Rear bumper compatibility

[BigBrother-84]

Hi people!

I am wondering if Aeronoses rear bumpers can fit on our Bullnoses?

From the exterior, they look pretty similar.

Bullnose:


Aeronose:

[Gary Lewis]

Jeff - There are two factors involved in this - the "arms" as Ford calls them, meaning the mounts, and the bumpers themselves.  Our page at Documentation/Exterior/Bumpers has a Rear Bumpers tab.  And in that there's a Part Numbers tab where you'll find the PN's for the arms and the bumpers themselves.

The arms appear to be the same from 1980 through 84, and then again from 85 through 89, which is what "85/" means - 85 to end of catalog.

But in the bumper section there's the entry below and that bumper fits from 1980 through at least 89.  So whatever change was made between 84 and 85 was apparently for the frame as the same bumper fits both years.

So yes, I believe the bumpers will interchange.

[mat in tn]

absolutely! fit is the same. style may be a little different but that is all. currently I have the rear from a 95 on my 86. it is a perfect fit although I will put on an 86 as soon as I find one good enough. I'm just being picky though.

[viven44]

Sorry to hijack this thread, but a related question. A guy I know couldn't get the Bullnose F-series bumper to fit on a Bullnose Bronco. Are the arms different ?

[Gary Lewis]

Yep.  Go to Documentation/Exterior/Bumpers and the Rear Bumper tab followed by the Part Numbers tab.  There you'll find that the arms are different.

[viven44]

Thanks

[BigBrother-84]

Gary Lewis wrote

But in the bumper section there's the entry below and that bumper fits from 1980 through at least 89.

Thanks Gary, that lets suppose that there is compatibility between Bricknoses and Bullnoses rear bumpers.

But I was targeting the more “recent” 92-96 Aeronoses trucks.
It would probably be more easy to find some good shape used ones out there.

[Gary Lewis]

Mat has a 95 bumper on his Bullnose, so apparently the bumpers fit to at least that point.

[85pig]

Actually going through that now.  Bought a rear bumper that was on a Bronco, and the mounting "arms" are 4" shorter than on the F-series.  In the process now of fabbing some extensions.

[BigBrother-84]

Ok, good to know.  So modified mounting arms can do the job between 90’s Bronco and 80’s F-trucks.

Since the bed is very similar between 80’s and 90’s F-series, chances are that the brackets could be “similar” too, assuming that their frame is also about the same… detail on which I have no idea.

[Gary Lewis]

Don't miss that he's going from a Bronco to an F-Series.  I think if you buy a 90's bumper from another F-Series it'll bolt to your arms.

[85pig]

Seems like a lot of the F-series rear bumpers I've seen advertised list 80-96, so it would appear they all mount the same.