front bumper spacers?

[Tinman22]

Does anybody know if the front bumper on an 85' r688st with a/c have a notch cutout for the condenser or is the bumper spaced out 1"?

In the 22 years i've known this truck its never had a bumper. I found a good painted one at lkq in toledo for $80 and bought it but it hits the condenser.   Any ideas?

[85snowdog]

I have an 88 R688 an a 86 RD688. they both have a 5 inch spacer behind the bumper used for a tow hook .  For sure they are both original equipment . They both have air .  

[Tinman22]

Thanks for the info and pics. now I need to find those spacers.

[mechohaulic]

if it never had a bumper, and you don't have the right bolts ; i would go with the spacers. what was there before?

[Tinman22]

I don't have any bolts or spacers. what was there before ? I don't know. It hasn't had a bumper in at least 22 years. Father in law died 9 years ago so i cant ask him. What bolts are they? I'm guessing  two 1/2" and four 9/16 carriage bolts?

[Tinman22]

Maybe not carriage bolts. The bumper holes arent square....Hmmm.

[Vladislav]

Those spicers were an option. Otherwise bumper seats right against the spring brackets. And it doesn't interfere with a stock condencer. But when I started looking for reference pic for you I found out interesting fact I have never payed attention to before. As you can see on the pic below the spring bracket already has 3 bosses which actually play a role of spicers for the bumper. I was going to use a photo of different R-model which both had a condencer and a bumper in place (and I had a good pics of). But when I looked at it I discovered it used those spicers exactly as Keith showed on his trucks. And when the spicers were used the spring brackets didn't have the bosses. Both at Keith trucks and on the one I had a pic of. At the same time 2 of my R's and one more front end of a truck I bought for parts in the past had bosses and no spicers.

Edited March 28, 2022 by Vladislav

[Tinman22]

This has flat hangers and factory a/c.  I made some 1"spacers out of some 1/2 wall tierod tubing, seems to look right...enough.

[Vladislav]

Bolts you fit the bumper are common style bolts not carriage bolts since you have good access to the nuts at the other end. I bought new SS bolts when installed chrome plated bumper and maximum OD the holes allowed me to fit there was 9/16. Sure 1/2 would also work but I preferred as thick hardware as I could put.

[Vladislav]

6 minutes ago, Tinman22 said:

This has flat hangers and factory a/c.  I made some 1"spacers out of some 1/2 wall tierod tubing, seems to look right...enough.

Yup, you got right about exactly how the bumper fits to the truck if no spicers used. No top tread plate is used with the bumper in this case too.

[Tinman22]

Well good I got something right today. It's all downhill from here.

[85snowdog]

I think that was perfect how you did it . And like Vlad said , you don't need the top filler plate the way you did it . 

Thanks for keeping us up to date on your project. I like following this. 

[85snowdog]

3 hours ago, Vladislav said:

Those spicers were an option. Otherwise bumper seats right against the spring brackets. And it doesn't interfere with a stock condencer. But when I started looking for reference pic for you I found out interesting fact I have never payed attention to before. As you can see on the pic below the spring bracket already has 3 bosses which actually play a role of spicers for the bumper. I was going to use a photo of different R-model which both had a condencer and a bumper in place (and I had a good pics of). But when I looked at it I discovered it used those spicers exactly as Keith showed on his trucks. And when the spicers were used the spring brackets didn't have the bosses. Both at Keith trucks and on the one I had a pic of. At the same time 2 of my R's and one more front end of a truck I bought for parts in the past had bosses and no spicers.

Thanks for the pic Vlad, I found that interesting as well.  

Do you think the tow pin incorporated in the spring bracket could be an American built thing ?  The tow pin set up in my stuff is all added between the frame and bumper . Even the 1977 R700 .  They are all Oakville builds though.  The model builders will find this little detail interesting . 

[Vladislav]

15 hours ago, 85snowdog said:

Thanks for the pic Vlad, I found that interesting as well.  

Do you think the tow pin incorporated in the spring bracket could be an American built thing ?  The tow pin set up in my stuff is all added between the frame and bumper . Even the 1977 R700 .  They are all Oakville builds though.  The model builders will find this little detail interesting . 

No Keith, looks like they're not. At least 3 R688 of the SGT bunch had the spring brackets with tow pins incorporated (and used no spicers) and also there was one more R which I purchased a hood off and it had the same style brackets and VIN starting with 2M2N pointing to Canadian assembly. All those were made in 1988. On the other hand the truck I mentioned in the post above was Matt Pfahl's (from Connecticut) restored R-model I crawled under for a few detailed pics accordingly to the condenser mounting (to fit it properly to my R). And that truck had spicers (as I mentioned before) and American VIN-code 1M... Built in 1985. So my guess the spicers were an option. I don't see any practical use in setting the tow pins off to the front (and putting them in one more separate part hold by bolts instead of a generic chassis part as the spring hanger) so probably it was a matter of style. Same as two bumper options for 2nd generation Superliner.

Modelbuilders must be happy with what we describe and show out with pics definitely

[mechohaulic]

I know this model builder will make  use of the info given here. at present no R-models on the "assembly line". one IH payhauler built up for low bed load; one DM-800 waiting on parts, DM-800 mixer ; and wrecker waiting in line for repairs. R-685ST with 300+ eng hasn't made the repair order line yet.LOL might have warm weather by then ; model repairs will end up on hold again. 

[85snowdog]

3 hours ago, Vladislav said:

No Keith, looks like they're not. At least 3 R688 of the SGT bunch had the spring brackets with tow pins incorporated (and used no spicers) and also there was one more R which I purchased a hood off and it had the same style brackets and VIN starting with 2M2N pointing to Canadian assembly. All those were made in 1988. On the other hand the truck I mentioned in the post above was Matt Pfahl's (from Connecticut) restored R-model I crawled under for a few detailed pics accordingly to the condenser mounting (to fit it properly to my R). And that truck had spicers (as I mentioned before) and American VIN-code 1M... Built in 1985. So my guess the spicers were an option. I don't see any practical use in setting the tow pins off to the front (and putting them in one more separate part hold by bolts instead of a generic chassis part as the spring hanger) so probably it was a matter of style. Same as two bumper options for 2nd generation Superliner.

Modelbuilders must be happy with what we describe and show out with pics definitely

Thanks Vlad for the pics and information.  I find these little details interesting 

[Vladislav]

3 hours ago, 85snowdog said:

Thanks Vlad for the pics and information.  I find these little details interesting 

Me too

[Dirtymilkman]

If a/c with a factory chrome bumper, you won't have spacers. Unless you have the grille guard, then you need an inch space so when you open the hood the bottom of the hood doesn't hit the grille guard. Steel bumpers had lots of different spacer options.