Rear Bumper Bracket Replacement

Hey Guys:

New to forum, been driving my '99 Tacoma for 170,000+ miles and love it. Unfortunately, got rear-ended on the way home from work. The only thing I can see that got damaged were the two brackets that hold the rear bumper on. They were both bent down about an inch or so, with no other damage that I could find. So I take it that's pretty much their job here. They "crumple" or bend down on impact to absorb the bump.

So my question to you guys is, how hard is it to remove the bumper and install new brackets? It just looks like if I can break those nuts loose, it's a pretty straight-forward job.

Disclaimer: Yes, I am insured, but no one was hurt, damage minimal, so I really don't want to report it to my insurance company and risk getting nailed for something that's not my fault.

Been wanting to mount a "trailer" hitch to the Tacoma anyways, so I can mount a bike rack to transport my bikes. Been holding off cuz I didn't know how hard a job it would be to remove the bumper to mount the "trailer" hitch. Guess I'll do it now. Any advice much appreciated.

 

Read your post while looking for bumper info. Can't figger out how your bumper mounting brackets were bent down an inch while the bumper itself wasn't even scratched...

 

I was rear ended back in February. I just replaced my brackets ($36 for the set I believe from Toyota). They are easy to get off with a cheater. I suggest using some PB Blaster for a few nights before you decide to try to break them loose.

 

$36? From the Stealer??? The parts man musta forgotten to add a "0"...

 

I've been rear ended in both my 1st gens with the exact same result - virtually no damage to the bumper, and the brackets bent down as described. And they are that cheap from the dealer. In both cases, I made the guilty parties go to the dealer, pay for and pick up the brackets, and bring them to me. No need to involve insurance.

Diz - They're a breeze to replace, but your hunch is right - If you're going to add a hitch, now is the time to do it, as a hitch shares the same holes/bolts as the bumper mounts. You'll probably utter a few choice words in the process, but it's very doable.

I'd just say don't pay for it yourself. Make payment and delivery the guilty party's problem.

Good luck.