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

The hood has never been aligned properly since I've had this truck

The pictures below show the issues - it's not just the hood itself, I think the fenders might need some re-alignment too? I do have the manual with the procedure for adjusting the hood, but maybe that should be the last step in the process

The images are all with the hood springs removed - with them installed, it pushes the hood up at the cowl, particularly at the right side, by quite a bit. A few years back, before it went into hibernation, I had just removed the right side spring. Even if I get it aligned better, I suspect the springs will just push it up again. I'm considering the Strut conversion just for this reason alone. Or maybe need to elongate the bracket that bolts it to the cab

Now clearly the Right side needs to go back a bit - the left not so much but welcome input

It's probably a bit snug at the rear bottom on both sides, so think maybe adjustment to the center bracket as per section 10?

The biggest issue I think is the front, the fenders just seem too close together at the front and the right particulalry looks like it needs to toe out; but measuring the brace rods, they seem to be pretty much right on to spec - should I just ignore the numbers and loosen up the fender to radiator support and adjust the rods until it looks better? Incidentally when manual specs these as left and right, do they mean in conventional sense i.e. left is drivers side? Or as per the image in the manual i.e. looking into the engine bay?
But if the hood moves back a bit, it should not be so tight, so maybe I should start there?

The Front left also sits high (or is it perhaps the fender is low?) Would I shim the radiator support for this or is the hood maybe twisted a bit?

Appreciate advice on how to proceed, particulalry the best order to approach it sequentially to get it fitting better.

I think your main issue is the hood is too far forward in relation to the cab. It might also be angled a bit to the right (passenger side) at the front. You might also need to loosen the cab to fender bolts so the the front then lines up better.

IIRC the procedure is to get the hood lined up with the cab (correct even gap along the cowl, and the right height), and THEN align the fenders to the hood.

I haven't done it yet, but I'm sure someone else will come along with better advice.

Thank you
I'm recognizing that pulling the hood back at the right side will also want to push the front of hood further right; so the fender there is going to be even closer.

Others have recommended loosening ALL the fasteners on the front clip. That allows things to move around to where they need to be. Is it possible that your frame is tweaked at the front. The radiator mount bolts should be loosened as well.

You cannot adjust the front clip until you adjust the hood to fit the cab. You will have to get the fenders as low as the loose bolts will allow.
I recommend that you completely remove the bolts which hold the inner fenders to the toe board. This will allow you to more easily lower the fenders.
Before you try to adjust the hood, measure and adjust the cab floor-to-frame gaps as per The Manual at all four corners. Start with the front cab mounts first.
The hood gap at the rear needs to be parallel to the cowl all the way across. If it is too close in the center than the outside edges, you need to lower the radiator support by removing shims under the support until the hood gap is parallel.
If the gap in the center of the rear of the hood is further away from the cowl than the outside edges, then you will need to add shims under the radiator support.
Once you get the hood gap parallel, tighten the hinge bolts inside of the cab.
You will then need to place a 4" wood block between the hood nose and the hood latch. (Make sure the hood latch bolts are loose befor you lower the hood.)
Have an assistant hold down on the rear center of the hood while you are inside the cab loosening those hinge bolts. Once the bolts are loose, the rear of the hood will lower until the rear of the hood contacts the rubber strip on the cowl. Tighten the bolts while your assistant is holding the hood down.
Put the hinge springs on.
Tighten the latch bolts just enough to take out the slop, but allow some movement of the latch. push the latch all the way to the rear. Close the hood. This will center the latch.
Open the hood. Move the latch toward the front of the track 1/16" and tighten that latch bolts.
Your hood is now adjusted and will require no further adjustment.

Check back in once you get the cab gaps to specs, and the hood fully adjusted and I can walk you through adjusting the fenders.

What Carl said. I might add, that when you use the hood adjustment procedure, the springs will no longer raise the hood up at the cowl. You'll need them attached as you do the procedure. Hood always comes first. Make your hood fit the cab, then bring everything else up to that hood. Having it aligned will make it easy to see if you need to move the fender/grill assembly left or right, up or down, or twisted in a certain direction.

New Tech Tip for just that issue posted HERE today.

Probably worth a read. I know I'll be doing that when my time comes. Thanks, Phil. Good timing.

Kevin,

I just tried to go read that and can't access the sub-forum or the new TT. May not be fully set for everyone's access yet???

Dan

Anyone else able to see it? I know that Phil and John are working on the Tech Tip subforums. Maybe not ready for prime time yet and my status lets me see them?

Should work now. Give it another try.

Tech tip opens now, great information as usual.

Fabulous!
This is exactly what I needed, with the correct sequence of work flow.
Thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!

Constructive suggestion - as the document evolves, it would be great to have some illustrations included within the pdf.

If you took some pictures as you follow the instructions, that would help with that goal.

Mark at Foothill Paint & Fabrication just dropped this video - really nice visual illustration of what all needs to happen and essentially follows the Tech Guide, align hood then get the fender aligned to hood.
Also echos Carl's precursor that if Cab isn't right to begin with, being square to the frame, you're going to have problems.
Interestingly, he acknowledges he had about 10 hrs of tweaking on this to get to where he felt it needed to be!
And I'll see how it goes in my case, but I'm pretty sure going to need those shims in the same place on my truck.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=oD2MPN_-px0