Boredom, a bad paintjob, and too much chrome were the nagging reasons why we threw out our S-10's entire front end and opted for a fresh GMC Sonoma Clip instead. After looking at the Chevy grille for 10-plus years and getting ready for a full paintjob anyway, it just made sense to go for a simple and streamlined look. We looked to LMC Truck for all the parts from the bumper cover, the headlights, the grille, all the way down to the last nut and bolt we needed for the installation. The swap is relatively easy since there is no need to replace the core support, and the job only took a few hours to complete - a perfect way to spend a Saturday afternoon.
1. Our package from LMC contained...
1. Our package from LMC contained everything seen here - a one-stop online shop for the entire front end swap.
2. The stock S-10 headlights...
2. The stock S-10 headlights and grille came off with est. In fact we didn'te ven have to use a tool to get to t his point. The headlights are simply held in by two retaining clips, and the grille shell pulls right out.
3. The bumper is held in place...
3. The bumper is held in place by six bolts- two on the upper center, two just below them...
4. ...and one on each corner...
4. ...and one on each corner underneath.
5. Just like that, the Chevy...
5. Just like that, the Chevy front was completely disassembled.
6. The first piece of the...
6. The first piece of the GMC puzzle is to find it's way onto the S-10 was the bumper, which mounts to the same points as the Chevy part.
7. Now take notice of these...
7. Now take notice of these three tabs on the bumper.
8. When installing the GMC...
8. When installing the GMC bumper cover, there are thee openings that will secure onto them.
9. The Chevy bumper brace...
9. The Chevy bumper brace had to be removed as well...
10. ...and a new brace took...
10. ...and a new brace took its place on the GMC bumper.
11. The other end of the...
11. The other end of the brace attaches to the same location as the old one, so a retaining clip was inserted into the opening in the frame.
12. The other end of the brace...
12. The other end of the brace was wrenched into place.
13. Underneath the S-10 bumper...
13. Underneath the S-10 bumper and covered by a plastic cap is a mounting tab for the GMC bumper cover to lock into.
14. The cover just slides...
14. The cover just slides into place here.
15. LMC supplied us with...
15. LMC supplied us with six clips to attach to the mounting points behind the new GMC grille shell.
16. But before the grille...
16. But before the grille shell was installed, LMC's billet insert was prepped to go on by first installing the retaining clips on the support bars...
17. ...that go behind the...
17. ...that go behind the shell and are secured in place by the supplied Phillips screws. The screws were fed through the prefabricated mounting tabs on the billet insert.
18. The headlights were now...
18. The headlights were now ready to be reattached and go on with the same upper locking tabs as before.
19. The last part of this...
19. The last part of this install is literally a snap, as the clips from step 15 line up to the same mounting points as the Chevy grille shell.
20. A gentle push is all...
20. A gentle push is all that's needed here.
AFTER