HOW DANGEROUS IS REMOVING THE BUMPER SUPPORTS?

[Allforspeed]

Looking to remove weight and everybody is warning about removing the bumper supports and how your going to die if you do this. i see it like this: my car is so old, if it gets hit then its totalled pretty much no matter what, so take off the weight and my daily driver is no a bit faster! am i stupid and wrong?!

 

[PNY PWR]

I took my rear bumper and mounts off. Not sure about the hazards, It's probably more dangerous. Main thing is if you get rear ended hard it's going to cause alot more damage to the car. The mounts are like shock absorbers, The car itself will take the impact and will probably total it. Not to mention there won't be much protection for the fuel tank.

It's a choice/chance you just need to think about.

 

[Allforspeed]

anyone think those bumper supports add any rigidity (sp?) to the chassis?!
anyone taken them off and thought the car felt less stiff?

 

[samuraichamploo]

stupidest
thread
EVER.
No, there is no damage in removing your bumpers. It actually helps if you get into a accident.
try it and post results.
-Salty

 

[crazypete]

I took off my front bumper cause I'm crazy. A BMW wagon backed into me going maybe 5 mph and basically collapsed the entire front bumper, took out all the plastic headlights , bent one fender to hell and destroyed the hood.

Now imagine 25-30 mph collision. Accordian dude. You'd be killed instally as the steering wheel telescoped and took your head off.

Now me,

I just finished crusading for weight loss on 2 different threads but this is one place you want to keep the wieght!!!

Get an aluminum rear bumper off a 79-80 4 cylinder or swiss cheese the back bumper. The front bumper is pretty light actually so leave that be. The supports are heavy as hell but as the good man said, it's your life. It really is cause I was shown very clearly how little strength sheet metal has.

 

[illwood]

stupidest
thread
EVER.
No, there is no damage in removing your bumpers. It actually helps if you get into a accident.
try it and post results.
-Salty

The only way I could see not having bumpers improving in an accident is by having all the surrounding sheetmetal and crap accordianing and absorbing the impact as opposed to the bumpers sending a shock through.

I'm not saying don't do it, just consider your options.

 

[SiRSluRpEE]

The only way I could see not having bumpers improving in an accident is by having all the surrounding sheetmetal and crap accordianing and absorbing the impact as opposed to the bumpers sending a shock through.

I'm not saying don't do it, just consider your options.

he was obviously being a smartass

 

[Boss 351]

Do you have a tubular K-member, fiberglass hood, aluminum heads, removed power steering, removed AC?

I wouldn't do the bumper thing unless this was a track only car. The front bumper weighs hardly anything, the rear is heavy but unless you have a race ready fuel cell and 6 point roll cage I wouldn't mess with the bumpers lol.

If you're overweight and can loose yourself 20 pounds, that would be the same as removing a bumper lol.

 

[PNY PWR]

Here's a pic of my home made rear bumper cover support. it's aluminum and might stop a bicycle rear impact

 

[Boss 351]

I like your air compressor Is that in an old paint booth with the lights on the walls?

 

[PNY PWR]

It's just my garage. Those lights are mounted above the work bench, they were there when I bought the house. That compressor is pretty decent, it's oilless and very loud though.

 

[Grn92LX]

stupidest
thread
EVER.
No, there is no damage in removing your bumpers. It actually helps if you get into a accident.
try it and post results.
-Salty

Agree'd 100%! Would you go skydiving w/o parachute? Would you go bunji jumping w/o a bunji?

 

[PNY PWR]

stupidest
thread
EVER.
No, there is no damage in removing your bumpers. It actually helps if you get into a accident.
try it and post results.
-Salty

I think you're totally wrong. The guy wants some good advice on a safety issue. All you can do is be sarcastic and make the stupidest post EVER. You're an idiot.

 

[Notched]

screwed up the post

 

[Notched]

i think taking the bumpers off is ridiculous. if you look at the other guys post, of his homemade rear bumper thinger, if someone rearends him, the front bumper or nose of the other car should have no trouble touching the gas tank

i think its a bad idea.. and a safety hazard. if anything, take the steel bumper off, and mounts, but replace it with at lease someone, foam, aluminum..

and ya, the sarcastic comments are just plain stupid. if your gunna psot something sarcastic about a REAL question, then just dont post at all. you make yourself look like an a$$, since everyone else is being helpful, and ur just wasting space



plus if your going to drag it, wouldn't the rear bumper put added weight ont he rear, for better traction?

 

[myroc]

I think you're totally wrong. The guy wants some good advice on a safety issue. All you can do is be sarcastic and make the stupidest post EVER. You're an idiot.

your right , he wants advice not a bunch of useless B.S.

 

[Allforspeed]

thanks guys,
i'm willing to accept pretty huge damage to the car, was wondering if it is actually dangerous to my life, which i wont play with. looking to shave weight where i can and wondering what the real life consequences are. thanks for the help yall,
i think i'll leave the front bumper and maybe fabricate some basic lightweight support for the rear like the pics, and just take off the foglight bracket on the front too

once again, thanks for the help yall.

 

[stealthracing]

lets be serious. I'm a paramedic for cleveland ems, i've seen my fair share of nasty, nasty wrecks. if you are going to drive this car on the street, keep the bumper supports on. they were designed to help reduce the chance of injury. that to me is enough to leave them in place. god forbid you have to ever use them, your car is much easier to repair/ replace than you are. think of it that way. the weight savings isn't that much anyways.

 

[Michael Yount]

There's a lot of really interesting speculation in this thread. The bumper system is there largely to minimize more severe/costly damage to the rest of the car in the event of a front/rear collision. Not having it in place will have little impact on what happens in a higher speed/more violent collision. So removing the supports won't significantly increase risk of injury in a wreck big or small. However, removing them WILL significantly increase the risk that much more $ damage will be done in a fender-bender type incident. See the first paragraph (not the second one) of crazypete's post above.

In my mind the bigger issue is this -- if you have full insurance coverage on your car (collision) and you have an accident WITHOUT the bumper supports that results in much more damage than you would have incurred had the bumper supports been in place, I think you stand a chance of having your insurance company refuse all or part of the claim because the car was modified in a way that increased the potential for damage. And don't think the claims adjuster won't notice the lack of the bumper support system.

 

[89MustangGX]

The bumper system is there largely to minimize more severe/costly damage to the rest of the car in the event of a front/rear collision. Not having it in place will have little impact on what happens in a higher speed/more violent collision. So removing the supports won't significantly increase risk of injury in a wreck big or small. However, removing them WILL significantly increase the risk that much more $ damage will be done in a fender-bender type incident. See the first paragraph (not the second one) of crazypete's post above.

While it makes sense, and I agree that it probably makes the most different in slower speed impacts -- I know I won't be taking mine off anytime soon.