Front Bumper Lean...Is this a thing?

[mr_manny]

My Front bumper has a lean, and apparently it's quite common.
While I searched for my new to me Bronco II, I came across several listings that all had the same thing.

I imagine it's caused by bumping into something with their bumper...

Is this something that can be corrected through adjusting bumper brackets?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Brain75]

Seeing how I just painted my truck and took it all off I can tell ya for sure. The 2nd gen has slotted holes in the frame and that allows quite a bit of play for getting it straight level, forward/back enough to aligned at the back with the body lines of the wheel arch, and up down to close off the gap between the stone guard/plastic filler (which you appear to be missing) and the bumper.
Crawl under there with a 3/4 deepwell (impact) socket, a bottle of penetrating oil, and maybe an impact driver. Expect it to be a pain to get them cracked loose, but once ya got it loose you can jostle it around till it looks right and tighten back down.

Just as you supposed, when anyone bumps into something it shoves it back and down on the slots causing it to be too far back and leaning.

As you can see on my bumper the brackets also have a left/right slotting (on the bracket to bumper connection) that lets you get it correct that way.

 

[mr_manny]

Great News.
Thank You

 

[Curious Hound]

Yup. Happens to everybody. Just loosen bolts, adjust and tighten.

 

[bobbywalter]

Elite PreRunner Winch Front Bumper-Ford Ranger (’83-’88)-Ford Bronco II (’84-’88)

Master Fabricator Dan"Tubby"Billig gives you his Ford Ranger/Bronco II Front Winch Bumper with Prerunner bars.

affordableoffroad.com

that can fix it right up.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

I think more second gens have the bumper like that than square. Maybe they left the factory like that?

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

I think more second gens have the bumper like that than square. Maybe they left the factory like that?

To my knowledge, the second gens are the only ones that bolt through the side of the frame rails through slots. First gens bolt to the ends of the rails where there’s almost zero adjustment. Not sure about 3rd Gen, but I know 4th and 5th gens bolt to plates on the end of the frame rail that only allow up/down and side/side movement, no tilt without shims.

So I’m going to say that it’s the way they bolt up on second gens that allows movement in an undesirable direction. I’ve adjusted the front bumper on my Choptop a few times and it still drifts over time. That will change when I build a new bumper.

 

[Shran]

I think more second gens have the bumper like that than square. Maybe they left the factory like that?

Our bumpers just get bent when we run into stuff...

 

[bobbywalter]

seriously....they are totally adjustable.

you may have to straighten the brackets or get better ones from an impact but they have alot of adjustment room. and easily modded to accomodate a 3 in body lift.