Damn these bumpers are crap for for pulling.

[Josh_101]

My dad was trying to pull a low hanging limb off of an oak or maple tree, but his S-10 with the weak 4 banger couldn't pull it which is crazy cause this limb was only like 5 inches thick or a little less. So we try it with my truck. We hooked the chain onto the ball hitch (which bolted on the bumper itself), put it in 4x4lo, pulled some tension on the cain then pulled hard, that didn't quite work as the wheels were spinning. Back up a little to yank it, that deffanetly worked!... At the cost of fucking up my bumper:cursin:

The thing was just just bowed upward out of shape, and when I put down the tailgate it was sitting on the bumper. So we took it off and rigged up a way to try straightening it up. Got a big 4x4x10 post, wood blocks on both side of the bumper, small blocks under it, wrapped the chain around both sides under the bumper and over the 4x4x10 wood post, and put a jack on the center right where the ball hitch goes pushing up on the post forcing the bumper to bend dowward. After many many tries we got it close to where it should be, but its still all bowed up looking.

Looks like I cant put any kind of load on it untill I get a hitch reciever:jester:

[dakota g33k]

i wanted to tow the bike trailer in my signature pic on only the bumper, but was advised to get a hitch receiver -- just safer.

[erfoster]

Bumper hitches are asking for trouble. We almost dropped a boat in a lake *with* the trailer because the bumper rusted out on our old Toyota. :D

[AllThingsEnd]

The lesson here is this:

Whenever you are going to use a truck to pull something..... VIDEO TAPE IT!

[trevor]

The lesson here is this:

Whenever you are going to use a truck to pull something..... VIDEO TAPE IT!

:jester:....this is very true.



I'd recommend a tool called a chain saw first.

[midnite]

thats why you hook it to the frame......

[Josh_101]

The lesson here is this:

Whenever you are going to use a truck to pull something..... VIDEO TAPE IT!

I didn't think to do that, but oh well.

[Josh_101]

thats why you hook it to the frame......


I didn't want to F up the chrome or the plastic on the bumper by going way up under the truck to hook the chain on the frame. The bumper bending like it did, me and dad totally didn't expect, especially seing how the back of his s-10 was being thrown around and not get damaged. I still cant believe how tough that friggin limb is, it was only about 3 inches thick at the base of it and already kinda twisted up.

[pwhiteelec05]

Dakota rear bumpers straight up suck. my old one got bent to hell back into a poll i didn't see at idle. thats why i decided to buy a solid steel rear bumper when i got my front

[Mystake]

I didn't want to F up the chrome or the plastic on the bumper by going way up under the truck to hook the chain on the frame. The bumper bending like it did, me and dad totally didn't expect, especially seing how the back of his s-10 was being thrown around and not get damaged. I still cant believe how tough that friggin limb is, it was only about 3 inches thick at the base of it and already kinda twisted up.


I think he meant the hitch bolting to the frame.
My hitch is bolted to the frame, but mines also a 300$ aftermarket hitch.

[Josh_101]

But I dont have a hitch reciever, nothing their.

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j283/joshnc101/SL730478.jpg

I put the ball back onto the bumper to pull the limb. Now its all bowed out of shape with the center sticking upward and the sides sloping down. We got it straighten out as good as we can, but if I want it completly straight again, I might as well just buy a new bumper.

[00bluedak]

when i was moving, i pulled a 20 ft tandem axle trailor loaded down with crap off of the bumper. i knew that i was probably over the towing capacity of the bumper, but it made it. the following week i was cleaning the truck and realized that i had twisted the bumper in the middle. i havent towed anything since then since i installed a roll pan to replace the twisted bumper.

[schaffer]

i pulled a honda with mine today...bumper is fine...yes i checked

[BAD]

yep thats why you spend the 100 bux and buy a bolt on hitch

[70Cuda383]

I towed my Cuda on a dolly behind my V6 using just the bumper. but I knew that I was over the limit of the bumper for total weight, and no where near the max tongue weight, but I also KNEW that I was pushing it, so I DROVE ACCORDINGLY! and amazingly...nothing bent, nothing twisted, and everything was fine.

I think what messed you up was when you decided to jerk the branch instead of pulling slow and smoothly on it.

And for something so small, why not climb up the tree and cut it off with a hand saw? 3-5" diameter? should have taken all of about 45 seconds to buzz through with a bow saw.

...sounds like you guys just wanted to play with your trucks and could care less about the tree branch.

[96BlkDak]

Ive been pulling stuff on the bumpers all my life and my father did too. we never had an issue pulling anything My dad has a 98 Silvarado that he tows his heavy ass boat with and he uses the stock bumper. the scary part to me is the stopping the brakes in that thing just feel so weak on the occasions when I borrowed it in the past.

[ColoDak]

this is why you use a frame mounted receiver hitch (love my factory class IV) hitch and a tow hook.

[Josh_101]

I towed my Cuda on a dolly behind my V6 using just the bumper. but I knew that I was over the limit of the bumper for total weight, and no where near the max tongue weight, but I also KNEW that I was pushing it, so I DROVE ACCORDINGLY! and amazingly...nothing bent, nothing twisted, and everything was fine.

I think what messed you up was when you decided to jerk the branch instead of pulling slow and smoothly on it.

And for something so small, why not climb up the tree and cut it off with a hand saw? 3-5" diameter? should have taken all of about 45 seconds to buzz through with a bow saw.

...sounds like you guys just wanted to play with your trucks and could care less about the tree branch.


It was way up in the tree and we didnt have anything to cut it with. I did try pulling it slowly but that wasent working. The branch a was a big deal, atleast to dad its was cause he didn't like how it was hanging real low to the ground beyond the tree line on the edge of our yard.

[Mystake]

for a note try not to yank the branch next time :P

[Ben]

:jester:....this is very true.



I'd recommend a tool called a chain saw first.

I agree with both posts LOL!

The stock bumpers should never be yanked on-not even sure why they put a ball hole in them?