98 front bumper swap

[98eb5.4]

junior bent up his front bumper, pax side was rubbing wheel, ramp guardrail scenario so....

curious if any other year bumpers will bolt up? tia

 

[Yudaman]

I would also like to swap a '99-'02 bumper on to my '98.
As far as I know, they should bolt right up.

 

[tonydiv]

You'll need to replace the grill too, otherwise a 99 - 02 should bolt right up.

 

[98eb5.4]

looks like 97-8 are direct exact bolt on, car-part.com shows only those 2 years as either or options

front valence alone gets into either tow hooks and/or fog hole scenarios

other stuff would be whatever info you can get but prob doable, dunno if there are supporting bracket parts scenarios, prob not going there

daughter said she was turning right on a ramp ~ 50 k/h when junior got loose and went sideways, then musta got grip and went straight into the guardrail mainly impacting the right front corner area then popped the airbags, which i think did more damage than the impact, nothing serious but still ugly and smashes your whole face good
,
i figure maybe a patch of black ice...

real lucky no hood or fender damage, left headlight assy smashed, grille & bumber corner end bent back (almost broke off) with bits rubbing on the wheel

first job is take off the grille and bumper and have a look at the brackets/supporting structure

truck was towed from the back with front wheels on dollies, 350 bucks total (~ 45 minute drive) which dude was sayin was real cheap. 180 of that was just for hookup

if you are blocking the road, you must use any available service present

here are a few bracket scenarios
Front Bumper Mounting Plate Bracket Without Lightning Right Passenger | eBay

F75Z17N775DA FO1067129 Front Passenger Side Bumper Bracket NEW Truck Ford F150 | eBay

 

[98eb5.4]

turns out car-part.com shows front bumper/parts interchangeability for years 99=03

i'm gonna stay with years 97-8 parts

 

[superexpy]

97-02 are all interchangable. You can leave your grill to bu you will have a 1.25 gap between the middle of the bumper and grill.

 

[ydopen]

Ive looked into it. 97-98 are the same and 99 up are different. U have to get bumper valance grill and bumper brackets.

Sent from my SCH-R970X using Tapatalk

 

[superexpy]

I believe the 97-98 bumper brackets will bolt to the 99-02 bumper. I am debating on a 99+ bumper for mine too or a lightning style type. If I do a aftermarket lighting bumper I will still have to buy a 99-02 bumper or at least the chrome part because thats what bolts to the bumper mounts and the aftermarket bumper mounts to that. I am still not sure tho because I have never seen a bumper like mine but I do want a change. I also like the 99+ grill because it is a little bigger than the 97-98's

 

[98eb5.4]

bracket 02

 

[98eb5.4]

back and forth bending then this

tow hook gone, back bolt sheared off.... frame rail smashed/deformed at front, frame bracket support tweaked, bumper bracket (not in this pix) bent up along one side

other side with original bracket

decided to go with 2002 parts, will find out if/how original brackets might bolt up

 

[98eb5.4]

i was looking at the airbag stuff and need to have a look at the sensors/positioning after a hit

WARNING: Vehicle sensor orientation is critical for proper system operation. If a vehicle equipped with an air bag supplemental restraint system (SRS) is involved in a collision, inspect the sensor mounting bracket and wiring pigtail for deformation. Replace and properly position the sensor or any other damaged supplemental restraint system (SRS) components whether or not the air bag is deployed.

gonna hafta look this system up

 

[98eb5.4]

pretty sure this rear wiper stop bracket used to be centered (pix is sideways to the left, should be upright)

 

[98eb5.4]

thought maybe at least 2 (of 4) bolts per side would line up on the original bumper brackets but, no dice

might be doable drilling holes but new parts were 13 bucks each so couldn't be bothered fiddling + 1 side was mangled

couldn't believe you can buy the steel bumper part new, painted black for 105$,

new black grill/headlight piece went 115$ new, new bumper brackets come in tomorrow

 

[superexpy]

thought maybe at least 2 (of 4) bolts per side would line up on the original bumper brackets but, no dice

might be doable drilling holes but new parts were 13 bucks each so couldn't be bothered fiddling + 1 side was mangled

couldn't believe you can buy the steel bumper part new, painted black for 105$,

new black grill/headlight piece went 115$ new, new bumper brackets come in tomorrow

So 98 bumper brackets wont bolt up to a 99+ bumper?

