Pickup rear bumper options

[PhoenixFear]

My '85 longbed has a rusty chrome step bumper that I don't really like. I couldn't find a bumper I wanted from the junkyard but I found a real nice K5 Blazer rear bumper and decided to snag it. I could not find the other brackets either, it seems all the pickups use the step bumpers. I have a couple questions.
1. Should I swap out the rear bumper to this Blazer bumper? Will it look goofy or anything? Do pickups usually have these bumpers on them as well?
2. Would having a hitch on the truck be stronger than having a built-in mount like the step bumpers do?
That's the main reason why I wanted to swap, I wanted an actual hitch just in case I want to tow a trailer or car. I snagged a hitch off a Suburban 20.

[zieg85]

I can only tell you there are a bunch on here that have that rear bumper on their pickup.  I am considering one if I can find one.  The hitch from a Suburban won't work with out modification.  The Suburban frame in back is on an angle where the truck is straight.

[PhoenixFear]

Yep, I just looked and also noticed the holes won't line up without me drilling them. Guess I'll have to find the right hitch. Would it be a good idea to still put the Blazer bumper on even though it will only be held in by 4 bolts?

[78 Chevyrado]

Lots of trucks have the bumper like the blazers and suburbans.   The frame mounted hitches are stronger than the step bumpers...   My Original step bumper says it's good for 4000lbs trailer weight and 400lbs tongue weight.  If you will be under 4000 it will be fine, but you won't be able to adjust the ball height like with a  bolt on hitch.   Check your bumpers weight rating.  if its the original bumper its stamped into the step in the middle, you may have to break out the wire brush.

[PhoenixFear]

I'm assuming this isn't the original bumper, it clearly doesn't look like it. The step part itself is rusted pretty bad, and the ball is bent and does not look like a bend that should be there.

[jhcon65]

I took off the step bumper on my 87 and put a  wrap around bumper  from another veh.   and will be installing a hitch .....way better in my opinion ... more secure and stronger

[Captkaos]

The bumpers on Blazers Suburbans and Pickups are all the same bumper.  Blazers and Suburbans use the frame horn to mount the inner points,  Pickups require a specific bracket for them to mount.  This is what would have come on the truck from the factory.  The ones with the step bumper came from GM without bumpers and the dealership added them.

[gto109]

so as long as i use brackets off a truck a blazer or suburban will work then? 

[Captkaos]

Yes, but it has to be for that factory bumper (it isn't a blazer/burb bumper, just a factory one)

[gto109]

Yep i figured that out the hard way, but i got what i needed now.  Thank you.

[ehjorten]

If I didn't have a step-bumper on my '91 I would never be able to get in the back of my truck!   I have a wrap-around bumper on my 2WD '68, but step bumpers on my 4WD rigs.  IMHO that is how it feels right.  I suppose that if your truck was low enough to get into the bed without a step bumper then a wrap-around would be fine.  I have never used a ball on a step-bumper since I helped my dad when I was a kid.  Do people actually do that anymore?  A seperate frame mounted hitch is definitely the way to go.

[gto109]

I didn't have much to choose from all the step bumpers I found where rusted out.  I've got a frame mount hitch anyhow.