A metal frame with two legs on the ground.

A metal piece of equipment sitting on top of a cement ground.

ProtoFab 1978-1979 Bronco RockSolid™ Centered Single Rack Rear (PF321C)

$1,224.00 – $1,440.00

1978-1979 Bronco Rear bumper with centered tire carrier. Ships a RAW (unfinished) steel via LTL truck freight. See below for more details.

Edition: Choose from our Kit Edition which is a tack welded kit and will require several hours of welding and grinding to complete or our Welded Edition which comes ready to install (minus the finish). Please note that the Kit Edition does not ship as a flat package and therefore will not be more economical for shipping.

Edition

Clear

Wheel Plate *

Choose your wheel plate bolt pattern.

Rack Lockout System *

Add our new rack locking system that sets your open rack in a static position rather than allowing it to float wildly. See below for more details.

D-Ring Tabs

Add tabs to your bumper for tow points or to mount D-Ring Shackles.

D-Ring Shackles

OVS Heavy Duty 3/4″ D-Ring Recovery Shackles are heavy duty forged D-ring style shackles. Each OVS Heavy Duty 3/4″ D-Ring Recovery Shackle has a two stage powder coat finish. First layer is Electrostatic plated and then a heavy duty powder coat.

Description

A new design for a classic feature.

We have heard your requests and have come up with this solution. For some, our standard PF321 provides some visibility concerns. Enter our 78-79 Bronco bumper with centered spare tire carrier. This new design puts the tire in the center of the tailgate and then we lowered it for added visibility while still being able to accept up to a 37″ tire. Like our other tire rack design, this rack is made of 2″x3″ x 0.188 wall rectangular tube however we beefed up the pivot bolt from a 5/8″ to a 3/4″ which means the heims are also 3/4″* and are rated at 15, 850 lbs of static radial load. The heims are permanently lubricated which ensures a smooth and easy hinge to maintain. Included with this beefy rack is our fully adjustable cam latch system that will offer many years of rattle free use.

This sleek bumper is made from CNC cut ¼” plate steel and offers the best body protection and style for your full-size Bronco. With its easy bolt-on installation that requires no welding or drilling, it’s hard to beat. Our design wraps around the rear corners to provide our quality protection and includes a 2” unrated receiver hitch (CAN BE ORDERED WITHOUT RECIEVER). Our unrated receivers are only capable of pulling the stock recommended weight for your Bronco.** This very durable and modern design comes with access points for use of a hi-lift jack cut into the bumper (this is for USE of a hi-lift jack not for jack storage). Its angular design also makes it easy to use a tow hook or you can add a set of D-ring tabs for the ultimate tow points.

NOTES:

NOTE: If you have an XLT, you may run into an issue with the tailgate trim hitting the cam bail when the tailgate is open. To remedy this, you can run a new cable stop (approx 17″) on your tailgate. Otherwise you will have to notch the trim.
There have been several people who have successfully put these bumpers on pickup trucks. Please keep in mind that these bumpers are made for the Ford Bronco and the stock axles they come with. These bumpers will fit on F-Series pickups however the frame span is not the same, nor is the bolt pattern for the spare tire and it may require moderate to heavy modification to install the bumper properly. You will have to order the correct wheel plate to make the spare tire fit. 8 lug wheel plates are an additional $45. The frame mounts will also need to be ordered unwelded and you will need to modify/create a custom bracket for mounting. We DO NOT recommend putting these bumpers on pickup trucks unless you have an experienced fabricator contracted for the job. We also DO NOT provide installation assistance in this case.
Interior dimension between two side wings is 76″

*This change took place on 07/30/2023. The 5/8 heims are not interchangeable with the 3/4″ heims. The 5/8″ heims with the grease zerk are rated at 6,850 lbs of static radial load. The 5/8″ heims without grease zerk are rated at 11,350 lbs of static radial load.

** This statement applies to our 1/4″ bumper. If you plan on using the receiver to tow, please use your best judgement. Our hitches are unrated but can support the stock towing capacity of a Bronco (we do not claim this on f-series trucks) and our bumper mounting system bolts on the vehicle frame. Small and lightweight single axle trailers are typically safe to tow behind your Bronco. If you tow something that you shouldn’t be towing with your Bronco, you could seriously injure yourself or others should something fail. We are not liable for any damage, loss or injury.

NEW!! Rack Lockout System:

Tired of your tire carrier swinging around and hitting the side of your truck or swinging back on you when you’re trying to get into the back? This is the answer you have been waiting for! Our new system stops the carrier automatically with our new t-handle pin* system. The t-handles are Anodized Black 1/2″ billet aluminum. The handle slides along a plate until it is in the optimal position and then the pin is released into a slot cut out of the plate. The system is also over-rideable if you want the rack to swing wider than the plate allows, simply pull up on the t-handle and continue pushing it past the plate.