Bumper Blues

[Mr Lee]

So, I had my front bumper chromed awhile back.  It sat (flat) on a shelf for a few years. Finally go to install it and it sits way crooked on the car.  Each end is twisted counter clockwise really bad.  Really bad. Im confused. I dont understand what couldve happened to it. I tried bending the tabs on the bumper brackets to correct it but they will only bend so much.
Anyone have an experience like this?   I had  to chop up and modify my rear bumper brackets too because it wasnt sitting right.  Am i just cursed with bumpers?   Looks like Im gonna have to chop these things up and modify them too.  Ugh. 
This pic shows how it sits on the car



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[Scooter]

I would not think the plating process gets the metal warm enough to warp. Did it it look like this when you put it on the shelf or are you saying it deformed while shelved?

[Mr Lee]

I would not think the plating process gets the metal warm enough to warp. Did it it look like this when you put it on the shelf or are you saying it deformed while shelved?

I agree.  And I gave the chrome shop a decent bumper to start with.  Can't imagine they had to do so much work to it, that they completely twisted it.

I never noticed anything wrong while it was sitting on the shelf but I certainly wasn't looking at it closely / wasn't inspecting it.  When I look at old pics of my car, it looks like it was sitting straight then.  I just can't figure it out. 

[Mrbill426]

Ouch that hurts! 

I would not think the plating process gets the metal warm enough to warp. Did it it look like this when you put it on the shelf or are you saying it deformed while shelved?

I agree.  And I gave the chrome shop a decent bumper to start with.  Can't imagine they had to do so much work to it, that they completely twisted it.

I never noticed anything wrong while it was sitting on the shelf but I certainly wasn't looking at it closely / wasn't inspecting it.  When I look at old pics of my car, it looks like it was sitting straight then.  I just can't figure it out. 

[cuda hunter]

I doubt that sitting on a shelf would have twisted the bumper.  That is some pretty strong steel and it won't bend due to it's own weight, much less stay bent from sitting on the shelf.  That had to have happened before the chroming.
Are you sure you got the same bumper back from the chromers?

[Challenger in NC]

Holy smokes that looks pretty bad. Would you not want to take a chance with a new bumper instead of modifying and re-chroming it? I've never seen a bumper twisted like that.

[JH27N0B]

Too late now, but a wise tip I was given when sending a bumper away to be rechromed, is to etch your initials or other identifying mark someplace on the inner surface so when you get it back, you can confirm it's the same one you gave them.

[Mr Lee]

Yeah thats a good tip, etching your initials into it.  I don't know if I got the same one back that I gave the chrome shop and its been many years since I had it chromed so there's no going back now unfortunately.  Wouldnt be able to prove anything. 

Hard to understand how it's so twisted... on both ends... in the opposite direction... and without it being banged up.  Guess I'll never know.

So, I did have another old bumper that I dug out of inventory today.  Had some dents and dings but looked straight otherwise.  Was also pulled in at the bolt holes.  I got everything mostly straightened out before I tried to put it on the car. 
So far, I installed it loosely on the car.  It looks pretty good but still have to finish tightening it down and adjusting it. And then decide if Im gonna spring for another expensive chrome job
OR .... go with a repop. 
As far as the repops go, I hear they've gotten better yeah?  Anyone have close up pics of the chrome finish?  Is it nice?  Not sure I've ever seen one up close. 

[cuda hunter]

That one doesn't look too bad! 

[6bblgt]

I've seen a bunch of bumpers bent/twisted/flattened by the straightening process they go thru prior to re-chroming
I'm not sure what the bumper places have to use as far as forms/bucks/etc. to determine what is the correct shape 

what do the insides of the re-chomed bumper look like, lots of hammer marks? - got pics?

[Mr Lee]

I've seen a bunch of bumpers bent/twisted/flattened by the straightening process they go thru prior to re-chroming
I'm not sure what the bumper places have to use as far as forms/bucks/etc. to determine what is the correct shape 

what do the insides of the re-chomed bumper look like, lots of hammer marks? - got pics?

Its got a few spots with some hammer marks but not a whole lot.  Two areas by the bumper bolts (no doubt to hammer them out as they often get sucked in there). And then one other spot at the top of the bumper (i painted the inside of the bumper w black paint)





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[Mr Lee]

In these two pics you can see the difference in how tight it sweeps upwards
So what ive learned from this is to look at bumpers more carefully when off the car.  Harder to tell whats wrong with them off the car.



Actually i found another spot with hammer marks.



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[Mr Lee]

Two more
The gap where that rubbber thing goes is also tighter on one side.




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[71vert340]

  If the bumpers you sent were not twisted, my guess is you didn't get the same bumpers back. I sent my good bumpers in years ago to be rechromed and they came back great. They bolted right up to my bumper brackets which I had not removed from the car.
Terry

[RUNCHARGER]

The stock bumpers really didn't fit that great when new. Hopefully you got the same ones back, I've also had them switched by chromers.