 

[98eb5.4]

So 98 bumper brackets wont bolt up to a 99+ bumper?

not straight up but prob not a huge deal as far as lining it up and drilling some fresh mounting points, i'll get some pix

meantime, turns out the front where the tow hook mounts was not only smashed but the frame member also looks to be bent over quite a bit...

the right side (drivers side) comes straight out whereas on the left it comes out at an angle, what is the proper repair for that? i figure that (forward part of the left ladder) section would have to be cut out and a replacement welded in?

i'm just gonna go with a makeshift mount for now

 

[98eb5.4]

ended up getting an alignment & def have a slight pull to the left..

then took junior to a few collision outfits, first one said they could straighten the front left part of the frame for ~ 5-600 bucksi

frame cant be cut/welded back with a good piece and regular car straightening stuff won't do either, dude said it had to go to a tucking outfit, think he said cos of high strength steel

another body shop asked what year junior was, had a quick look and said "write off"

the main problem is what kinda wheel alignment i can get with the way it is right now, could be workable but could also be ugly, making a repair necessary,

i'm told a drivers side airbag is no big deal but the pax side can sometimes involve dash removal?

edit - quick goog
How to remove 99 expedition passenger side air bag

Open the glove box, two 5/16" gold bolts visible if you look up through the back of the box. It will take a long extension. Pop the cover off on top of the dashboard, there is one 5/16" bolt there.

 

[98eb5.4]

took junior to a few collision outfits, first one said they could straighten the front left part of the frame for ~ 5-600 bucksi

frame cant be cut/welded back with a good piece and regular car straightening stuff won't do either, dude said it had to go to a tucking outfit, think he said cos of high strength steel

had a look at the ford repair manual and sez frame can be straightened and appropriate pieces can be welded on, as required

looks like 97-8 has the same crash sensor setup. 2 fronts are

1998 Ford Expedition XLT - Air Bag Crash Sensor with Bracket, Right Part # F65B-14B004-AC

1998 Ford Expedition XLT - Air Bag Crash Sensor with Bracket, Left Part # F65B-14B005-AC
https://www.google.ca/search?q=98+f...%2BFord%2BExpedition%2BXLT%26page%3D5;400;300

F65Z14B004AC Sensor Assy 97 98 F250 | eBay

looks like the main crash module is behind the right side kick panel
Crash sensor diagrams? - Ford Truck Enthusiasts Forums

with every start, the air bag light flashes a 3 pause 2 blink code (32) ~ 5 times, then remains on

it's a yellow light on the lower left side of the dash right next to the red seatbelt light

quick curiosity question, doesn't someone have to be in the right seat for the pax airbag blowing? read a bit here & there about sensors in the seat (for weight), as well as something with the seat belts, dunno what the deal is exactly with 98....

 

[98eb5.4]

ended up fed up dealing with the folks who did the first alignment even paying someone else to do it again

lookin good so far ... or at least way better now and workable

guy at the first place said it couldn't be his work (iow, must be something else) cause computerized and can't get it wrong (ya right, eff you too)

second place showed toe being outa range @ -1.31 on the left corrected to 0.12
range is 0.03 - 0.28

and 1.55 on the right corrected to 0.10,
range there is 0.28 to 0.03
(might have some of the above wrong, i'll scan the doc)

2ng place wouldn't guarantee their work for a variety of reasons, one being refusing a suggested more expensive 4 wheel alignment ..ffs

 

[98eb5.4]

here's what the manual sez about frame stuff

SECTION 502-02: Frame and Body Mounting 1998 Expedition/Navigator Workshop Manual
GENERAL PROCEDURES Procedure revision date: 01/18/2002

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Frame Maintenance —Welding Precautions
If welding must be done on a frame, make sure the following requirements are met:
If the frame is attached to the vehicle, the battery ground cable (14301) must be disconnected before using any electrical welding equipment.
Do not use gas welding equipment; arc welding is the only approved method.
Use a temperature-indicating crayon to ensure that the temperature does not exceed 750°C (1400°F).
Replace spot-welded components by spot welding where possible. If spot welding is not possible, use puddle welding.

