will a 99+ bumper fit my 97? do all the mounting holes line up or will i have to custom do some stuff

 

i have seen this asked a few times on another forum and i know a couple on this site have done it. it should be a straight forward swap if i remember right. but you HAVE to change your grill. i spose you could get by without the grill swap, but then you would have a big ugly gap in your front end.

 

thejake1989 should be able to tell you for sure. i believe he did the same thing your wanting to do.

 

like replace the whole grille shell?

 

yup. it took me a while to notice it but i always knew there was a difference in my grill and my dads besides the grill pattern. on the 99+ the center part dips down and the top bumper pad is cut out for it where on the 97-98 trucks the grill and pad are straight accross the top with no dips.

 

You need a 99+ grille surround as well as a 99+ bumper. Its all straight bolt on, but please dont do one without the other.. Leaves a nasty gap.

 

https://www.f150online.com/forums/me...0325001212.jpg

this is the front of a 2000 4x4

 

https://www.f150online.com/forums/me...0316101905.jpg

and just because i want to show off my truck, this is a 97 4x4 front end. notice there is about a 2.5 inch difference in the overall hight of the grill

 

Wow, really? You guys are a bunch of COPYCATS

https://www.f150online.com/forums/19...-end-swap.html

Everything you need to know is in the first few posts of my thread. Basically you need the brackets, bumper, valance, and grille.

 

copycats??theres alot of people who have had teh swap done for a looong time before you... including myself

 

direct bolt up.

raptor just wants the credit haha

 

so far 4 people have done it a month after I did. I kinda made my thread as all "all knowing" source of info for people to find every bit of information needed to do the swap, i take credit as helping out