Bumper guard dilemma

[EastAustinSawdust]

Got my hands on a pair of bumper guards. They didn’t have pads, so I ordered a pair through LMC. Just got the pads and they’re not quite plug and play.

The pads each have 4 compression plugs on the back, designed to be pressed into rectangular shaped holes on the bumper guards. But the bumper guards have round holes or no holes where these rectangular holes should be. Pics:

Bumper guards:

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Pads:

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Plugs on back of pads:

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Close up of a plug:

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Got a few options, curious to hear your thoughts:

1) Use a Dremel to drill out rectangular holes in the bumper guards. Seems tedious and easy to mess up.

2) Use a Dremel to modify the plugs so they fit in round holes. Also tedious, also easy to mess up, and not all plugs have a corresponding hole.

3) Cut off the plugs and instead attach the pads with carriage bolts. Seems like the easiest solution, but then I’ll have carriage bolt heads showing on the front of the bumper guards. Slight aesthetic drawback. Could paint bolt heads black to make them blend in.

Thoughts? Other ideas?

And, are these bumper guards not OEM, or are the LMC parts just not made to fit? Had this problem with plenty of LMC parts before, so would t be surprised.


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[bucket]

Personally, I'd cut new slots in the bumper guards.

The original bumper guards from my '77 have round holes and the pads had studs. At some point, the pads became the snap-in type and they held up better too.

 

[nabeshin]

Cut rectangular holes. Remember to measure twice.

 

[FireTruck1984]

Looks like you have the wrong pads.. those are the same as I have on both my ‘84s. 1981-1987

 

[FireTruck1984]

Looks like you have the wrong pads.. those are the same as I have on both my ‘84s. 1981-1987

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[EastAustinSawdust]

Looks like you have the wrong pads.. those are the same as I have on both my ‘84s. 1981-1987

According to LMC those pads are for 77-80: https://www.lmctruck.com/1973-87-chevy-gmc/front-bumper/cc-1973-80-front-bumper

You think maybe the guards are pre-77?


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[FireTruck1984]

According to LMC those pads are for 77-80: https://www.lmctruck.com/1973-87-chevy-gmc/front-bumper/cc-1973-80-front-bumper

You think maybe the guards are pre-77?


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LMC lists the same part # 30-3320 for ‘77-‘80 and ‘81-‘87
But I know for a fact that they have different bumper guards for these years

 

[bucket]

LMC lists the same part # 30-3320 for ‘77-‘80 and ‘81-‘87
But I know for a fact that they have different bumper guards for these years

The guards are contoured differently to fit the bumpers, but the pads are the same shape.

 

[bucket]

Also, '77 may have been the only year for the bolt-on pads. I need to look at my '78 to see what style they are.

 

[FireTruck1984]

According to LMC those pads are for 77-80: https://www.lmctruck.com/1973-87-chevy-gmc/front-bumper/cc-1973-80-front-bumper

You think maybe the guards are pre-77?


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You must have early style bumper guards.. even Brothers Truck shows the same pads for 1977

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[EastAustinSawdust]

According to the seller, the guards were off a 1980 round eye.


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[FireTruck1984]

Very strange, that is a dilemma. I guess modify your bumper guards to accept the pads ?

 

[RecklessWOT]

Maybe just cut off the studs and "glue" on the pads with some RTV or some fender adhesive? They're not structural in the least bit, if you ever have to tear them off in the future so be it. Seems easier than grinding/modifying your current bumper thingies, especially since it seems like you don't know exactly what year the come from. You can always find the right ones later, and if not, who cares as long as they look right from the outside and don't fall off?

 

[EastAustinSawdust]

Maybe just cut off the studs and "glue" on the pads with some RTV or some fender adhesive? They're not structural in the least bit, if you ever have to tear them off in the future so be it. Seems easier than grinding/modifying your current bumper thingies, especially since it seems like you don't know exactly what year the come from. You can always find the right ones later, and if not, who cares as long as they look right from the outside and don't fall off?

Thought about that, problem is surface area. The side of the pads that mate with the bumper guards isn’t a smooth flat surface, it’s ridged. So there’s actually very little surface area to hold an adhesive bond.


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[Craig 85]

There were 2 designs. Look towards the bottom of the page. GM 1155103.

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