In the 60’s and 70’s, I used to hear quite frequently about other cars locking their bumpers. Annoying problem apparently, as neither car can move until they get unlocked, with seemed to involve the car owners jumping up and down on the locked bumpers. This problem never happened to me for some reason. And in these modern days I don’t recall ever hearing it. Even the forum search feature show nothing. Was some sort of solution invented, the “impossible to lock bumper”?
No surprise there
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Locking bumpers happened when the old free standing bumpers overrode one another in an accident. A 60+ year old problem.
Bumpers are plastic and blended into the body and have been for decades. They can’t lock.
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Ah. I see. Modernity has given us the impossible to lock bumper. Seems like a good improvement . Drivers 60+ years past must have been pretty annoyed when their bumpers locked. My truck (slightly younger than that) has what seems to be a potentially lockable bumper , but it has two vertical pillars which are taller than the rest of the bumper. Presumably to prevent bumper locking.
Those things on your Ford were intended to prevent bumper overrides.
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Up to the 1940’s cars had narrow steel bumpers mounted on springy steel brackets. If two cars collided one bumper could slide over the other and they would jam. Makers and aftermarket sellers produced upright attachments called bumper guards that made it impossible. Once the post-war designed vehicles came out these problems became history.
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Yeah pretty hard to lock two plastic bumpers together.
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High school teacher in the 90’s told us about his freshly restored 72 Ford F100 that had another vehicle catch the wheel well with the corner of their bumper and drag the truck several feet. He fixed the truck but the other driver ended up with charges.
I was driving about a 1988 Dodge Diplomat and rear ended (long story, junk new tires) a 80’s F-150 and my bumper went below his and the bumpers locked together, they were not easy to get apart…
So it is not just a 60-70’s thing… lol
So I assume you will now FINALLY stop recommending the forum search feature . . . ?!
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Even if the bumpers locked there probably wasn’t any damage, unlike today.
I recommend it when I think it might be useful. Why is this so important to you that you feel the need to shout? After all many of the posts in that database were made by you.
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When one bumper goes under the bumper on the other vehicle, wouldn’t that destroy the grill and headlights? The bumpers “lock” together when they overlap.
Just FYI, when bumpers were maybe 4" tall, chromed sheet steel and there was no uniform bumper height, locking bumpers wasn’t unusual.
OTOH, back then when fenders were basically “flying wings”, the repair was usually a low cost replacement of the fenders and Bumper Guards existed to protect the much more expensive radiator, radiator cowl and engine.
Although Locking Bumpers wasn’t unusual, the solution was generally pretty simple, reduce the tire pressure and the ride height and after agreeing on the cost, both go on their way.
Today with impact resistant bumpers and plastic styled bumpers this isn’t an issue.
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Not necessarily for cars of the 50s. I’ve seen it a few times. Usually hard braking and bad shocks and the front end dips down to go under the other bumper where the guy probably also was braking hard.
One morning though I saw a car put the car ahead of him in about a 45 degree angle as he dove underneath the other car.
I capitalize because I’m hoping to get my point across
I might point out several other regulars are also trying to get that same point across
It is hardly ever useful and most web users already know how to use a site search.
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Yeah, whatever helps you sleep at night…
Totaled my car, I limped it home and then donated it, after taking the brand new junk PB’s tires off, needed a set of rollers for a project…
And evidently I got the privilege of replacing his tail lights, bumper, tailgate, paint etc etc per my ins company…
Moral to that story, even if it is clearly your fault, always call the police and get a report of the damage, no smart phones or cameras and we just traded ins info, yeah, I got to pay for things that wasn’t damaged, but said whatever just fix it, I had no prof other wise… lol
Ok, name them.
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I have been trying to get through to you that the search function is a waste of time for quite awhile . And Mr. Db will probably not name other people and why should he?
Besides all a person might find is useless advice from you talking about your old vehicles when they have nothing in common with newer ones a person might be asking about.
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