Front bumper/grille recommendations?

TheBac

Why do I keep doing this?
Staff member
Apr 19, 2008
15,268
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Mid Michigan
Need a new chrome oem-style bumper and grille for BBT. Do you guys have any recommendations of vendors to look into or stay away from quality-wise?
I wouldnt mind buying GM OEM replacements if I can find the parts for a realtively decent price.
 

Chevy1925

don't know sh!t about IFS
Staff member
Oct 21, 2009
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Phoenix Az
i wound up finding good used stuff out here but thats easier in a non-rust belt area. i did order my grill from rock auto but the grill was not this charcoal color mine was and the center chrome bar did not have a recessed area for the bowtie. i changed the chrome bar over to the factory grill (chrome bar was broke on the old one) and it looked fine for me.
 

TheBac

Why do I keep doing this?
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Apr 19, 2008
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Mid Michigan
Yeah, I forgot to add, "I live in the rust belt" --so used parts probably wouldnt work.

I found Keystone and spectrum bumpers for $175-250, and OEM for $300ish. Keystone has had a good reputation for replacement body parts in the past, but I dont know if anything has changed over the past 20 years (you know.....China parts).
Havent looked into the grille prices yet.
 

Cougar281

Well-known member
Sep 11, 2006
1,748
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St Louis, MO
Check out LMC Truck. A friend of mine who used to be a certified body tech has gotten parts from them with good success.

Sent from my Pixel 5 using Tapatalk
 

MD_Max

Need More LLY's
May 2, 2014
85
1
8
Have any luck? I'm in the same boat with my 05 GMC. Getting ready to push my luck and buy one off ebay and have it prepped and painted.
 

TheBac

Why do I keep doing this?
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Apr 19, 2008
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Mid Michigan
I found one with a supposed-lifetime warranty on rust thru for $260 with free shipping.
Shipping was the killer cost for every other one I looked at. Just waiting on it to show up now.

I was going to use NC's recommendation about epoxy paint no matter which one I found.
 

MD_Max

Need More LLY's
May 2, 2014
85
1
8
I found one with a supposed-lifetime warranty on rust thru for $260 with free shipping.
Shipping was the killer cost for every other one I looked at. Just waiting on it to show up now.

I was going to use NC's recommendation about epoxy paint no matter which one I found.

Let me know how it looks. I'm looking at action crash stuff, looks to be CAPA certified.
 

TheBac

Why do I keep doing this?
Staff member
Apr 19, 2008
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Mid Michigan
Bumper (face bar) finally came in. Was wrapped in bubble/cardboard, and then also placed in a huge box....so the shipper gave a shit about it. IMO, chrome quality is very good. No mars or dents, either
This is the one I bought: https://www.ebay.com/itm/293280954577?ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2060353.m2749.l2649
Yes, expensive....but I figure if it rusts through in a couple years or so, I can get another one under warranty.
Maybe should have bought the brackets with it. Wont know if that was a mistake until I take the bumper off and try to get the old brackets off.

Bit the bullet and bought this grille: https://www.ebay.com/itm/233433796678?ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2060353.m2749.l2649
I hope for the price the quality is as good as the reviews say. I very much wanted as close to OEM quality as I can get.

Oh well, other than a set of tires, I havent spent a dime on BBT in 10 years..... This was long overdue.
 

TheBac

Why do I keep doing this?
Staff member
Apr 19, 2008
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Mid Michigan
If I have time this week, or next weekend. Grille should show up sometime around Friday.
 

JoshH

Daggum farm truck
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Vendor/Sponsor
Feb 14, 2007
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Texas!!!
Oh well, other than a set of tires, I havent spent a dime on BBT in 10 years..... This was long overdue.
A (as in one) set of tires in 10 years? You need to drive that thing more! Good to see you still have the old beast though and it's getting a little love. Not many of the OG trucks still around with the original owners anymore.
 
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NC-smokinlmm

<<<Future tuna killer
May 29, 2011
5,012
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At Da Beach
A (as in one) set of tires in 10 years? You need to drive that thing more! Good to see you still have the old beast though and it's getting a little love. Not many of the OG trucks still around with the original owners anymore.

Shit it's been 12 years, I'm surprised as many people are still here as there are, speaks volumes about the relationships formed on this site while not meeting in person very much if at all ever.
 
