The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Paint and Body Shop Front Fender / Hood Alignment

I recently bought a '52 - 5 window 1/2 ton pickup that has had new fenders installed by a PO.

Problem: The hood overhangs the left front by about 1/4" to 3/8" and doesn't close all the was.

Question: Can the fenders be 'spread out' enough to allow the hood to sit down where it should and still have a reasonable gap left?

I have the shop and assembly manuals but I can't seem to tell if the front of the fender can be adjusted 'out' to give more clearance.

I will appeciate any words of wisdom before I dig into the alignment job and do something stupid that is expensive-$$$$-.

This is a great site - the members really care and try to help. Thanks in advance for any comments.

Ted

Sounds like something may have gotten tweaked. There is very little side to side adjustment for the fenders but you might want to confirm the braces are in place and snug as a first step. There is a curved brace at the front that secures the fenders to the core support. Start there. Also confirm the support rods that go from the inside lip of the fenders to the firewall are in place.

Inside the wheelwell there are 3 bolts on each side that secure the grill assembly to the inner tubs. If you loosen them and the bolts holding the fenders to the rad support you should be able to put shims/spacers next to the rad support to spread them a little. You won't get much as a gap will develop between the the sides of the grill and fenders.Use this link for a reference. Good luck.
http://www.chevytrucks.org/tech/AD_hood_alignment.htm


Curt B.

Thanks for the replies. I was hoping that there was some side to side adjustment at the front near the grill. I have measures the adjusted lengths of the support rods and the one on the left (driver side) is about 1/4" shorter than the other.

Thanks with your suggestions and the hood adjustment link I think I have enough to go on without making a fool of myself!

I will let you know how I make out.

Ted

Ted, ya mean the bracing rods from inner fender to firewall? I don't know where it came from but I have an idea that one side is in fact meant to be 1/4" shorter than the other. I also have a feeling it's the other way round from how yours measure out. Might just be imagining this so maybe someone more knowledgeable can chip in here.

Also an oldtimer told me that these old trucks were shimmed like crazy at the factories get everything to more or less fit. So shim it up! It's legit! (So long as the frame isn't off.)

Christian

Make sure you take out the latch plate before you do any adjusting. You don't want to get the hood stuck!

Great suggestions - Thanks Josiah about the latch. It would not do to not be able to get it open again!

Christian- about the shims -I believe it as years ago a friend of mine who was the chief mechanic at a Chevy dealership and he told me that the factors 'stuck the parts together' and the dealerships had to make them work.