Removed rear inner bumper & tow package. Weight savings have begun

robwclark

robwclark

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OK while my truck is sitting I figured I could mess with some stuff. I went ahead and removed the entire rear bumper and both rear side claddings. I removed the inner metal bumper first. The hard part is the tow package. All dodge Rams have a factory tow package, only difference is some have a receiver bolted or welded on. I had to unbolt all 4 rear bed bolts and lift the bed up about 5 inches to get the tow package off. It wraps around the top of the rear frame horns. The side claddings and rear plastic part of the bumper went right back on. Only problem is the bumper cant be used as a bumper any more, no standing on it or anything. It all went back together and looks 100% normal. I thought I was doing good with just the bumper, but WOW, that tow package is heavy. I dont have a scale here so I cant measure at all, but I am almost certain I took 100 lbs off the truck plus I removed the spare, which we know is 95 lbs so I may have got rid of over 200 lbs today! I took some pics while it was apart, but I forgot my camera out there. If you guys want to see them just ask, I'll post em later. Front bumper is next but its gonna be alot harder as some hacking will be involved.
 
robwclark said:
OK while my truck is sitting I figured I could mess with some stuff. I went ahead and removed the entire rear bumper and both rear side claddings. I removed the inner metal bumper first. The hard part is the tow package. All dodge Rams have a factory tow package, only difference is some have a receiver bolted or welded on. I had to unbolt all 4 rear bed bolts and lift the bed up about 5 inches to get the tow package off. It wraps around the top of the rear frame horns. The side claddings and rear plastic part of the bumper went right back on. Only problem is the bumper cant be used as a bumper any more, no standing on it or anything. It all went back together and looks 100% normal. I thought I was doing good with just the bumper, but WOW, that tow package is heavy. I dont have a scale here so I cant measure at all, but I am almost certain I took 100 lbs off the truck plus I removed the spare, which we know is 95 lbs so I may have got rid of over 200 lbs today! I took some pics while it was apart, but I forgot my camera out there. If you guys want to see them just ask, I'll post em later. Front bumper is next but its gonna be alot harder as some hacking will be involved.
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Sounds like a PIA, and why was it you were saving weight? Planning on the track are we???:)
 
Not a good idea to do this if you drive on the street! If your in a crash it will likely do alot more damage, and your insurance might have some issues with you not having any crash bars.

That being said I'm working on building me some bumper supports, out of light tube stock. So I can bolt them on for race use and not have my bumper flop off.

If you do remove the front crash bar I'm pretty sure you'll have to fab something up in it's place, or your bumper will fall off. I think Dom had posted some pics of the one on his truck. If your going to drive it on the street you could use a hole saw to strategicly cut holes in the crash bar to lighten it up a bit, and still retain most of it's integrity, as long as you don't cut in any of the bends and space them out properly.

Once again, removing the crash (front or rear) is highly unadvisable on a street truck!:D
 
linemup said:
Not a good idea to do this if you drive on the street! If your in a crash it will likely do alot more damage, and your insurance might have some issues with you not having any crash bars.

That being said I'm working on building me some bumper supports, out of light tube stock. So I can bolt them on for race use and not have my bumper flop off.

If you do remove the front crash bar I'm pretty sure you'll have to fab something up in it's place, or your bumper will fall off. I think Dom had posted some pics of the one on his truck. If your going to drive it on the street you could use a hole saw to strategicly cut holes in the crash bar to lighten it up a bit, and still retain most of it's integrity, as long as you don't cut in any of the bends and space them out properly.

Once again, removing the crash (front or rear) is highly unadvisable on a street truck!:D
Click to expand...

What about building something out of aluminum? (aluminum square tubing?):dontknow:
 
linemup said:
Not a good idea to do this if you drive on the street! If your in a crash it will likely do alot more damage, and your insurance might have some issues with you not having any crash bars.

That being said I'm working on building me some bumper supports, out of light tube stock. So I can bolt them on for race use and not have my bumper flop off.

If you do remove the front crash bar I'm pretty sure you'll have to fab something up in it's place, or your bumper will fall off. I think Dom had posted some pics of the one on his truck. If your going to drive it on the street you could use a hole saw to strategicly cut holes in the crash bar to lighten it up a bit, and still retain most of it's integrity, as long as you don't cut in any of the bends and space them out properly.

Once again, removing the crash (front or rear) is highly unadvisable on a street truck!:D
Click to expand...

Oh it will certainly do more damage if I crash, but I dont crash(my fault anyway), driving is a passion to me you have no idea how much attention I place on the road. I ride a motorcycle too thats helps. Yes I just fabbed up a couple of braces to support the bumper its good now. Insurance wont care about crash bars, I just play stupid, and they fix it, trust me on this one. I know its politically the wrong thing to do but I dont care, Im not worried..
 
Yellow venom said:
What about building something out of aluminum? (aluminum square tubing?):dontknow:
Click to expand...

The factoory metal really isnt all that heavy, by time to replace it with alluminum it wont be worth it. the only real way to save weight it be removing the bracing and all, all together. On the front bumper, I will leave the bumper section between the front frame horns, and cut all but what bholds the plastic part off. I should be able to dump 75 lbs off the front end. Doesnt sound worth it at all, but it all adds up and will be in the end.
 
robwclark said:
The factoory metal really isnt all that heavy, by time to replace it with alluminum it wont be worth it. the only real way to save weight it be removing the bracing and all, all together. On the front bumper, I will leave the bumper section between the front frame horns, and cut all but what bholds the plastic part off. I should be able to dump 75 lbs off the front end. Doesnt sound worth it at all, but it all adds up and will be in the end.
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rob take pictures! and ummm let do mine after your done! lol:D
 
What you should use is some aluminum strap for bracing the important areas! Aluminum crash bars ( bumper reinforcements) exist on almost any new factory car. Still will not be crash proof , but more stable.:D
 
the front factory bumper only weighs about 30lbs, mine looks like swiss cheese and it only took off like 10lbs, also i don't belive the bumpers are rated for anything more than a 5MPH impact(all bumpers are required to take a 5mph impact and only cause X amount of damage money wise) Rob, i'd try to take as much weight off the front as i could first. my truck is an 04 and its 440lbs more weight on the front axle than the rear. if you take off 200lbs on the rear you might just spin like hell.
 
ARRESTmeRed04 said:
the front factory bumper only weighs about 30lbs, mine looks like swiss cheese and it only took off like 10lbs, also i don't belive the bumpers are rated for anything more than a 5MPH impact(all bumpers are required to take a 5mph impact and only cause X amount of damage money wise) Rob, i'd try to take as much weight off the front as i could first. my truck is an 04 and its 440lbs more weight on the front axle than the rear. if you take off 200lbs on the rear you might just spin like hell.
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:congrats: :congrats: :congrats: :congrats:
 
PB070043.jpg

made just a skeleto frame out of this
 
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