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#585691 10/23/2009 2:10 AM
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'Bolter
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Hello,
Can anyone tell me if the cross support bars on the 57 Chevy hood should be straight or bent like mine ?
I bent them straight and now they do not match up with the holes.

Thank you!

Jon

Last edited by UnklRod; 10/23/2009 2:18 AM.

1957 Chevy 1/2-Ton Truck
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'Bolter
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Hy Unklrod, if my memory is correct they are a little bent, hope that helps.

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3B,
Is there a reason why they would have bent them? Clear the Air cleaner? Maybe?

Thanks!
Jon


1957 Chevy 1/2-Ton Truck
In the Stovebolt Gallery
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The coldest winter I ever saw was a summer I spent in San Francisco M. Twain
If at first you don't succeed...skydiving is not for you!
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Yes, it should be bent.


Bill Burmeister
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those stiffners are bent to align/square/flatten the hood and stress the crown so it doesn't flap in the wind so much - the factory tweaked each to suit the stamping, you'll find every TF has'em bent and none are quite the same ..... big mistake to straighten them out frown

Bill


Moved over to the Passing Lane

"When we tug a single thing in nature, we find it attached to the rest of the world" ~ John Muir
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Great,
Now I am upset!
I did not ask the shop to do that!

Thanks
Bill,

Jon


1957 Chevy 1/2-Ton Truck
In the Stovebolt Gallery
More pix

The coldest winter I ever saw was a summer I spent in San Francisco M. Twain
If at first you don't succeed...skydiving is not for you!
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Another question yet I already know the answer,
Should the stiffners be out of the truck while they are fitting the hood to the front fenders and cab? Because the shop has been cutting the driverside of the hood sorta near where the hood closes by the head light to make it fit without the stiffners.

Thank you,

Jon

Last edited by UnklRod; 10/23/2009 3:20 AM.

1957 Chevy 1/2-Ton Truck
In the Stovebolt Gallery
More pix

The coldest winter I ever saw was a summer I spent in San Francisco M. Twain
If at first you don't succeed...skydiving is not for you!
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not sure it'd make a big difference for a 'static fit', but also don't see why the hood should need any cutting to make it fit - if the hood is too tight just at that front bit maybe a shim or 2 is needed between the rad support and the fender ohwell

Bill


Moved over to the Passing Lane

"When we tug a single thing in nature, we find it attached to the rest of the world" ~ John Muir
"When we tug a single thing on an old truck, we find it falls off" ~ me
Some TF series details & TF heater pics
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'Bolter
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Hy Unklrod, as red58 said the rods were there to "stress" the hood, if that is the case then they should be in place for any fitting. And I don't think you should have to be cutting the hood to make it fit after all these years.

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dang, you guys got me curious..
i will have to pop the hood on my 57 this weekend to see how mine are... i swear they are straight.

leonard


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Originally Posted by red58
those stiffners are bent to align/square/flatten the hood and stress the crown so it doesn't flap in the wind so much - the factory tweaked each to suit the stamping, you'll find every TF has'em bent and none are quite the same ..... big mistake to straighten them out frown

Bill
That would explaing why mine are different from the posted pic. Mine is bent similar, only the bend is on the RR side of where the bars cross.


Bill Burmeister
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Some were straight, some were bent. These are crucial for the fitment of the hood. Time and error will be needed to put these back close to what they were. Put'em back in and maybe find another unit of like year, 5,6,7,8, maybe a 9, and tweak yours in a similar manner for starters. Hope this helps.
dg

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Yes, I like the line "so the hood does not flap so much in the wind"! I cannot say that my hood flaps, but at speed, or with a headwind, the hood bends down, it kind of make a wave in the middle of hood! Yes, I do have the stiffeners, but I guess these trucks are really not aerodynamic!!!


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the TF hoods are all a bit flexy at speed regardless, but without that X bracing it'd be scarey - I think that's why they added the 'wind splits' on the 57 and reshaped the 58/9, but that didn't help much

Bill


Moved over to the Passing Lane

"When we tug a single thing in nature we find it attached to the rest of the world" John Muir
"When we tug a single thing on an old truck, we find it falls off" me
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Extreme Gabster
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I moved this to Paint and Body for future reference. Anyone re-assembling their front sheet metal needs to know this.


"It's just a phase. He'll grow out of it." Mama, 1964

1956 Chevy 1/2-ton 3100
1953 Chevy 6100 "The Yard dog"
1954 GMC Suburban Now with a new proud owner.
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wow.
sure enough, mine is slightly bent on the drivers side.

http://s251.photobucket.com/albums/...00/?action=view&current=DSC02590.jpg

funny how we dont really notice small things like this on our trucks.

leonard


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Mine are bent on both my '58s.


Mike
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1958 Chevy 3200 Fleetside
1958 GMC 100 Wideside
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3B,
Yup, The shop went ahead and straigheten the supports with out asking. Then they went ahead and shaved the driver side edge of the hood because it was not fitting. I got some long winded excuse that the gaps were not matching up on the doors fenders and hood. I have reached the end of my patience with this shop. I am bringing the truck home and I am going to find another shop to finish.

Last edited by UnklRod; 10/27/2009 7:03 AM.

1957 Chevy 1/2-Ton Truck
In the Stovebolt Gallery
More pix

The coldest winter I ever saw was a summer I spent in San Francisco M. Twain
If at first you don't succeed...skydiving is not for you!
If you don't like my carbon foot print, stick it up your Prius!!

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