The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Paint and Body Shop AD front sheet metal

Is the best way to get all the bolts in the front end - to - simply leave the complete front end loose until all the bolts are in place? Then tighten them.

I can't get the bolts in where the fenders bolt to the radiator frame.

Frustrating at best

TIA

Leave everytning loose until you get them all in. Do you have a set of punches like this Sears Item# 00943160000 | Model# 43160
they make tapered ones as well. Use them in one hole while you start another. There are spots where you have two holes together use the punch in one start the next bolt, once it is in tighten it so they both line up. Then just loosen and move to the next ones. This is where patience and another set of hands can come in handy. It will seem like they will never all line up but they do.

This may sound strange but, I've used large nails, about the same size as the bolts. I use about 6 to line up and pin the fender, grille, rad supt ect. Then once I get the bolts finger started, leave'em loose until you've got all panels aligned. Just try and keep from messing up the threads.

Cause then you'd be STREWED!

Thanks to all

I am not much of a sports event watcher so I will work on this while others are watching football this weekend.

Cheers

Dalyman72, still making up new words? Check out Websters "threads"

I ,too, have been wrestling with front sheet metal alignment ... unfortunately
I am trying line up Chinese front fenders to the Chinese Grille with stock
inner fenders and stock radiator support and stock hood.

Even with about 8 punches "loosely" holding things in place and wiggling it around has been frustrating. ( The frame is dead straight, too. )

I have it together .... kinda... right now, but the upper grille bar just will NOT
fit properly to the fenders using the holes they came with.....!

So, over the winter I am going to take it all off, make all the Chinese holes BIGGER.
Then I'm going to assemble the whole front clip and get it all to fit .... Then have
two helpers set it in place ....

mike

I had bought a knock-off grille, then found a real grille. I brought the knock-off back and used the real one. When it was time to bolt everything together, I did what Brad posted, except without a helper. Eventually they all went in. I was afraid to re-drill holes that didn't line up because eventually, the hood has to go on and line up.

The hood is next. All attempts have not gone well so far

Dennis, I fought my hood on three different ocassions. Finally I spent just about all day.....but I whipped it.

Read the tech tip on installing and lining up the hood. Then read it again about 5 times real slow to really understand it.

What I found to really work was to leave the springs off.
Have the hinges loose and with the hood down use the small amount of adjsutment the one bolt has in the hinge to move the hood front or back to get the gap correct across the cowl. Once that is done tighten those bolts then raise the hood and put the springs on. Leave them loose and then just let the hood springs "settle" on each side with the hood weight on them. Where ever they are resting tighten them up. Then close the hood.

I fought the hood sticking up at the cowl for days, before taking the springs off and lining it up with out them and then doing as mentioned above. When I closed the hood it was hard for me to believe that little bit made such a big difference. It then closed right on the first try.....after the hood is right you can then raise the rear of the fenders to the hood lines and tighten up the fender bolts.

Good luck. HOpe this helps in some way. Reading the tech tip takes a little time. Its so easy to intermix the words hinge and springs as the same thing...and they are not!!

Darn thing about the hood springs is whether the spring part goes in or out? I thought they were out but the indent on the upper arm to the hood indicates the other way. Then the bracket that bolts to the fire wall is awkward. The other way fits but then the top bolts bind.

It is the little things that are driving me nuts