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Installing the ud1 front bumper , space between bracket and frame.

NEK5

NEK5

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Ok. So I've got the ud1 bumper from diy4x (kert) sitting in front of my truck propped up on blocks into position. Now, all the wholes line up, but there's about a quarter inch between the outer frame rail and inside bumper bracket on both sides. Is this normal? Do I just shove some washers in there, or do I let the tightening of the bolts sandwich them together, if that can even do that without destroying the frame?
 
If there is a 1/4" on each side (1/2" total) something is wrong. I only like to have 1/16" total.
 
I'm thinking either Kert totally botched that one (not likely) or your frame is tweaked (sadly, more likely.)

Ever been in a front end accident, or twisted your truck realllly hard?

-- A
 
4X4HIGH said:
If there is a 1/4" on each side (1/2" total) something is wrong. I only like to have 1/16" total.
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yeah 1/4" total. Strange, never had a problem with winch bumper that used to be on this truck, and dirtyJim (the member who it went to) didn't have any issues as far as I know.
 
1/4" total is still ALOT. i would ask Kert about it and then depending on what he says if you decide to run it i would at least weld a piece of 1/8" material to one of the brackets to reduce that gap. The last thing you want to do is stress the frame by trying to pull it together 1/4" while tightening the bumper.
 
Correction..Thats what I get for posting in a hurry...

1/2" total.

Right now I have it bolted to the passenger side frame rail, and there's ~1/2 gap on the drivers side between the outside of the frame rail and the bumper bracket. The holes line up no problem....it's just the gap...it's apparent (sp?) to me now that something funky is definitely going on in the front end of this truck.

When I ran the carfax on this truck back in '05 I found out it was in an accident with a parked car back in '92, but didn't think nothing of it because it had a winch bumper on the truck, and it was on there pretty good, with no visual cracks/bends in the frame....so I left it...

now that I'm looking at the whole thing...you can clearly see the body (front clip) is shifted ~1/2 towards the drivers side...at least that's how it looks when you look at it in relation to the front tires......

anyone know off hand what the factory frame rail width should be for a '90 blazer?

Kert, if you happen to see this, what specs to build the brackets too on the ud1?

TIA all, this is really demotivating at the least...:(:(:(
 
dremu said:
I'm thinking either Kert totally botched that one (not likely) or your frame is tweaked (sadly, more likely.)

-- A
Click to expand...
I'm thinkin' the latter, unfortunately :( I've never seen anything kert's done that's been botched :crazy:

Truck's never really been twisted up....not enough where I can see it causing this...
 
The front frame rails are 28" outside to outside. I know as i just finished up my front bumper build.
 
Just measured the frame rails. Outside to outside = 28". Inside to inside on the bumper brackets = 28 1/2".

EDIT: Guess I better get ahold of Kert :crazy:
 
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NEK5 said:
Just measured the frame rails. Outside to outside = 28". Inside to inside on the bumper brackets = 28 1/2".

EDIT: Guess I better get ahold of Kert :crazy:
Click to expand...

Either that or get yourself a couple pieces of 3/16" flat plate and weld to the bumper brackets on each side to narrow it down to 1/8" difference. Or 1/4" on one side and 3/16" on the other to narrow it down to 1/16" difference (what i recommend).
 
NEK5 said:
That's what I thought but the gap is equal along the length of the frame rail.
Click to expand...

I thought you said the frame rails were the proper measurement but the brackets werent?

I dont mean to sound half assy but sometimes its better to look the other way on some things... The back of my frame is like a 1/2in out from me kinking the stock crossmember. Theres no way in hell I'd ever cut everything up to fix it....
 
Stomis said:
I thought you said the frame rails were the proper measurement but the brackets werent?
Click to expand...

you're right, the frame rails are the right measurement, but the bumper brackets aren't, but they're not bent. The gap is an even 1/2", meaning it is a total of 1/2" wider than the frame rails, they're both "square", so to speak.
 
My UD1 was the same way. I thought Kert just made it that way to err on the side of better to wide than too narraow. I welded in some flat plate to the inside of the bumper brackets to make up the gap. The back bumper I got from Kert was the same way.
Come to think of it, Kert fit mine on his truck first (I think mine was the first front one he did?) mabey his fitting truck is out of whack!
 
Kert's going to go ahead and make me up a spacer to toss in there :bow::bow::bow:

Long story short, I'm going to be putting a single 3/8ths inch spacer on the driversside...because even though the problem was the brackets were too wide, my body is still fooked up. So if I put the spacer on the DS frame rail, the bumper looks good in relation to the body :wink1:
 
We do make them a smidge wide but not 1/2" unless its requested, which isn't uncommon. I have a few rigs at the shop that do measure to the wide side. It's not hard to bully the frame horns around a bit without any consequence.

The fixturing is adjustable and that has caused some issues a couple times in the past.
 
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