Body Mount / Hardtop adjustment

[Critter]

I have everything screwed up! I have a new urethane body mount kit installed and a double wall top that I just bought cause mine was shot. I am trying to shim the body a little to make the doors align and the top fit better but I am having some trouble. Basically it seems that the body has a low point in the middle of it. The top will not sit down on the bed rails especially right behind the doors. I feel like I need to raise the floorboard area, but I haven't been able to find a combination of shims that work.

OK, long story short, can anyone suggest which body bolts I should shim the most to help this? The one in the floorboard, the one right behind the seats, the one right behind that...?

By the way, my torsion boxes and windshield frame are in surprisingly good shape, but the floor pans are a little weak.

[FRENCHBLUE72]

You mean they all dont do that????

[Critter]

I have seen others that are A LOT better, there has to be a way to improve it...right?

[bouncytruck]

I haven't ever done the body mounts, but are there different ones for different areas? Can you lower the rear and forward most mounts?

I would try getting the top aligned and then shimming the body mounts. You might try loosening the body mounts all around and seeing if you can get the to bolted.

[jaros44sr]

Tough area your playing in!! Check to see if your hinges are in good shape, if there is no movement when you lift the back of the door, your OK. Is the gap in the door small at the top and big at the bottom? If it is you can shim up the bed crossmember, it's located on the stepup cross brace, there is another mount, about 12" to the rear that you will have to shim as well. About 1/2" spacer looks about right. Look for a good solid area to lift...

Are all the other body mounts the same size? Hieght? Hope you have a long reach on your floor jack, you're going to need it. Good Luck, J.

[lks dcvn]

I agree with what was said above - Blazer body mounts have different bolts, shims, pads, etc. for each area on the body...

Maybe they are in the wrong spots - just throwing an idea out there...

http://www.lmctruck.com/icatalog/cb/full.asp?page=34

[Critter]

Originally Posted by jaros44sr

Tough area your playing in!! Check to see if your hinges are in good shape, if there is no movement when you lift the back of the door, your OK. Is the gap in the door small at the top and big at the bottom? If it is you can shim up the bed crossmember, it's located on the stepup cross brace, there is another mount, about 12" to the rear that you will have to shim as well. About 1/2" spacer looks about right. Look for a good solid area to lift...

Are all the other body mounts the same size? Hieght? Hope you have a long reach on your floor jack, you're going to need it. Good Luck, J.

Yes, door is tight at top, too much gap at bottom. I tried shimming the 4 (2 left and 2 right) bolts that are farthest forward in the bed, but it seemed like it only made the condition worse.

The mounts are all in the correct position. I put them on about 6 months ago and reinstalled the factory shims in the same places they were originally at. The doors closed alright but I adjusted them a little. I didn’t have a decent top at that point to work with. Now that I have a good top, I am going back and working with the body mounts to get things right. It’s hard to say what the doors are doing beings that I adjusted them before (and I’m positive they were adjusted by the PO as well) so they aren’t a good reference point. I hope to get the top situated and then adjust the doors to match. Is that a bad idea?

Anyway, I removed all the old shims and the tub now sits on the new urethane mounts as it is intended to do. That helped things a lot and got me to where I am, but it seems that I need to lift all 8 (4 on each side) points in the bed area. Is it bad to do that and not shim the floor pan bolts at all? It just seems like it would put a lot of strain on the floor and torsion boxes. I guess they have a lot of twist in them though.

Thanks for the input guys.

[Jtrux]

Scrap it.

[jaros44sr]

[QUOTE=Critter;2527904]Yes, door is tight at top, too much gap at bottom. I tried shimming the 4 (2 left and 2 right) bolts that are farthest forward in the bed, but it seemed like it only made the condition worse.

Wierd, it shouldn't do that, how much shim have you installed at that location??

The mounts are all in the correct position. I put them on about 6 months ago and reinstalled the factory shims in the same places they were originally at. The doors closed alright but I adjusted them a little. I didn’t have a decent top at that point to work with. Now that I have a good top, I am going back and working with the body mounts to get things right. It’s hard to say what the doors are doing beings that I adjusted them before (and I’m positive they were adjusted by the PO as well) so they aren’t a good reference point. I hope to get the top situated and then adjust the doors to match. Is that a bad idea?

Sounds like a good plan, just don't try and pull the top down with bolts, I'm not sure what will crack first, your windshield or your top!!

Anyway, I removed all the old shims and the tub now sits on the new urethane mounts as it is intended to do. That helped things a lot and got me to where I am, but it seems that I need to lift all 8 (4 on each side) points in the bed area. Is it bad to do that and not shim the floor pan bolts at all? It just seems like it would put a lot of strain on the floor and torsion boxes. I guess they have a lot of twist in them though.

Do what ever it takes with in reason...I don't think you'll strain the metal, I'd be more worried about cracking your new top. Keep us informed so we can follow your progress. J.

[JimKshortstep4x4]

We used the Assembly Manual procedure for adjusting the door gaps on my son's 72 Blazer and it worked out. Here is a picture of the page out of the manual. Hopefully you can read it.

Jim