Well someone (brushed) my bumper with there car in my apartment parking lot and I'm annoyed enough to rant about it Ik it's only spray paint but I figured I'd go crazy so anyone have a opinion on a sturdy enough bumper hold up hitting a deer at 70 but not break the bank ik about the ranchhands moves ect I figure if I go this route and it happens again it will hurt

I could never afford to buy one so I made my own. So far dear been pretty fortunate. Another option is to get a can of paint and just paint it black, spend money on something else. Put too much weight on front end, may have to do something with strings. Mine sagged a little so I put plow package strings under it. Didn't want spacers because they don't add extra carrying capacity, but I guess it's an option. Maybe 1 to 1.5" would work pretty good

3 hours ago, Dieselfuture said:

I could never afford to buy one so I made my own. So far dear been pretty fortunate. Another option is to get a can of paint and just paint it black, spend money on something else. Put too much weight on front end, may have to do something with strings. Mine sagged a little so I put plow package strings under it. Didn't want spacers because they don't add extra carrying capacity, but I guess it's an option. Maybe 1 to 1.5" would work pretty good

My truck came to me leveled with aftermarket arms for level ect

I believe somewhere on the site is photos and description of a member welding up his own bumper.  

I'm not a bumper or frame expert by any stretch but I think I'd rather keep an impact absorbing flimsy bumper. A stouter more rigid bumper will transmit more force to the frame in the event of a collision. I'd much rather be replacing a bumper than trying to fix a bent frame.

9 hours ago, Silverdodge said:

Well someone (brushed) my bumper with there car in my apartment parking lot and I'm annoyed enough to rant about it Ik it's only spray paint but I figured I'd go crazy so anyone have a opinion on a sturdy enough bumper hold up hitting a deer at 70 but not break the bank ik about the ranchhands moves ect I figure if I go this route and it happens again it will hurt

 Time for a slight derail.

What kind of head lights do you have and do you like them? I have been looking at some very similar. The wife's 06 Dakota had some and they worked much better than the stock ones on my truck.

 

On topic. I painted my bumper covers with a rattle can of bumper cover paint and worked really good. Surprisingly good. The paint has deer repellant in it..

53 minutes ago, 04Mach1 said:

I'm not a bumper or frame expert by any stretch but I think I'd rather keep an impact absorbing flimsy bumper. A stouter more rigid bumper will transmit more force to the frame in the event of a collision. I'd much rather be replacing a bumper than trying to fix a bent frame.

I hear what your saying, but it can be looked at several ways. If it's a slow speed impact I'd raver have my heavy duty bumper, hopefully no frame damage will be done. If it's a higher speeds impact, more than likely truck will be totaled anyway and I thing a heavier bumper will still bend just fine but will slow down engine going in cab. Idk jmo. 

Their are bennifits of putting a heavy duty bumper on, Just depends what you use your truck for,

 

A reason so many oilfield and construction company’s and even forest service and game wardens outfit their trucks with all the body armour, so they don’t have to spend time and money fixing all the cosmetic crap from daily mishaps.

 

imho.. just go with a heavy duty bumper and only cry once.    I know did and only hurt when I saw it come out of the bank account, after that it’s been  

 

 

8 hours ago, Dieselfuture said:

I hear what your saying, but it can be looked at several ways. If it's a slow speed impact I'd raver have my heavy duty bumper, hopefully no frame damage will be done. If it's a higher speeds impact, more than likely truck will be totaled anyway and I thing a heavier bumper will still bend just fine but will slow down engine going in cab. Idk jmo. 

True. I've got a HD bumper on my 07 3500. Main reason I did it is because it has a winch mount. If it was for personal use I would have never installed it since the added weight probably doesn't help the 6.7 fuel mileage. I'll admit the HD bumper does save the grille and headlights from damage.

 

As for the stock 2nd gen bumper... A heck of a nice drunk kid decided to blow a stop sign. All that I needed was a left headlight, grille, and bumper. His 2010 G6 was considered a total loss because of unibody damage. He actually had the balls to sue me because he was without a car, he got the citations and went to jail for DWI.

1 hour ago, 04Mach1 said:

He actually had the balls to sue me because he was without a car

Zombie apocalypse is close ha ha

2 hours ago, 04Mach1 said:

He actually had the balls to sue me because he was without a car, he got the citations and went to jail for DWI.

Hope he did not win.

Nope he didn't win. The judge just kinda laughed them right out of court.

24 minutes ago, 04Mach1 said:

Nope he didn't win. The judge just kinda laughed them right out of court.

That's good. Boggles the mind at some o the cases that even get to court these days

Funny... The only thing that hit my bumper is one deer after my first year of ownership. Then the last month nothing but hitting birds and grouse. Every one of those HD bumpers out there are super heavy and I personally think are going to add to the front axles issues and steering issues with the added weight. Then with oversized tires making the problem worse too. 

I backed mine into a cat the second year I had it. A D8 Cat that is.

Had a buckstop bumper on my 99 for years. Probably helped contribute to tierod wear, only ever put one set of ball joints in. I put little over 200k on it, had about 300k on it when I finally sold it. But anyway had a Reese hitch receiver in it and way better tow hooks, both those came in handy. Probably the hitch reciever more so. Hit a bunch of deer with it, kinda nice not to have to worry. But we have a ton of deer here might not apply in your case. If I were to do it again with my 02 I would probably go with the weld yourself Move kit and paint to match the truck. Just my .  

5 hours ago, Dmaney said:

Hit a bunch of deer with it, kinda nice not to have to worry. But we have a ton of deer here might not apply in your case.

 

Actually applies to me. Worse yet some poor slob just hit an Elk about a week ago. Then you get into the backcountry like going towards Burgdorf, ID or Yellow Pine, ID you might just get your shot at hitting a Moose. I've been hoping to find something like a Buckstop but in a aluminum but I know that will cost a pretty penny. Since I don't have those kinds of funds I've just learn how to look for signs and drive cautiously.

8 hours ago, Mopar1973Man said:

Since I don't have those kinds of funds I've just learn how to look for signs and drive cautiously.

The state would probably go broke putting up deer crossing signs around here. 

There are some aluminum ones out there @Mopar1973Man that look sweet, but your right they will completely break the bank. 

Not deer signs but signs that deer might be in the area. Dead bodies or blood splatters.

Gotcha. We do have deer crossing signs on the highways. Rural 2 lane the deer are everywhere. Its nothing to see 50+ deer in a lot of the hay fields I farm. Things are getting worse now we have a 1200 acre deer preserve just a half mile up the road from the house. 

https://www.google.com/search?q=deer+crossing+radio+rant&oq=deer+crossing+rant&aqs=chrome.1.69i57j0l2.17742j0j8&client=tablet-android-verizon&sourceid=chrome-mo

 

Speaking of deer crossings, this comes to mind for any who have not heard it.