it just got a little bit more embarrassing

This a little bit of a follow up to a thread I previously posted. http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/off-roading-trails/28871-4wd-stuck-snow-2.html

So it was embarrassingly enough to get stuck in the snow and to have to ask others to help, but I have now noticed that my rear bumper is about 2" more on the driver side and about 2" pushed in on the driver side. I am almost certain this is a result of me getting stuck and having been pulled out by another truck.

Whats done is done and trying to learn from it. The truck seems to drive the same, but is there an easy way to pull the bumper back into place?

Yesterday I crawled under the truck and noticed the bumper is held on by a lot screws and not actually welded to the frame. It was a shock to me but explains why it moved. The frame measured out and does not look bent. I loosened some screws and tried to flex it back with no luck. after maybe an hour i got tired of dry dirt falling on my face, so i packed it up and went inside.

I am surprised that the hitch is bolted on and attached to the bumper. Seems like it would be stronger directly welded to the frame alone. So how much of a noob am I? Is there a cheap and easy fix to straighten out my rear bumper?

 

okay, i get the ideal but the bumper will still be 2 inches to the driver side.

you know that plastic step cover under the license plate? how do i get that off?

 

Where did you have them hook up the chain when you got pulled out?

 

at the time i did not have the tongue and ball hooked up. so there was just this 2" square whole. if you are looking at the hitch off to each side was a little cut away just big enough for a hook. growing up i used to tow lawn mowers and i sometimes used it to chain a leash to the trailer. don't know if that actually what it is for, but seems to make sense. So, it was the cut-away on the driver side that the dude hooked the chain too.