Quick Question - No Rear Bumper?

[my69camaro1]

On my truck I have been driving around with no rear bumper for over a year.. I have been pulled over a couple times and the police tell me it is a no no and they could give me a ticket if I don't fix it..

Something about if I get rear-ended by a little car my hitch will be a hazard concern?

1 ton dually, all lights work, large stock 2in reciever with hitch installed, just no bumper...

Do I need a bumper?

 

[fiveohpoepoe]

the police tell me it is a no no and they could give me a ticket if I don't fix it..

So,there is your answer. Why havent you put a bumper on?

 

[FordSVTFan]

On my truck I have been driving around with no rear bumper for over a year.. I have been pulled over a couple times and the police tell me it is a no no and they could give me a ticket if I don't fix it..

Something about if I get rear-ended by a little car my hitch will be a hazard concern?

1 ton dually, all lights work, large stock 2in reciever with hitch installed, just no bumper...

Do I need a bumper?

Although I can't find a specific Indiana statute on point, it likely falls into the safety equipment statute. 5 mph Bumpers are required safety equipment unless the car is too old to qualify.

 

[my69camaro1]

I had wanted to get some road armor or ranch hand bumpers but stuffs expensive and I don't want to pay the $300 for a used take off... Who knows what the cost new... idk

 

[slider701]

Although I can't find a specific Indiana statute on point, it likely falls into the safety equipment statute. 5 mph Bumpers are required safety equipment unless the car is too old to qualify.

Adam - 5 mph bumpers are not mandated on trucks and SUV's, only passenger cars.

Bumper Questions and Answers

Trucks over 10K GVWR do require under-dive protection, basically a bar that ties the frame rails together and is less than 30" off the ground. This went into effect for production truck around 2007. I worked for the Super Duty group with Ford for a brief while and we had to install factory class III/IV hitches as standard on F350's over 10K and all 450/550's until the new frames were produced with a bar that ties the rails together.

If you look at most all new SUV's and trucks now they have a bar that ties the frame rails together for the more stringent under-dive protection.

With that said it is still up to the local/state authorities to make specific rules on bumper height. Growing up my dad had a PA state inspection repair shop and I was a licensed inspector when I worked for him. I can attest that the PA state troopers had their own interpretation of the FMVSS standards that sometimes puzzled you.

Considering the OP has been warned by local LEO's it is probably safe to assume he should invest in a bumper regardless of the FMVSS or state regulations.

 

[Thump_rrr]

If this is a work truck or asthetics don't come into play a length of "C" channel or rectangular steel tubing can be used as a rear bumper.

Here are a couple of ideas.

http://forum.ih8mud.com/40-55-series-tech/275867-rear-bumper-replacement-possible.html