on the light. Push the retainer onto the light until it snaps into place.

Place the new bumper on cardboard to prevent scratches, then install the new license plate light assemblies . Then install the new bumper . Reinstall the trailer light connector and harness.

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10 Ways To Know When It's Time To Repair Or Replace Your Car

For many consumers, owning a car is not a luxury but a necessity. That doesn't mean they can't enjoy their car, even pamper it like a member of the family. But time and road miles tend to wreak all sorts of damage and wear on even the best-kept vehicle.

Sooner or later, the decision must be made whether to repair or replace your car. Here are 10 ways to help make the choice a little easier.

When repairs or maintenance cost more than the car is worth. You'll know it's time to get rid of the car and get a new one when the dollars start adding up to the point where it's going to cost you more I repairs or continual maintenance than the old car is actually worth. The key point to keep in mind here is that older cars tend to require bigger and more costly repairs.

Look at potential future repairs. Plunking down $1,500 or so for a repair job now may help you eke out a few more miles from your old car, but what's likely to come next? This is the automotive equivalent of a home money pit. At this point, have a trusted mechanic take a look at the car to spot looming problems and give you advice on how serious it is. The more the repair estimates or forecasts climb, the closer you may be to deciding on a new car.

What about safety? Not only do older cars, even the best-maintained of them, tend to wear out, consider the potential risks of having a breakdown while driving. New cars today come equipped with a lot of standard safety equipment, things like advanced airbags, side airbags, better handling and brakes, electronic stability control (now mandated by the federal government), and even rearview cameras. Optional active safety technology includes blind spot monitoring and lane departure warning systems, forward collision alert, drowsiness alert, and automatic parking. Since your old car likely doesn't have these safety features, when it starts to show its age, maybe it's time to look at a new car as a replacement.

When your car eats gas and mileage suffers, the problem may not be fixable. Let's face it. The older your car is, the less fuel-efficient it's going to be. That's because it doesn't have the engineering advances of newer engines, is likely nearing the end of its useful life, and will continue to go downhill or require increasingly more expensive repairs – like a new engine, transmission, or both.

Know what your car is worth. Before making the decision to go ahead and pay for repairs on your old car, you should take the time to find out what it's worth. Use tools available from sites like Kelley Blue Book and Edmunds to determine trade- in or retail value of cars similar to yours. A good rule of thumb is to employ the so-called “50-percent rule.” When repairs cost 50 percent of what your car is worth, it's time to replace.

Know what your next car will cost. You probably have some idea of the next car you want to buy, since you've likely been eyeballing magazine articles and kept a keen eye on models that catch your attention. Not only should you have a fairly good idea what that new car you want will cost, you'll also need to figure out how you're going to pay for it. Use the proceeds from the sale or trade-in of your old car to serve as a down payment to lower the amount you'll need to finance. Weigh and balance whether that monthly payment for the next 36 to 60 months is more or less than the anticipated annual outlay in repairs for your current car. Another rule of thumb here is to consider replacing your car if yearly repair bills are more than 10 percent of the price of the new car you're looking at.

Factor in insurance costs. Do your homework and calculate the difference in annual insurance costs for your old car compared to a brand-new one. If your old car isn't worth that much, you could drop comprehensive and collision, saving several hundred dollars . But your old car likely won't qualify for as many safety-related discounts available for new cars. Also keep in mind that performance, sporty and luxury cars cost more to insure than family sedans. In the end, insurance costs may not move you one way or another to repairing or replacing your old car, but they are something to take into consideration in the decision.

Pay attention to rebates and incentives. Nothing is more enticing than substantial money on the hood or low or zero-percent financing. You might even decide that leasing is a more attractive proposition this time around. When the incentives offered by automakers make the financial case for you, this is really a no-brainer for dumping a repair-prone older car and getting into something new. On the other hand, if your ride isn't that old and you've kept it up religiously, maybe foregoing the temptation to buy new is the right choice.

Lifestyle changes may dictate it's time for a change. Has your family size increased or decreased? Do you have longer or shorter commutes to work or school? Are there different recreational pursuits you're now engaged in that require more space or capability, maybe the need to haul items and gear or tow a boat or trailer? Maybe getting into a new vehicle that's more suited to your driving habits and needs is in order.

When you've just had enough of your old car. There's also a lot to be said for getting out of your old car and into a new one just because you're past being okay with what you have. You may have started a new job and want something more appropriate for business or you've yearned for a new car for the past few years and kept nursing the old one along as long as you could. In this case, if the financial picture makes sense and you can snag a good deal, go for the new car.

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How to Replace an Outer Tie Rod End？DNT Tools

Always wear safety glasses when working on your vehicle. Wear other personal protective equipment (PPE) when necessary, for example latex gloves or closed toe shoes.



1.Secure the vehicle on a level surface, making sure the vehicle will not roll or lean too much when jacked up.

2.

3.Secure the vehicle with jack stands on both sides for safety before starting any work. Do not rely on the jack to hold the vehicle up while working.

4.Wiggle the wheel left and right while inspecting tie rod end.

5.Visually inspect the tie rod end boot.

6.Remove the front wheels by removing the lugs nuts that are holding them on. To do this you will need to find the correct size socket and large ratchet or tire iron and turn them counter clockwise.

7.Mark how far the tie rod is threaded into the adjusting sleeve. Loosen the nut and bolt on the adjusting sleeve.

8.Remove the cotter pin from the tie rod end castle nut.

9.Remove the tie rod end castle nut.

10.Separate the tie rod end from the steering knuckle by using a ball joint puller tool.

11.Unthread the tie rod end from the adjusting sleeve. Be sure to count the number of turns required to remove the tie rod end.

12.Thread the new tie rod end into the adjusting sleeve the same amount of turns as the original.

13.Insert the tie rod end into the steering knuckle.

14.Torque the castle nut to manufacturer's specifications.

15.Insert a new cotter pin. Be sure to bend one leg of the pin over the castle nut to properly secure.

16.Mount wheels and torque lug nuts to manufacturer's specifications in a star (criss-cross) pattern.

17.Have a certified technician perform a wheel alignment to insure proper tire wear and vehicle tracking.

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