Whats this?

[Mr. Stroker]

Hey guys, My dad bought a 95 F150 back in the day, it was a EB and brand new. Well i use to help him wash it, i was 6 years old, and i remember the bumper having these cut outs (Yes i took the pic from Blue Gooses post because it brought it to my attention) Well in the pic you can see the cut outs on the bumper, my dad had the same thing....

But what im wondering is how come mine doesnt have them? I really wish it did because i think it adds something to the front of the truck..

Can they be added?

 

[Blue Goose]

Mike, do you think that's for a factory tow hook option?

 

[Mr. Stroker]

O wow, never thought of that. I was to young to really realize what it was. If so i would definatly want to add them. My truck has no way of hooking a tow strap to the front! And im not going to rip another lower valance off lol. Hmmm that would be sweet.

 

[john112deere]

A friend has the bumper with the cutouts on a '95 F-350 with the PSD... I always thought it was to get more airflow for the diesel, but now I'm not so sure.

 

[Mr. Stroker]

hmmm anyone else have these on their trucks???

 

[Mr. Stroker]

I just asked my dad what was in there, he wasnt 100 percent sure but he said tow hooks. I remember driving the truck to our sand boat launch in town on the weekends and pulling out chevys, and he would always use the front to pull them while he was in reverse. Idk still curious lol

Ebay Link

 

[A_G]

i have them. And i dont have tow hooks. I saw one awhile back on a liften f250 that looked pretty similar to tonys, they put a billit grill in the cutouts.

Btw the smooth one with out rubber strips. or yours 95 looks a hell of a lot better.

Btw you said EB what do you mean i thought that stood for Early Bronco

 

[Mr. Stroker]

Eddie Bauer, I need tow hooks up there, after all the wheeling im going to be doing, and im at the boat launch every weekend durring the summer, i havent got stuck yet close tho, but ive pulled ppl out but i go from my hitch, now if i get stuck im SOL and buying another new valance!, I dont feel like cutting holes for tow hooks to stick out on my front bumper either

 

[A_G]

i dont even know how the stock ones mount on there. My buddy has a bumper just like yours on a 4x4....

 

[Mr. Stroker]

Yea its weird why they didnt have tow hooks

 

[tomtoc]

i have them, no diesel or tow hooks. i put my foglights in them

 

[Mr. Stroker]

Good idea. I wonder how i could mount that piece on my bumper... Is there any way you can get a pic from underneither and behind the bumper? I wonder if its just not snapped in.

 

[A_G]

its a different bumper all together.

Your is solid. with bumper stripps. Ares has holes in them With rubber/plastic gaurd so no-one can sue for cut fingers on the edge of the metal holes.

unless im mis understanding you tho. The ones with holes around here are always the bent and tweaked ones. and they cost. about 125 from a junkyard.

 

[95F350XL]

Anthony is right, there are 3 bumpers for our truck, the all smooth one, the smooth with the rubber, and then that nice one with the cutouts. I never seen any tow hooks in them, I have seen plenty of fogs. I know ebay had factory fogs for our year for that bumper once. My buddys bronco had that bumper. I like it better then the smooth one. I had stock smooth, then it rotted out, then I got the one with the rubber strip for 25 bucks NOS at a swap meet.

 

[Skandocious]

K I'll settle this once and for all. Those bumpers come on Eddie Bauer and PSD trucks. Why Tom has it, I have no clue... Perhaps the PO installed that bumper after a wreck.

I do believe that it's for (1) Styling and/or (2) Airflow for the PSD. I do not believe that you'd be able to mount tow hooks there (easily), I think they're too close together (and thus far from the frame rails). Also, there's plastic bars that drop down the centers of those holes, dividing them in half. My brother and I sawed his off because we were going to install some Hella fog lights there but the fit ended up being a little too snug.

Me? I LOVE the looks of that bumper with the cutouts. I've been keeping my eyes peeled on craigslist for months and months trying to find one in good shape. Only thing I'm concerned about is gas mileage... That valance under the bumper of our trucks (Mike) acts to divert air from flowing under the truck. Air under truck = turbulent air = bad gas mileage. They added valances under the bumpers of the new Super Duties and they got someting like 2-3 more mpg! I was in the process of ripping mine off last weekend when I was straightening my bumper and my brother came out and told me not to, while Brad on the phone with me was saying the exact same thing


[highlight]EDIT:[/highlight] I just asked my brother (PSD guru) and he said the actual use for these holes is up for debate. People on his forum say it's either for style, airflow, or Ford's attempt at making it easier to add fog lights. HIS opinion = airflow. Both his radiator and his intercooler (aftermarket) hang down far enough so as to be directly behind those holes, so I imagine that's improving his cooling ability.

 

[A_G]

that little plastic valance that is on bumpers?

lol i ripped mine off on stumps and rocks. It started hanging to i just yanked them off, literally.

 

[95F350XL]

Other then smaller tires, I dont think anything is giving me better gas mileage. Even now with the smaller ones, I dont think that lower valance would do diddly for mileage. Truck is high up how much air is it diverting?

 

[polarbear]

K I'll settle this once and for all. Those bumpers come on Eddie Bauer and PSD trucks.

That's correct!

BTW, if 95bronc is interested, here's a link to the original factory brochure for that truck.

http://www.fedrelandsvennen.no/amcar/brochures/ford/95bronco/95bronco.html

 

[tomtoc]

Why Tom has it, I have no clue... Perhaps the PO installed that bumper after a wreck.

doubtful - truck's in pretty good shape and the guy didn't really touch anything. but, if it didn't come that way from the factory, not sure where it came from. ...maybe it's a goofy 97 thing - trying to use up all the bumpers laying around.

I think they're too close together (and thus far from the frame rails). Also, there's plastic bars that drop down the centers of those holes, dividing them in half.

i was going to say the same thing. i think they're too far in from the frame. i sawed my little dividers off too b/c i wanted the foglights in the middle of the holes.

EDIT: o, and i do think that air dam COULD make a difference. people that make the super-mpg cars always have some crazy air dam in front. how much good it does on a big truck with tires and a lift....nothing, but i could see on mine (stock 2wd) where adding one would help

 

[Brian_B]

I don't know about the bigger trucks, but the 2nd gen rangers (89-92) had the same openings in the bumper. They had a "scoop" behind them that forced air into the transmission cooler.

Not sure if they were on the standard transmission trucks. Maybe that is the difference.