Alignment hell!!!

[PROB]

I just bought 2 trucks 47 & 52 models, I'm building the 47, and I'm having hell aligning the hood. First off it's been camaro front clipped, and there's no front mounts on it yet so I'm sure that's not helping. Also the fenders that were on it lined up pretty good but were rusted out and covered with bondo so I switched them out for another pair I have. They bolted right up but the hood to fender gap is really wide at the cab. I know I'm going to spend hours on trying to get everything lined up. Should I start with getting the back of the hood to cab lined up then move on to the fenders? I'll post some pics as soon as possible.

[mr48chev]

I'd think that you will have to get the hood to cowl fit right before working on the hood to fender fit.

Before you start with that slide under the truck and make sure that your spacing between the floor of the cab and the frame is right. The cab has to sit square on the frame even with the subframe swap if you are going to have everything fit in the end run.



Good info on aligning the nose in the factory service manual. I have it copied somewhere on one of my photobucket accounts but can't find it at the moment.

[MARTINSR]

You need some photos or we can't do much for you. The height of the rad support is a BIG issue when aligning the hood. The side supports that go from the fenders to the firewall, also a VERY important thing with the hood alignment.


Brian

[PROB]

Thanks for the good info on cab height, Ill get under it when I get home from work and measure, another thing Ive noticed the bottom of the radiator support is hitting on the sway bar from the Camaro clip. Ill have to remove it till I can get the alignment right. I don't have any firewall to fender supports, I might build a set of adjustable rod end ones out of some aluminum if there that important to getting everything linned up. Ive spent years working on cars, but this is the 1st full frame off rebuild I have ever done, and It was in pieces when I got so I have nothing to go off of. Thanks for all the help and Ill get a few pics up shortly.

[jackson]

I had the same problem on my 49. core support is a biggy. when you raise or lower it . it will make the gap at the center of the hood and cowl =+. I had mine to low and it also affected the rear of the hood to fender gap. it had to much gap . I raised the core support and that gap got way better. the two rods fender to firewall ajust the front sheetmetal left to right. ad trucks are a pain in my book .another thing I noticed is that when you have the core support right the body line on the rear bottom of the fender is pretty parallel to the bottom of the door looking from the side. im new to these truck and learning a little every day . maybe in about 50 years I might be an expert

[PROB]

Thanks for that info it will help a lot, Also does the front end mount in just one spot (middle of the lower radiator support)?

[OrrieG]

http://www.stovebolt.com/techtips/bo...alignment.html

Cab, hood and rad. core need to be aligned first, then fenders to the hood and cab. Sometimes the cab needs tilted, which will also affect the body line alignment with the bed.

[mr48chev]

The "wavy" at the back of the hood might be due to a previous owner's miss deeds. My grandgather used to put a thin stick under the back edge of the hood in the winter on his 48 one ton to get engine heat to hit the windshield to act as a defroster. The truck had good heater in it too but he thought he needed all the heat he could get and he drove the truck mostly in the winter hauling feed for his cattle.

Yes there is a strip that goes across the top of the cowl and acts as a seal/pad.

[PROB]

can I post pics from my phone? my computer isn't computing at the moument.

[Iceburgh]

IMO working off the hood at the cab is not the place to start. Everything works from the Rad support.
It would have been best to build a jig off the old before cutting it off and welding on the subframe. Late for that but can still be done with some trial and error.
Use the bolt holes for the hood hinges as a starting point...they don't change so it is a constant measurement.
Wheel base use the zert fitting in front to the rear shackles, again constant measurement
Here are two links that can help
http://smg.photobucket.com/user/iceburgh/library/truck
http://smg.photobucket.com/user/iceb...y/1953%20truck

Both have Camaro sub-frames

[PROB]

ok, im to the point where I need to get measurements for the radiator support, Im hoping someone has a body layout diagrahm with measurments so I can get the radiator support in right.

[PROB]

Here's a few pics from when I brought it home.

[PROB]

Orange has got to go!

[PROB]

The fenders that were on it lined up better but were rusted and covers with bondo around the grill edge.

[Iceburgh]

[PROB]

both those trucks look amazing, Its not the closest shot, but It looks about like the same gap as what I have on my truck, theres enough you can see the thru to the motor. I just don't know if I can live with that, after spending all the hours im going to on the body work. thank you for the pics

[oldman3]

Prob, I'm going to show you a bunch of pics and a few things I did, maybe it will help. This is how mine looked when I started putting everything back together.
Notice hood and fender gap, and hood and cowl gap.

[oldman3]

Here you can see gap along the whole fender and hood. If you visulize raising the rear of fender and dropping front of fender, then the gap becomes smaller and more in line.

[oldman3]

Now this is how they start to line up.

[Iceburgh]

Crazy question but.... you are using the fender braces that attach to the firewall correct?
These will pull the fenders in and help with alignment

[oldman3]

Originally Posted by Iceburgh

Crazy question but.... you are using the fender braces that attach to the firewall correct?
These will pull the fenders in and help with alignment

Good call Iceburgh, I forgot to mention that. Some people leave them off, I think they are needed and help a great deal in alignment. I used mine...Jim

[Old Crow]

Man, Jim, I'm going to have to make arrangements to see that truck in person sometime. You aren't but about 90 miles from my shop.
I used to go up to West Plains all the time before my grandson moved down to Mountain View(AR).
What frame did you adapt for the top? Or did you just fab one up?

[oldman3]

Originally Posted by Old Crow

Man, Jim, I'm going to have to make arrangements to see that truck in person sometime. You aren't but about 90 miles from my shop.
I used to go up to West Plains all the time before my grandson moved down to Mountain View(AR).
What frame did you adapt for the top? Or did you just fab one up?

Would be great to meet up and talk. Made my own top, used aluminum tubing and sheets, then covered with material...Jim

[oldman3]

Sorry PROB, didn't mean to steal your thread...Jim

[mr48chev]

Oldman hit on one thing that we missed before and that is that having the fender braces on and adjusted correctly is a must do on these trucks if you want the fender gaps right. A lot of guys do leave them off because of clearance problems or they just don't like the looks of them but they do pull the fenders in place and they help cut down on squeaks and rattles in the front end.