71 Roadrunner/GTX front bumper brace?

[Ben Mowery]

I was looking at my assembly manual and it seems that there is some sort of bumper brace that bolts against the frame rail then the bumper brackets set on top of that and bolt to the car. Anyone happen to have a picture of one of these?

Ben

 

[Z-Man]

This help?

 

[Ben Mowery]

This help?

View attachment 997837

I have all of those. I will get photo of what I am looking for. It is marked inner brace on the photo.

 

[Z-Man]

There are six of them, 3 on each side.

 

[YY1]

I think I have them if you need them.

 

[Ben Mowery]

There are six of them, 3 on each side.

View attachment 997838

Agree there are the six that hold the bumper. This price according to the picture I posted sets flat against the rail. The three combined brackets bolt to it.

Ben

 

[Ben Mowery]

I think I have them if you need them.

Do you have any pictures?

 

[YY1]

I have one side disassembled (passenger)

Driver side has some awfully stubborn nuts and bolts.

 

[moparmarks]

That is really weird. I looked in my 71 Factory parts manual and sure enough it shows that brace with a part number for 71 Plymouth 2-door. I have owned upwards of 30 of the 71 and 72 Plymouth 2 door and have never seen that brace. I probably have around 8 sets of the front bumper brackets in my yard none have that brace. Looking at the picture it looks like it goes in between the center and the inner bumper mount brackets. I'm curious to see if anybody has seen that brace.

 

[moparmarks]

This help?

View attachment 997837

Don't see that brace.
That's the normal setup that I have a stack of.

 

[Ben Mowery]

I agree with what everyone else is seeing. This seems to be a mystery part that was either not used even though it’s in the drawing or is missing on most cars. I would say the first answer is probably correct. In a way this makes me happy as its another part I don’t have to look for to put on my GTX.

 

[72RoadrunnerGTX]

I had made this same inquiry on the old roadrunnernest.com site years ago. It seams this part never made it to production.

 

[Dibbons]

Can anyone see where the mystery piece may have benefited the integrity of the front bumper? I don't see what it possibly could have strengthened.

 

[72RoadrunnerGTX]

An early attempt to control vertical movement of the bumper is the only thing I can think of after seeing it described in the ‘72 parts cat as “Brace-Bumper jacking”. Judging from the small size of the upper bolt hole and the thin gauge metal at the inner fender I can’t believe it would provide a whole lot of additional rotational support. I’m beginning to believe it was a very early design abandoned in early production to save 2 cents.

 

[Dibbons]

That makes sense, ties in with the old bumper jack. Mine's missing, of course, so a scissors jack does the trick.

 

[moparmarks]

My 71 RR build 10-70 didn't have them. Think that the earliest one I've had. Had a 72 build in 8/71.

 

[rrTor-Red]

It might be my OCD but had to put the assembly together first. So,, here ya go before I installed them on my car.

 

[YY1]

OK, that brace is not on my 71 either.

 

[wahya]

I never took my bumper supports out,so I don't know how long those bolts are, but in the diagram, they look pretty short. Maybe somebody figured out that there wasn't enough bolt to hang another hunk of metal on them.

 

[mopar jack]

my 71 road runner has them. the car was built early August 1970 at the L.A. plant