Painted Bumper Vs. Chrome Bumper

[ctt447]

Ok, so why should our apparatus committee choose one over the other? Is the painted bumper more durable over time compared to the chrome bumper? Is it easier to repair dings and knicks to a painted bumper instead of a chrome bumper? Does a painted bumper provide more safety then a chrome bumper due to it being solid steel? Thoughts, opinions, suggestions????

[FyredUp]

Purely on looks alone I prefer the chrome bumper.

The advantage to a painted bumper is if it is damaged or scuffed up it is easily repaired.

FyredUp

[skipatrol8]

Can you get a chrome bumper shaped like a steel bumper with the angled corners like what Chicago and FDNY use? I think this is a good idea as that corner probably isn't getting a whole lot of use and it's one less thing to get busted off.

[SSIaerialmanTIM]

It sure will stop truck damage better than chrome, Steel is the way i would go. TL

[firefighterbeau]

to match the other trucks?? might be a reason. a chief i worked under threw a fit when he seen the second F550 we got didnt have a chrome grill and wheel simulators like the other one. Chrome is no where in any book as a firefighting agent, that is what i explained to them. the money could be put to much better use than makin a truck ''pretty''

[TC33FF]

I believe that the painted or squared off bumpers are heavy duty steel bumpers that are super strong. I know sparton offers them because places like Dallas, Ft worth and Arlington are going to them. It sounds like they take one hell of a beating.

[AC1503]

Just dip the heavy bumper in the plating vat.

[toddmcbr]

Spartan calls that there severe duty bumper. If I were buying a truck today, I think it would be the only way I would go. If you would happen to get into an accident, it would save your truck so much. If looks are an issue, you can get a Stainless Steel trim kit to go around the painted bumper. If I can find any photos, I'll post them here.

[firetdriver99]

Ok, so why should our apparatus committee choose one over the other? Is the painted bumper more durable over time compared to the chrome bumper? Is it easier to repair dings and knicks to a painted bumper instead of a chrome bumper? Does a painted bumper provide more safety then a chrome bumper due to it being solid steel? Thoughts, opinions, suggestions????

depends if your in a high traffic area and your chances of being in an accident are high I would go with steel also but I know from past experiences alot of manufacturers charge up to $2,000.00 or more for them

Low run little traffic tight budget I would go with chrome and spend the extra money on other needed equipment.

[Halligan84]

Does a painted bumper provide more safety then a chrome bumper due to it being solid steel? Thoughts, opinions, suggestions????

Aren't they both steel? 40,000 lbs moving at almost any speed coming in contact with something will damage whatever it hits. The "severe duty" and painted bumper deals are great marketing tools. If FDNY didn't get them how many little FD's do you think would have them now. Same with severe duty, who wants to be known as a light duty FD? So they strip the cab down, paint the bumper instead of chrome and charge you more money... beautiful!

Kinda like the guy who invented extra large condoms... who's gonna pick the regulars off the rack now? Brilliant! :D

[zfdtruckman]

We ordered the painted steel bumper mainly for the smoother larger surface for the chevron striping. It is also about 3 times thicker steel than the chrome bumper. I know everyone has an opinion on whether one is better than the other or one looks better than the other. We could care less. What you see is our opinion.

[NewJerseyFFII]

Last year our engine 4-2 was in a MVA on the New Jersey Turnpike at a toll plaza when a tractor trailer made a dead stop in front of us. The chrome bumper,front suction, Q2 siren, grill, front trash line, plumbing, were all pushed back into the cab, a red painted steel bumper would have been the same. After 2 months of repair at the KME plant & $ 100,000 in damage all is fine!...

[gunnyv]

Here's one with the patented Detroit Bumper.

[TC33FF]

http://www.northtexasusar.com/

Dallas has the chrome insert things on the severe duty bumper.

[TC33FF]

http://www.bensware.com/firetrucks/arlingtonQ7Rollover53.jpg

Here is an Arlington truck with the severe duty bumper after it hit a concrete barrier. They just put the new bumper on that truck a few months back. With the old bumper it would've pushed it into the cab more.

[TC33FF]

heres another one
http://www.bensware.com/firetrucks/corsicanaE1.jpg

[RFRDxplorer]

As far as the big steel bumpers go, I believe it was either Chicago or FDNY who calls them "Cab Crushers".

[Dave1983]

Purely on looks alone I prefer the chrome bumper.

The advantage to a painted bumper is if it is damaged or scuffed up it is easily repaired.

FyredUp

Agreed. Nothing beats the look of a highly polished chrome bumper on your apparati. :cool:

That said, our next rig will have the chevron stripping on the bumper, so we will probably go with painted steel. With the stripping you wont see much chrome anyway.

[RFDACM02]

We went with the painted angled off bumpers for looks! We like it better. In my opinion nothing says "This is a parade truck" more than chrome. Regardless of actual price, taxpayers often think of chrome and bells as show stuff vs. functionality. Our trucks are designed to look like the war wagons they are. In fact it's become a slightly sore subject in our dept. due to the "no chrome or aluminum wheels (except as required for braking benefits on the Tower:D ). So we suffer with red painted wheels. If thats our biggest complaint... I'll keep my trap shut!

[SAFETEK]

Toronto have adopted the "Chicago" style steel painted bumper to reduce damage to the apparatus and easier to repair and don't look that bad in either red or silver..

[NewJerseyFFII]

Toronto have adopted the "Chicago" style steel painted bumper to reduce damage to the apparatus and easier to repair and don't look that bad in either red or silver..I like the looks of a " RED " steel bumper with 3M lettering of the departments name or truck number!...

