Diesel Journal

Stopped in at Buckstop Bumpers down in Newburg Oregon on my way back from Dyno-Mite Diesel in Monroe, WA. I had arranged for a Front and Rear, Non-Winch bumper painted in white. Buckstop is one of the few aftermarket bumper companies that make bumpers for my 2002 Dodge. I believe that they are the only company that makes a Non-Winch bumper for my truck also. I wanted something that did not stick out much farther than my stock bumper and Buckstop’’s Non-Winch bumper met that requirement.

Buckstop has been making bumpers for Ford, Dodge and Chevy for several years now. Their bumpers have the perfect blend of tuff and show without making trucks look like they need to be completely overhauled to match the bumper.

Installation
I must say, I was very disappointed in Dodge’’s bumper, and even more when I removed it. Half of the stock bumper is plastic and after seeing how Buckstop mounts their bumpers, was very sickened at how poorly the stock bumper tied in with the frame.
The first step is of course removing the front bumper. Not very hard at all. If you look under your truck you will see all the bolts that need to be removed. I believe you may have 8 on each side at the most.

The next step is mounting all of your hardware to the new Buckstop Bumper. Your new bumper will come with all of the nuts and bolts that you need. There are some eye sockets for the 6″ lights that need to be installed on the bumper as well as the Brush Guard if you ordered one. On a sidenote, I very much suggest that you order a Brush Guard. At first, I did not really want one. I wanted my truck to stay simple looking and just have a nice white bumper. Well, Buckstop recommended that I try it out and I”m glad that I did. It really cleaned my truck up, made it look more custom and now I feel like I could hit a moose and live to tell about it.

After your bumper is all setup, which only takes about ten minutes, you need to mount the new brackets onto your trucks frame. No drilling needs to be done. Buckstop uses a few holes in the frame that Dodge did not. I really appreciated how the new brackets tied the whole front end up. After installing the new brackets I really felt like my trucks frame was a lot safer. These new brackets are designed to help hold the bumper while you secure it. Be sure not to to only tighten 2 of the 4 sidebolts on the brackets until you have the bumper installed.

At this point, its nice to have a friend to help you lift and mount the new bumper. I suppose it could be done with one person with a strong back, but I wouldnt suggest it. Once you have the bumper seated, one person can go under and start bolting the bumper to the mounts. After you connect the bumper to the new mounts, I recommend half tightening everything, getting up and aligning the bumper exactly where you want it, and then finish tightening everything. double check and make sure that all of the bolts are secure.

Thats it! Your new Buckstop Bumper is all set up for 6″ lights in the front and tow hooks in the oval slots. Installing lights in the bumper makes it look 1000 times better. These can be purchased directly from Buckstop or at your local Truck Accessories dealer.

Installing the rear bumper is easy. Simply remove the bumper, take out the guts and put the old guts in the new bumper. The new rear bumper will also come with some diamondplate material, custom cut for the top of the bumper. Rivets are supplied to bolt the diamond plate down, all you need is a rivet gun. After you put the old guts back in the new bumper, put it into place and bolt it down. This is also easier done with 2 people. If you are wondering wether or not that plastic piece in the middle that holds your license plate gets removed, it doesnt. The rear bumper is setup for 4″ backup lights, which can also be purchased from Buckstop. I went to the local NAPA, and just picked up some of their $13.95 4″ utility/tractor lights with the rubber sides and they worked just perfect.

I thought the new bumpers would look kinda goofy with my stock 245 tires, but they look great! They will look even better when I get some new tires and wheels.

For more information please contact Buckstop Bumpers and please tell them that Andy with Cummins Forum sent you. Buckstop makes winch, and non-winch bumpers for several different models of Ford, Dodge, and Chevy Trucks.

BUCKSTOP TRUCKWARE
1125 Industrial Pkwy
Newberg, OR 97132
1-800-431-6978
www.buckstop.biz