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MD_Max

Need More LLY's
May 2, 2014
85
1
8
Bumper (face bar) finally came in. Was wrapped in bubble/cardboard, and then also placed in a huge box....so the shipper gave a shit about it. IMO, chrome quality is very good. No mars or dents, either
This is the one I bought: https://www.ebay.com/itm/293280954577?ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2060353.m2749.l2649
Yes, expensive....but I figure if it rusts through in a couple years or so, I can get another one under warranty.
Maybe should have bought the brackets with it. Wont know if that was a mistake until I take the bumper off and try to get the old brackets off.

Bit the bullet and bought this grille: https://www.ebay.com/itm/233433796678?ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2060353.m2749.l2649
I hope for the price the quality is as good as the reviews say. I very much wanted as close to OEM quality as I can get.

Oh well, other than a set of tires, I havent spent a dime on BBT in 10 years..... This was long overdue.

Thanks for the links. I was ready to go on bumpers from another website until I saw the shipping charge 🙃 guessing it's probably what you saw too.
 

TheBac

Why do I keep doing this?
Staff member
Apr 19, 2008
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Mid Michigan
Yes. Most places wanted $100 or more for shipping.

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TheBac

Why do I keep doing this?
Staff member
Apr 19, 2008
15,268
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Mid Michigan
Well, budget about 1-1/2 hrs to take grille/bumper off and take the bumper apart. Use a huge sheet of cardboard on your work surface, and also a thick blanket. Reason for that is the bumper will want to rotate and move around a lot, and it balances on the chrome and the front painted surface of the lower cover. Scraped up paint and chrome kinda makes this whole exercise pointless, doesnt it?

Got all my brackets off, only lost one mounting bolt (RH outer tube-like bracket to bumper bolt. Darn it) and all four foglight bolts (meh). Paid off years ago to put some anti-sieze on all the main bolts when I had the truck apart for the engine rebuild. ;) Those blind carriage bolts on both sides and under the center are sure fun to remove, too. Even saved all the speednuts. Crazy.

The GMC lower cover attached to the metal bumper with 17 large double-action pushpins, and 6 metal clips on the sides. Those side clips are attached to the cover on some VERY small, thin outriggers.....and they can break very, very easily. Be careful. Mine had all three on one side broke off already. Will have to epoxy those all back on. Yay.
You pop the center of the pushpins like normal. Then rotate the pushpin body so the slot in the pushpin body matches the slot in the plastic recepticle on the bumper itself. Pinch the end of the pushpin together while prying the pushpin out......17 freaking times. ;) After the cover is off, then remove the 17 --- yes 17 -- plastic recepticles. You just pinch the sides and pull the plastic piece out. Trust me...it'll all make sense when you see them.
 
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TheBac

Why do I keep doing this?
Staff member
Apr 19, 2008
15,268
1,561
113
Mid Michigan
Grille came in today. IMO, its OEM quality. Took the lower valance to my painter today to get redone. Well, he pointed out multiple issues (broken clips, tears) and did not want to use it, so he looked up a new one at his cost. He should have it done in a couple weeks. Like always, my original plans end up changing on the fly. Yay.
 

660catman

Active member
May 18, 2021
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Late to the game but I just joined this forum. For aftermarket bumpers ask for Diamond Standard bumpers. They are top notch and your GM1002418 would have a DS at end of part number and if it was DSC it would be a Diamond Standard CAPA Certified part. Can’t get much better than that in the aftermarket. I was in the AM business for years.


2013 Sierra SLE 2500HD Crew Cab
 

TheBac

Why do I keep doing this?
Staff member
Apr 19, 2008
15,268
1,561
113
Mid Michigan
Finally, all done. The bumper cover is not exactly for an HD, as it has the provisions for the lower valance. My original did not. So I have the valance coming to top things off.

20210606_124549.jpg20210606_124634.jpg


On to the next things on my list. (.....and yes, the truck needs a wash....)
 
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TheBac

Why do I keep doing this?
Staff member
Apr 19, 2008
15,268
1,561
113
Mid Michigan
A (as in one) set of tires in 10 years? You need to drive that thing more! Good to see you still have the old beast though and it's getting a little love. Not many of the OG trucks still around with the original owners anymore.
You know, Josh.....this truck is my favorite vehicle Ive ever owned. Nothing even comes close to it. I dont think I could ever bring myself to sell it. Way too much history. I already told Roni to expect to bury me in it.

I figure the cost of rebuilding everything on BBT is still far, far cheaper than buying new.
Its not like I dont know every last nut and bolt on this truck, either. :ROFLMAO: Seriously, I think I do.....