Is the Radiator Core Support what holds the lights in place?

[LBCRanger]

does the radiator core support hold the lights in place,I believe my truck was in a passenger side collision b4 i bought it, the passenger side lights are sagging and arent straight,andthe hood on the passenger side isnt flush with the fender.do you think the core support being bent is to blame? if so is it something easy that i can change out myself? and how much will it run me at a junk yard roughly?

 

[7.5L_STX]

theyre not too expensive from LMC, and they are not hard to put in either, just drill out the old tack welds and weld the new one in.

 

[LBCRanger]

i was hoping it would be just a bolt in thing,if its going to be a weld in thing then i have to get it done somewhere i guess.

 

[creepinjeepster]

Being that they're tack welds and depending on where they are at, you could look at drilling out the old welds and consider bolting new one in place. It's a tack weld not a bead weld.

 

[snomaker321]

i could be wrong but i thought it was the header panel that held the lights in place...

 

[LBCRanger]

i was going to the junkyard tomorrow. so im wondering which on it is the header panel or the radiator core support.need help asap.

 

[creepinjeepster]

Considering the fact that the header panel is made of thermoplastic and the headlights mount to metal, I would have to say it the core support.

 

[LBCRanger]

alright cool im hitting the local junk yard tomorrow and make time to replace it,am i gna have to take the fenders off as well?

 

[TomB1269]

Creepinjeepster, the headlights do not attach to metal on the new ones.
LBCRanger, from your photo it looks as if you would have the plastic/fiber header. The nose and cab on our rangers is unibody construction (they cal it unibody on frame). If you have a bet rad support you maybe able to pull massage the damage out. I would suggest doing some dis-assembly prior to the junkyard, so you know what you really need.

 

[7.5L_STX]

if it is a core support you could just drill the holes out a little and bolt it in.

 

[LBCRanger]

Further inspection confirmed that the radiator core support was bent to shit. the botom half of the passenger side is un massageable its crumbled and rusted picked up a new one today from a parts store local for 60 bucks brand new. is this a difficult job to take on switching everything out?is it a day job or a weekend job? if i were to take it somewhere how much would it cost me roughly?