The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Paint and Body Shop 41-46 inner fender to Radiator Support

Mocking up the 46 GMC inner fenders; forward to radiator support. Attached inner fenders to cab to start. Radiator support is 1”+ low to the attachment holes on the inner fenders that are supposed to align to the radiator support.

Do I shim the radiator support up- to meet the holes on the inner fender? I don’t see any other options.

Is this the correct sequence? Attach inner fenders to cab first, fit radiator support, and shim as needed to other end of inner fenders second?

Thanks. Tom

I'm going to throw out a few bits of info (grains of salt) until there is someone with a GMC shop manual and factory assembly manual to verify and do a better job at helping. Are all the parts from a 1946 GMC truck? The big trucks, ton and above, may have a wider yoke and maybe different mounts.

Chevrolet AD trucks have spacers underneath the radiator yoke but 1" sounds like too much distance to me. There could be vibration pads on the GMC that the AD trucks does not have. Unfortunately (for the aggravation) the whole front clip, including the hood, is assembled but not tightened. Move the clip to get good hood alignment with the cowl at middle and both sides to get the gaps correct then snug all the bolts. If before the de-installation of the hood hinges, they were located with witness marks and/or drilled location holes, you have something to go by. If not, I would look to the shop manual procedure for hinge installation.

For starters the bolts, springs and wood blocks were in the wrong location. I moved them forward and the front cab dropped by 1/2”. That helped some…but still have a fit/ alignment height issue.

Will come at it with fresh eye’s tomorrow or the next day.

Thank you, Bouymaker.

Next day update - A fresh look helps. Two wooden blocks for the front bolts/springs DO NOT go between the cab and the upper frame/chassis rail. The wooden blocks just serve as spacers - that go on top of the cab subfloor...not sandwiched below the cab and upper frame rail - just a piece of rubber is placed there - between the cab and the frame.

Removing the blocks lowered the cab to the desired height and all bolt holes align to the rdiator support and the inner fenders. None of the diagrams I have show this very well; yet, one diagram shows the wooden blocks incorrectly installed between the cab and the frame (that i used as my reference).

Problem solved - check that off the list.