[RFDACM02]

I like the looks of a " RED " steel bumper with 3M lettering of the departments name or truck number!...

Like this?

[BackstepFF]

To borrow a phrase from the biker world, "chrome won't get you home". A fire truck should be a work truck, not a parade showpiece.
The heavy-gauge steel painted bumpers are a definite trend in busy, metro departments; they pay for themselves in the long run by reducing overall damage in collisions.

[FWDbuff]

Here's something for everyone out there.......

On our recent purchase, Spartan's line-item pricing for a painted steel bumper was MORE than a chrome one! :eek: Surprised the hell out of us- we kind of liked the look of the painted steel, until we found out the chrome one was cheaper!

[ChiefSquirrel]

We went with the traditional chrome bumpers on our last two apparatus purchases but put a white scotchlite stripe across the front with our department's name in red scotchlite inside the stripe - looks sharp and provides some additional reflective material on the front end.
However, I doubt it will help in the event of a crash. :rolleyes:

[toddmcbr]

As you can see in the photos, there is much more material in the steel painted bumper. The painted steel bumper is made out of 3/8"structural steel channel. I'm fairly sure that Spartan custom builds these bumpers for every truck which means they weld, sand, and then paint where as they can pull a chrome bumper off the shelf. Hence, the painted bumper is more expensive.

The painted bumper is probably not going to help you out a whole a lot in a head on collision with a semi, etc. However, for the minor little accidents that happen every now and then, the bumper will probably go untouched or possibly just need a little paint touch up. The chrome bumper would probably have to be replaced (most people won't be able to live with a scratch/ding/dent in their chrome bumper) and now you have more money into your chrome bumpers than you would with your painted. Also keep in mind that you are probably going to have pull your truck out of service to put on the new bumper and change out the warning lights, airhors, speakers, etc.

My two cents only....

[Quint23]

To borrow a phrase from the biker world, "chrome won't get you home". A fire truck should be a work truck, not a parade showpiece.
The heavy-gauge steel painted bumpers are a definite trend in busy, metro departments; they pay for themselves in the long run by reducing overall damage in collisions.


The Seagrave Marauder bumpers can be used to tow the apparatus. Now that is a tuff bumper!

[NewJerseyFFII]

The Seagrave Marauder bumpers can be used to tow the apparatus. Now that is a tuff bumper!Seagrave is using heavy steel channel & angles behind there bumpers that is welded as a structure, then bolted with grade 8 bolts to the apparatus frame !....

[TC33FF]

Hey on the DCFD truck 6 what is the F for on the bumper?

[MG3610]

As you can see in the photos, there is much more material in the steel painted bumper. The painted steel bumper is made out of 3/8"structural steel channel. I'm fairly sure that Spartan custom builds these bumpers for every truck which means they weld, sand, and then paint where as they can pull a chrome bumper off the shelf. Hence, the painted bumper is more expensive.

The painted bumper is probably not going to help you out a whole a lot in a head on collision with a semi, etc. However, for the minor little accidents that happen every now and then, the bumper will probably go untouched or possibly just need a little paint touch up. The chrome bumper would probably have to be replaced (most people won't be able to live with a scratch/ding/dent in their chrome bumper) and now you have more money into your chrome bumpers than you would with your painted. Also keep in mind that you are probably going to have pull your truck out of service to put on the new bumper and change out the warning lights, airhors, speakers, etc.

My two cents only....

Thank you, the pictures are very informative as a comparison. Discussions are always better when good info/pictures are posted.

[FWDbuff]

Hey on the DCFD truck 6 what is the F for on the bumper?


Back in the days of horse-drawn apparatus, and possibly even later for DC, many east-coast cities labeled their truck companies with letters instead of numbers, for ease of communication over the gamewell telegraph circuits. Truck 1 was Truck A, 2 was B, and so on.......I am assuming they carry the "F" to this day as a nice sign of tradition.

[truthNaerials]

good dimensional pictures...................... ........... that shows it all right there..........

.........i like a chrome bumper but in a larger city where small traffic "infractions" LOL.. may be frequent, the steel might be better..........

[BackstepFF]

Hey on the DCFD truck 6 what is the F for on the bumper?This is just a hunch but I think it has to do with their history and tradition. If I recall correctly, way back in the day DC used to designate the engines with numbers and the trucks with letters. When they changed the policy, Truck 'A' became Truck 1 and so on with Truck 'F' becoming Truck 6.
PS.: In other words, what FWD said. Sorry, I should've had that 2nd cup of joe before I replied. :o Anyway, it's a nice touch.

[TC33FF]

Backstep and FWD. Thanks for the info. I figured it was something with tradition and stuff. Chris

[StartexFF]

I prefer the chrome over the painted bumpers. All trucks at my station have the chrome bumpers. This is a picture of our Engine 2 and a picture of our Service 1.

[RFRDxplorer]

Cleveland Truck 10

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j314/jhoffman358/apparatus13.jpg

[upstater]

Back in the days of horse-drawn apparatus, and possibly even later for DC, many east-coast cities labeled their truck companies with letters instead of numbers, for ease of communication over the gamewell telegraph circuits. Truck 1 was Truck A, 2 was B, and so on.......I am assuming they carry the "F" to this day as a nice sign of tradition.

FWD, I might be wrong about this, but I seem to remember that when I lived near there, York City still called their truck company "Truck A". Do you know if this is still true?