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| | | Forums66 Topics128,115 Posts1,056,625 Members48,450 | | Most Online14,466 Apr 26th, 2026 | | AD Chevy Trucks Over 6,000 pictures Brad Allen has an awesome collection of Chevrolet factory pictures that he has set up from film strips. Check them out!
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on the Internet for over 30 years! and not clogged down with Ads! Again, thanks! | | | | Joined: Jun 2008 Posts: 714 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Jun 2008 Posts: 714 | 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 TruckIn the Stovebolt GalleryMore pixThe 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!! | | | | | Joined: Nov 2005 Posts: 6,100 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Nov 2005 Posts: 6,100 | Hy Unklrod, if my memory is correct they are a little bent, hope that helps. | | | | | Joined: Jun 2008 Posts: 714 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Jun 2008 Posts: 714 | 3B, Is there a reason why they would have bent them? Clear the Air cleaner? Maybe?
Thanks! Jon 1957 Chevy 1/2-Ton TruckIn the Stovebolt GalleryMore pixThe 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!! | | | | | Joined: May 2006 Posts: 8,351 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: May 2006 Posts: 8,351 |
Bill Burmeister | | | | | Joined: Feb 2002 Posts: 12,029 Cruising in the Passing Lane | | Cruising in the Passing Lane Joined: Feb 2002 Posts: 12,029 | 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 Bill | | | | | Joined: Jun 2008 Posts: 714 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Jun 2008 Posts: 714 | Great, Now I am upset! I did not ask the shop to do that!
Thanks Bill,
Jon 1957 Chevy 1/2-Ton TruckIn the Stovebolt GalleryMore pixThe 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!! | | | | | Joined: Jun 2008 Posts: 714 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Jun 2008 Posts: 714 | 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 TruckIn the Stovebolt GalleryMore pixThe 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!! | | | | | Joined: Feb 2002 Posts: 12,029 Cruising in the Passing Lane | | Cruising in the Passing Lane Joined: Feb 2002 Posts: 12,029 | 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  Bill | | | | | Joined: Nov 2005 Posts: 6,100 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Nov 2005 Posts: 6,100 | 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. | | | | | Joined: Aug 2007 Posts: 1,082 Shop Shark | | Shop Shark Joined: Aug 2007 Posts: 1,082 | 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 | | | | | Joined: May 2006 Posts: 8,351 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: May 2006 Posts: 8,351 | 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 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 | | | | | Joined: Oct 2007 Posts: 84 New Guy | | New Guy Joined: Oct 2007 Posts: 84 | 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 | | | | | Joined: Sep 2008 Posts: 293 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Sep 2008 Posts: 293 | 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!!!
'57 Chevy Suburban; '70 Chevy Impala.
| | | | | Joined: Jul 2001 Posts: 3,887 Cruising in the Passing Lane | | Cruising in the Passing Lane Joined: Jul 2001 Posts: 3,887 | 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 | | | | | Joined: May 2001 Posts: 7,438 Extreme Gabster | | Extreme Gabster Joined: May 2001 Posts: 7,438 | I moved this to Paint and Body for future reference. Anyone re-assembling their front sheet metal needs to know this. | | | | | Joined: Aug 2005 Posts: 424 Shop Shark | | Shop Shark Joined: Aug 2005 Posts: 424 | Mine are bent on both my '58s. | | | | | Joined: Jun 2008 Posts: 714 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Jun 2008 Posts: 714 | 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 TruckIn the Stovebolt GalleryMore pixThe 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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