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What is the difference in bumper weights?


nbristow01

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I have dug and read dozens of archived articles and can not seem to find the info I am after. Does anyone know the weight of the big bumpers, front and rear seperately compelte with dampers and rubber trim?

Then the weight of the euro bumpers complete with mounting brackest?

Just want to know what the exact weight savings is for the swap.

It may well be buried deep in the archives but it has eluded me for 2 days

I'm not as dumb as I look

74 Verona

06 Audi A3

09 Mercedes C300

06 VW Passat

03 VW Conv Beetle

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Guest Anonymous

Just pulled the front off my 76, was planning on shipping the whole unit, this was complete with shocks and all rubber gaitors etc, close to 40 lbs for everything, the weight savings come when getting rid of the bumper shocks, 2 in front and 3 in back.

Dave

76 Golf o2 Screamin Yellow Zonker

97 328is Silver Ghost-When you absolutely positively have to get there fast

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Yep, it's the shocks and the added structure to the car

that make most of the difference.

That aluminum bar's not all that heavy.

t

"I learn best through painful, expensive experience, so I feel like I've gotten my money's worth." MattL

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Just pulled the front off my 76, was planning on shipping the whole unit, this was complete with shocks and all rubber gaitors etc, close to 40 lbs for everything

So there's half of the equation: has anyone shipped a complete round taillight bumper assembly recently? 20 lb.? More? Less?

Steve

1976 2002 Polaris, 2742541 (original owner)

1973 2002tii Inka, 2762757 (not-the-original owner)

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Thanks Marshall. I have a set of those 73 front bumper brackets. Won them at Mid America. They weigh a ton for sure. They look fairly simple to make in Aluminum.

Anyone have a big bumper front and rear laying around the shop that they can throw on a scale?

I'm not as dumb as I look

74 Verona

06 Audi A3

09 Mercedes C300

06 VW Passat

03 VW Conv Beetle

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73 front bumper complete 23lbs

73 rear complete 17lbs

71 rear complete 14lbs

iirc, last time i weighted squarie bumpers they were about 60lbs total front and rear.

as was mentioned, the big difference in weight between bumpers is the supporting structure.

early roundies have tissue paper supports. i can bend them easily by hand. the bumpers are truly decorations.

73's have a much more substantial mounting bracket on the front. some effectiveness, but the chrome bumper itself is still a decoration.

square tails have bumpers that were actually designed to absorb a hit.

examples of all three are sitting in my yard.

2xM3

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Thanks very much Marshall. Not is big of a weight savings as I thought it would be. But with that weight being cantilevered out I am sure it feels like more to the car

I'm not as dumb as I look

74 Verona

06 Audi A3

09 Mercedes C300

06 VW Passat

03 VW Conv Beetle

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Nick,

I think the information here is about complete. The real issue is then about looks, as the early bumpers really only save the body from damage with a direct hit of about 5 miles per hour with an object or vehicle that has the same height. The rear bumper on a 02 is quite low compared to modern cars. Particularly if you lowered it.

Then becomes the question of do you want to remove as much weight as possible or still want decorative bumpers. Once this is answered, it usually turns into a EURO Bumper short sides in the rear (the lightest chrome bumper) or fiberglass (Black or same color paint).

In the front the lightest way is to do what I did, with the Kamei airdam which looks fairly decent and has no bumper to speak of. If I'm in an accident of any nature it's toast though! (You know my run in with the trailer already)

With the S14 under the hood, battery in the back, I tried to move the weight around as much as possible to make it a great driving car. Works pretty well after about 3 different rear spring trials and spring pad replacements.

If the weight is not that big of a deal or you just want to keep the look, then collapsing the bumper shocks (as outlined in some threads here), is a good option. My feeling is you want to move weight off the car, so dump the big bumpers and go EURO look.

74 2002 Restore/Upgrade Project - M2

08 Alpina B7

 

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Thanks very much Marshall. Not is big of a weight savings as I thought it would be. But with that weight being cantilevered out I am sure it feels like more to the car

nick...your car is a daily driver that gets a LOT of miles. none of which is on a track where the weight loss is useful. i would leave the biggest, most protective bumper systems you can on the car....

2xM3

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