93 Grille to 94 Grille Question

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SweetNLo

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I have a 93 Silverado. Here's a link to my current grille: CLICK HERE I'd like to change my grille to the 94 style grille with the thicker bar in the middle. I recognize I have to buy new turn signal lights that wrap around the corner unlike my current ones. Will the 94 grille be a direct fit? Are there other changes/modifications I should be aware of? Thanks for any suggestions.
 

TonyM

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It's not a direct fit. You'll need the lower filler panel as well, and to make that fit you need to add little notches in the rad support for the "hooks" on either end of it too sit in. You also have to swap the fender extension pieces that hang down behind the bumper. There is a couple little pieces behind the grille you may want to get that attach to the support bar under the hood latch for the grille to screw too. Not all the screw holes in the filler panel are going to line up either. At least they didn't on my 90, yours may have since its a 93 and much closer to the year they changed.
 

Drewskis94

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I went from a 93 GMC to a 94-98 GMC. You need the grille, side markers, reflectors, bumper fillers, bumper brackets, and probably some of those square nylon screw nuts. The 94+ grilles "snap" into the bumper filler on the bottom, and then the filler piece itself is what gets bolted in.

Chevy grille 15981106
Chevy side markers 5977737 and 5977738
Chevy reflectors 5977459 and 5977460
Bumper fillers 12376285, 12375170, and 12375171.

My center bumper filler (12376285) did not fit at first because the chrome bumper sat too close to the truck. The 94+ had longer bumper brackets that pushed the front bumper out 1/2 inch or so more so the wider bumper filler could fit. So I swapped all 4 bumper brackets out from a 97 silverado. They are 15686152 (discontinued) 19417107, 15686149, and 15686150. The screw nuts are those square shaped, yellow(ish) nuts that the grille bolts thread into. My truck was missing a few so I bought some off eBay.

Let me know if you have any more questions.
 

someotherguy

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It's not a direct fit. You'll need the lower filler panel as well, and to make that fit you need to add little notches in the rad support for the "hooks" on either end of it too sit in. You also have to swap the fender extension pieces that hang down behind the bumper. There is a couple little pieces behind the grille you may want to get that attach to the support bar under the hood latch for the grille to screw too. Not all the screw holes in the filler panel are going to line up either. At least they didn't on my 90, yours may have since its a 93 and much closer to the year they changed.
It makes me so nuts every time this question gets asked and always, ALWAYS gets incomplete answers. I think the only way to my salvation is to quit caring. :D

If you ever answer this question and leave out bumper brackets, please kick yourself in the nuts and have a great day..

Richard
 

Eveready

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Richard I wish you or someone would do a complete FAQ on how to do this. I know you have given some answers and I have several different threads in my infamous truck file . Like you I would like to see a definitive answer to this question and every time it comes up the answers seem to be different. For instance I had never heard of cutting any notches before . This is a topic that needs servicing with a big sticky if we could ever get it sorted.
 

someotherguy

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The notches he's referring to are early core support vs. later; the 94-up filler strip has little hooks in the plastic where the early core supports don't have the place for them to fit. There are also the square plastic nuts the screws go into; a few of the earliest years of core supports don't have the stamped square holes for those nuts to pop into.

It's probably been a few too many years past now for me to really remember, definitively, every difference among each year model.. 11 years now since I shut down my shop. :(

Richard
 

Eveready

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The notches he's referring to are early core support vs. later; the 94-up filler strip has little hooks in the plastic where the early core supports don't have the place for them to fit. There are also the square plastic nuts the screws go into; a few of the earliest years of core supports don't have the stamped square holes for those nuts to pop into.

It's probably been a few too many years past now for me to really remember, definitively, every difference among each year model.. 11 years now since I shut down my shop. :(

Richard
I wasn't trying to assign you the job I just wish someone going through it would document it thoroughly . It is so involved that I will likely wait on cooler weather to try it although that was my excuse last Summer.
 

someotherguy

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LOL :D no worries. I love sharing knowledge. Some feel like they need to preserve their secrets like it makes 'em special.. I just wish I could remember every single detail I've learned over the decades, without error, so I could continue to share all of it. Once you fall out of daily practice of messing with these trucks, like any subject, the memories start to get fuzzy.

Richard
 
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