The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Paint and Body Shop Hood Alignment

I have a 53 that is in pretty rough shape. The rods that go from the cab firewall to the fenders were missing, and the hood closes, but is very high at the cab. It's high all the way across, not just on one side. After installing the rods, I found it necessary to PUSH the fenders away, not pull them together in order to get a nice gap at the fenders.

Can someone explain how you lower the hood so it rests on the rubber strip rather than being about 3/8" higher?

For the rear seal

I used some ratchet strapes

Leave the hinge bolts loose, tighten down the strap then tighten the hinge bolt inside the cab.

I hooked to the fenders but if your truck is purdy you can fab something else up

Purdy, now THERE is a colloquialism I don't here much any more. I wonder if that's in Websters. Hmmm......

Thanks everyone for the input. I think I have what I need now to make this hood sit like it should. This is not a purdy one. It's a real project, but the bones are good so I am going to drive it for awhile. Thanks again!

I know I talked you through it on the phone, but for others here is a link to Chevrolet's recommended hood adjustment. Hood adjustment.
The 4" block is a must!

Here is how I do it. Much of this was gleaned from the Truck Shop Manual. I wrote it in my language so that I could understand it.
AD Front Clip Adjustment Procedure
(This procedure is for when all front clip is on the truck.)
1) Loosen all nuts and bolts associated with the front clip. ALL of them. VERY loose.
a) Completely remove the bolts which attach the rear of the inner fenders to the toe board (right side) and the parking brake bracket (left side). Removing these bolts will make it much easier to move the fenders around. Once the front clip has been adjusted and bolts tightened, these bolts can easily be replaced.
b) Drop the fenders as low as possible at the rear. This will give you room to accurately adjust the hood without interference with the fenders.

c) Adjust Fender Skirt to Dash Brace Rods.
1/2 and 3/4 ton: left 27 ¼”, right 27”.
1, 1 ½, 2 ton: left 27 ½”, right 27 ¼”


2) Hood Adjustment.
a) Prop hood open with an appropriate length of wood.
b) Loosen outer hinge bolts completely (one on each side, outside of cab).
c) Remove hood supports (springs).
d) Loosen inner hood hinge bolts (two each side, inside cab). Leave these bolts just snug so that hinge can just be moved by jarring or exerting pressure on the hood.
e) Remove hood lock plate.
f) Adjust hood fore and aft to obtain 1/8” to ¼” gap between rear edge of hood and cowl edge.
g) If hood gap is not even, or not tight against the cowl rubber seal, add or remove shims between radiator support and frame cross member and tighten radiator support bolts to 5 ft. lbs.
h) Lift front of hood and place a 4” block under hood nose to hold it up.
i) While forcing rear of hood down tightly on hood rubber seal, and ensuring that rear edge of hood-to-cowl is correct and even, tighten inner hood hinge bolts (two each side).
j) Remove wood block, lower hood and check hood fit at cowl.
k) Tighten outer hood hinge bolts (one on each side).
l) Attach hood supports (springs) to hood. With hood supported by hood supports, tighten bolts to dash. This bolt tightening procedure will prevent one hood support from being fully locked in the open position, while the other being in the partially open position.
m) Replace hood lock plate just snug, and push to the rear. Drop hood to closed position. This will center hood lock plate. Raise hood, move lock plate forward 1/32” and tighten lock plate screws.

3) Adjust front clip to fit properly adjusted hood.
a) Make sure that ALL front clip bolts are loose.
b) Raise the rear of the fenders until they contact the rubber bumpers on the underside of the hood along the sides. Tighten fender-to-cowl bolts.
c) Raise hood. Tighten fender-to-inner fender bolts.
d) Carefully lower hood and check for clearance between where the hood nose meets the fenders. The fender/inner fender assembly can be moved inboard or outboard to gain proper gap by adjusting the Fender Skirt to Dash Brace Rods.
e) Tighten remaining loose bolts.