SECTION 502-02: Frame and Body Mounting 1998 Expedition/Navigator Workshop Manual
GENERAL PROCEDURES Procedure revision date: 01/18/2002

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Frame Maintenance —Frame Straightening
WARNING: Straightening of front frame rail convolute is prohibited.

When straightening the frame, make sure the following requirements are met:
If heat is needed to straighten a frame member, keep the temperature below 650°C (1200°F) (a dull red glow).
Heat should be kept to a minimum area so that the hardness of the metal will not be affected.
Straightening should only be attempted on frames that fail to meet specifications of the diagonal checking method or where damage is apparent.
Straightening should be limited to parts which are not severely bent

SECTION 502-02: Frame and Body Mounting 1998 Expedition/Navigator Workshop Manual
GENERAL PROCEDURES Procedure revision date: 01/18/2002

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Frame Maintenance —Frame Reinforcing
After a bent frame member has been straightened, inspect the frame member closely for cracks. If any cracks show, the frame member should be reinforced or replaced.
Reinforcements should be made from angle or flat stock of the same material and thickness as the frame member being reinforced, and should extend to either side of the crack.
Ideally, the reinforcement should be cut from the corresponding area of a similar frame.

http://www.i-car.com/pdf/fordfram.pdf

CRUSH INITIATORS
Crush initiators help manage
collision energy. These are de-
signed-in collapse zones that absorb
some of the energy during a frontal
collision. The crush initiators
combine with other designed-in
frame features, such as kick-up
areas or offsets, to direct the energy
of a collision around the passenger
compartment. These energy-
management strategies became a
federal mandate in 1992. On 1996
and later Explorer and F-150
frames, the crush initiators don’t
have near the same physical
appearance as the more exagger-
ated convolutions found on earlier
frames
(see Figure 1)
.

The same
rule still applies, however.
That rule is: DO NOT REPAIR
CRUSH INITIATORS. This area is
from the front to about 600 mm
(24") back. If the frame is bent in
this area, straightening is not an
option. Ford maintains that the
integrity of these areas is crucial to
proper airbag deployment, and
therefore these areas should not be
repaired.

this part is interesting

Bumper Brackets
The F-150, F-250, Expedition, and
Navigator have welded-on bumper
brackets that may bend during even
a mild frontal collision. Bumper
brackets are an integral part of the
frame and play an important role in
the proper operation of the airbag
system. Therefore, bumper brackets
should not be repaired. The use of
salvage bumper brackets is not
recommended by Ford. For some
model years, replacement bumper
mounting brackets were not avail-
able. The only recommendation for
those years was frame replacement.


Bolted-on replacement bumper
brackets became available in the
middle of 1998. Models approved
for these brackets are:
ν
1997 F-250
ν
1997–1998 Expedition
ν
1997–1998 F-150
ν
1998 Navigator
The part numbers are:
ν
F85A-17N775CA for the
passenger side
ν
F85A-17N775DA for the
driver side

 

[98eb5.4]

bit of progress, swapped out the airbags, 5 8mil socket bolts total, 2 for the steering, ~5 minute job

ended up with wrong color replacements, so fresh vinyl paint sorted that quick for ~ 5 bucks

didn't expect the airbag light to go away (but it did), thought the module has to be changed/reset first?

got the newer front bumper setup macgyvered on for now

got some engine codes i'm sorting on another thread