The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop shims for radiator support

I'm ready to mount radiator core support to the front cross member. The assembly manual shows several "shims" above and below the crossmember. The kit I ordered from Jim CArter has only two square rubber pads. My question is do these go on top of or underneath the crossmember. Also what thickness shims and how many? I suppose this effects the fit of the hood and fenders. Any comments from someone who has been there would be appreciated. Thanks

Just using a little logic, the rubber pads would have to be cushions and most radiator supports I have seen over the last fifty or more years, had the pads on top of the cross member or frame to cushion the support so I would say that they go between the support and frame.

Truck Tinker

You're right about the shims effecting the hood and fenders. You will have to adjust things when you put it all together. Iirc, the shims in mine were about 1/16" thick. They can go on either side of the pad, you just need the pad in there somewhere. I think mine had 3 shims, but the fit of these old trucks varies a lot. Nothing precise about them.

3 shims @ 1/16 + 1 pad @ 1/4 = 7/16 of "height". Gives me a good idea of how much I may need to elevate my radiator! Trial and error but it's someplace to start from.

When I was fitting the front clip, I removed the bolts that go through the shims. I then used the support rods that run from the firewall to the fenders to line up the fenders and the hood. I then made a rubber pad to fit with the shims.

This really is a challenge with all the variables involved! Right now I'm trying a height of 11/16 with the shims under the radiator support. Don't have enough gap between the cowl and rear of the hood now. Time for another "golden nectar".

If the core support has to be raise to much to get the hood to
fit the cowl correctly, you might look at the rear of the cab
to see where it's setting. By shimming the rear cab mounts or
reducing the front mount thickness you can bring the core
support down to where it should be, that is with about a 1/4"
rubber shim and one or two thin metal shims.

dg

Rwise,
I realize this is an old link but the following still applies.
I like to know who I am talking with, what is your name?
Also we can offer better answers if you tell us what year truck you are working on.
Harold

.250 worked perfect on my 47. Consistent with what I took out before rebuild.
As Denny said, cab positioning falls into play but cab also must be parallel with running boards (gap). So not much movement is preferred.