gusgp1200 Posted March 29, 2004 Report Share Posted March 29, 2004 If you want to save your new bumper from breaking in the middle here is the solution. After having my own bumper break in the center from slowly parking in soft deep snow I've just started making bumper reinforcement brackets for the silverado ss. These brackets are designed to stop unwanted breaking of the front lower spoiler along the bottom of the bumper. As everone knows GM did a very poor job of designing this bumper and is nearly completly unsupported along the entire bottom of this thin plastic bumper. GM will not waranty this problem and denies any problem with the design. These bumpers will break extremely easily from only a minor impact. If you hit deep snow, a curb, or a small animal the center will crack, even when going very slow. A new bumper skin alone is $383 paint and installation not included. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adams2003 Posted March 29, 2004 Report Share Posted March 29, 2004 Dude, youv'e already posted three threads that say the same thing. Keep it to one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gusgp1200 Posted March 29, 2004 Author Report Share Posted March 29, 2004 Sorry about the multiple posts, just trying to get the word out before someone else needlessly busts up their front bumper. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cokedrvrbjw Posted March 29, 2004 Report Share Posted March 29, 2004 Drive more carefully and save a hundred bucks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gusgp1200 Posted March 29, 2004 Author Report Share Posted March 29, 2004 Wait till it happens to you. You won't be laughing and yes they are flimsy pieces of crap. I was pulling forward very slowly (1 mph) to park in front of a soft snow pile when mine broke. Chevy Truck web site even has a picture of a snowmobile loaded in the back of a SS, but for God's sake don't take it into the snow or you'll destroy your bumper. My dealer I bought it from would have replaced it, had I taken it to them first, but I was so mad at the time I called customer service and they told me to go to my nearest dealer (not the one I bought from) to get it looked at for warranty. The local dealer screwed me (since I didn't buy it from them) and called it a collision and voided the warranty on it, so the dealer I purchased the truck from couldn't do anything for me after that. I'm a bit bitter about the whole process and that's why I've started making a reinforcement to prevent anything from happening again. I believe if you spend $40,000 on a truck they should have a bumper that is not a cheap piece of plastic lacking proper reinforcement. I could have driven right through the same pile of snow in my prior 96 Z-71 ext. cab stepside and not hurt anything. That doesn't say much for Chevy as far as build quality goes now does it. Frankly if I were to do it over I'd take my old truck back in a second, it was built that much heavier, you can even tell the sheet metal in the doors are thicker. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bgr365 Posted March 29, 2004 Report Share Posted March 29, 2004 Did you test this bumper bracket to see if it interferes with the deployment of the Airbags? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SSminneapolis Posted March 29, 2004 Report Share Posted March 29, 2004 i bumped a jeep a few weeks ago while parking...and parked in a few snow banks...the worst i got was snow all in my grill. the rear bumper cover got tweaked a little bit but i bent it right back into place...you would have to hit something a lot harder than snow, unless you front bumper was frozen... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nightshift Posted March 29, 2004 Report Share Posted March 29, 2004 Drive more carefully and save a hundred bucks WW Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adams2003 Posted March 29, 2004 Report Share Posted March 29, 2004 Sorry about the multiple posts, just trying to get the word out before someone else needlessly busts up their front bumper. Its all good man, I now you were just trying to spread the word. Just try to post things once though, people will find it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gusgp1200 Posted March 29, 2004 Author Report Share Posted March 29, 2004 The bracket will not interfere with air bag deployment as it only covers the lower center portion of the bumper which will not hit in a severe accident, it would be to low to the ground. Also the bumper was probably frozen when mine broke it was 4 below zero at the time, but that's no excuse for how flimsey it was made to begin with. I'd bet if you hit a pheasant or racoon the center will be gone no matter what the temp. is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rays B4U Posted March 29, 2004 Report Share Posted March 29, 2004 Do you have a picture of your bracket? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bgr365 Posted March 29, 2004 Report Share Posted March 29, 2004 If it's -4 Deg it's going to break even with your "Custom Bracket". It will just crack on both sides. How is snow "soft" at -4 anyhow? If I drive into a brick wall at 80 Deg. Something is going to happen. You just need to learn how to drive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gusgp1200 Posted March 29, 2004 Author Report Share Posted March 29, 2004 If it's -4 Deg it's going to break even with your "Custom Bracket". It will just crack on both sides. How is snow "soft" at -4 anyhow? If I drive into a brick wall at 80 Deg. Something is going to happen. You just need to learn how to drive. bgr365, The bracket is designed to follow the curve of the lower center where it is weakest, so it will never break there again. Mine broke dead center, one vertical crack. If you want to attack my driving here's the story. The snow was soft enough to have my foot sink into rather easily, just combine that with freezing temps and the plastic is crap without support. Maybe you missed the part where I was just slowly, carefully pulling forward to park when this happened. This truck is my baby. It's not like I didn't see a 4 foot pile of snow and plowed into it, which it what your implying. Oh, yes if you drive into a brick wall something will happen to your bumper. P.S. I know how to drive very well, the only accident I've ever been in was when a little girl ran out in front of a truck in front of me and no one could stop in time. Maybe you need to keep your ignorant comments off the board instead. I'm just pointing out a big flaw in the way this bumper was designed and trying to help prevent this from happening to other SS owners. Your sarcasm is not appreciated or wanted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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