The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Paint and Body Shop 52 GMC - hood alignment problems

I'm having a terrible time to get my hood aligned, its the first time this hood, cab and front clip have been assembled. I can get the passenger side to behave but the driver side is being a @#$%@#!$!@ when ever I close the hood the back of the hood along the cowl will not sit down and close the gap unless I push it down. It sticks up like 1 inch! :mad:

How can I get the SOB to behave. Als0 the gap along the drivers fender to the hood is like 3/4 of an inch near the cowl and 1/4 inch near the rad support - the other side is much better but still not even. If pix would help I'll take some.

The cab is off of a 2 ton truck and the rest is off of a 1/2.

Sounds like the hinge or spring is messed up. Try a replacement. My dad's 51 does that, I have a good set of springs from another truck that I need to install.

Maybe the fender should be adjusted first.

efi
Try a search. This topic has been covered before.

Here's what I found has "been covered before"....that darn near everyone who has ever had a hood off one of these things has run into the same problem. I'm still fighting mine. Part of the problem I've found is that the two halves of the hood get loose from one another so check the rivots and replace as needed. Also I've purchased new springs and new hinges...same exact problem as originals. Save your money on that. Also be sure the rear reinforcment pieces are securly rivited to the skins at he edge so that there is no movement at that point. Try removing the hinges and springs and with the rubber bumpers in place gently place the hood down on the fenders and cowl to see how it fits. You may find as I have that the "doghouse" needs to be shimmed out from the cowl to get the right fit. Carefully shim and align the radiator support to get the right heigth as the entire front end sheetmetal is attached to the radiator support. Have your all your inner fender bolts loose so you can "coax" the alignment along. Adjust the radius rods that extend from the firewall for the side to side fit and front "sag". Have a beer, relax and come back another day to finish it up.

This is without a doubt the worse part of rebuilding an AD truck. Resist the temptation to throw a hammer through the windshield...have another beer and give that old girl a good talking to. You have my complete understanding and sympathy.

Then when you've mastered this come over and finish mine...

I followed all the available instructions to the letter but never could get mine perfect. Felt slightly less ticked about it when an oldtimer told me they were all over the place when they left the factory, even though they threw bucketfuls of shims at em. I'll try again when I've got a week to spare. :rolleyes:

When Moneypit brought this topic up awhile back I posted a link to Chip Foose's Butterscorched I know it made me feel a lot better about the fit of my hood when I looked at those pictures. Dave is right, if you get frustrated STOP and leave it alone for awhile! These AD hoods have got to be one of the most difficult of all time to make fit.

Thanks for the words of encouragement.... what makes things harder in my case it that its got a '78 nova front clip..... I have no reference point to start with as the rad support center mounting point is long gone..... Once I get the old @#!$ gal to co-operate I'll post some pix on my mounting system for the front clip... I think the plasma cutter goin' to be busy.

I had this same problem when I first restored my 49' 1/2 ton. I finally found instructions on how to make adjustments in my 1948 thru 1951 shop manual. It is in section 11 on chassis sheet metal. If you don't have it, let me know. I might be able to scan it and e-mail it to you.

duck457 yes please it will really help

send to [email protected]

also please send it to [email protected] my hood is not closing

All AD folks have been here. It is a pain in the rear. The topic does come up frequently in this forum. Generally, start with following the shop manual instructions to see how the various adjustments are made. With these instructions in mind just keep loosening, adjusting, tightening, cursing, staring, loosening, adjusting, tightening, cursing, shimming, cursing . . . etc. Repeat as many times as necessary up until just before a hammer is thrown or the truck is sold in disgust, and then call it good enough. I was heartened to see a slide show of pictures someone put together from original 1949 GM truck sales advertisement. Guess what, the hoods didn't line up perfect. So get it as close as you can and call it the "stock look." Good luck,
Steve O

Here are the factory instructions:

http://www.chevytrucks.org/tech/AD_hood_alignment.htm

Remember this: the upper bolts on the hood hinge (inside behind the dash)move the hood fore and aft. The lower bolts move the hood up and down.
also if you don't have the emblems in place that will make the hood look bulged out on the sides.

EFI, try this to align the rad support to the sub frame.
close the hood all the way down, bring the fenders and rad up to the hood this will give you a good starting point. Measure from the floor to the bottom of the support. add the mounts from there.
I welded the front part of the original frame on the subframe so I had the bumper mounts.
Been there done that.


good luck

A good body man's trick for re-fitting doors and hoods if the fit is good before removal is to take a small drill bit and drill all the way through the each hinge and body and the door before removal. Then, when you go to put it back, stick the same drill bit through the hole before you tighten up the bolts and you should be very close in adjustment to what it was when you took it off.

The May Hot Rod magazine is starting a series on P&B. They talk of a pro shop spending three days adjusting a door on a Chevelle to get it to fit. (3x8x$65? That'll be $1560 to adjust your door, sir.)

That translates to three weeks for an AD hood?

Thanks all, I had some help from my bodyshop buddy and although we didn't get the alignment snot on, we did manage to get it close enough to allow me to fabricate the front bumper and rad support mount.

[IMG]www3.telus.net/piccioni/font mount2[/IMG]
{IMG]www3.telus.net/piccioni/font mount3[/IMG]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by efi-diy:
[QB] Thanks all, I had some help from my bodyshop buddy and although we didn't get the alignment snot on, we did manage to get it close enough to allow me to fabricate the front bumper and rad support mount.

www3.telus.net/piccioni/font mount2
www3.telus.net/piccioni/font mount3

Thanks all, I had some help from my bodyshop buddy and although we didn't get the alignment snot on, we did manage to get it close enough to allow me to fabricate the front bumper and rad support mount.

[IMG]www3.telus.net/piccioni/front mount2.jpg[/IMG]
www3.telus.net/piccioni/front mount3.jpg