When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
I vote for incorrect hinge orientation too. They are either reversed left to right or upside down. I've had my hood off a half dozen times and it is easy to get it wrong if your not paying attention, worse even if you were not the taker aparter.
After looking at the pic again it appears the part of the hinge that pivots is upside down (rotated 180 degrees).
The hinges were verified correct left and right orientation as labeled on the hinge itself. Any other orientation produces far worse alignment.
the shim is tapered for a reason, it is additional adjustment for alignment caster and should be retained; sometimes 2 are used. thick end towards the rear of the car.
Bill
Thanks this crosses off one more possibility. The shims are installed thick part to the rear.
Did you see any evidence of the holes miss aligned on the side inner fenders? I bet the front clip was not installed correctly.
Another way is to find the template for the support braces that go inside the fender area. Someone here gave the dimensions. You could cut a template out and see what that does. These are the supports that run along the inside fenders.
Did you see any evidence of the holes miss aligned on the side inner fenders? I bet the front clip was not installed correctly.
Another way is to find the template for the support braces that go inside the fender area. Someone here gave the dimensions. You could cut a template out and see what that does. These are the supports that run along the inside fenders.
No all the holes in the inner fender that the support bolts through are clean and round as one would expect from a proper install. There is no evidence of any other holes being filled and resurfaced or new holes drilled. I will have a better handle on the core support and install as soon as I can get back to measure to see if this is the proper support for this car. Thanks guys for all the head scratching.
I posted the 21 1/8 dimension so you could verify the location of the radiator support. From the bottom of the support to the center of the hood surround. Unless I'm mistaken the pad on the frame for the radiator support. Should be on the same plane as all of the body mounts but that s going to be hard to measure with the body back on.
My radiator support was taken on off during bodywork and when I was mounting the radiator shroud 3 pieces I could not get it to bolt up, the fix was to lower the shroud by loosening the fender wheel well bolts and changing the shim at the bottom of the core support. My point is the core support adjustment needs to be done to fit your hood, your radiator and surrounding pieces.
My radiator support was taken on off during bodywork and when I was mounting the radiator shroud 3 pieces I could not get it to bolt up, the fix was to lower the shroud by loosening the fender wheel well bolts and changing the shim at the bottom of the core support. My point is the core support adjustment needs to be done to fit your hood, your radiator and surrounding pieces.
I am fighting an 11/4 height problem. I have removed all shims and laid the inner fender on the frame rails and still i am 11/4 inch to high. we've loosened all front bumper brackets to be assured any and all movement could be had. I literally have no more movement downward.
modify the hood hinges to make the hood the right height, there is not other easy answer to this problem.
Bill
I have already removed the radiator support and intend to notch and plate the mounting surface of the support. This should retain structural integrity and provide the height reduction necessary for the hood to set in it's proper position without resting on the top of the support. With the support installed, the hinges removed and the hood setting in place I still need to drop the hood 3/8ths of an inch to allow clearance for the hood to be in plane with the body. I would prefer to do anything else that will work but options at this point seem scarce. Again guys...Thanks for the brain power.
back after the fire I had to install all new frontend glass, including new inner fenders. I made the mistake of not fitting the hood first and then bringing the inner panels and surround up to fit the hood before drilling the holes in the new inner panels that connect the glass to the radiator support.
needless to say, at that point it was too late to do anything.. the hood was too high in the front and I had to shorten the hinges to bring it down flush with the surround....
I assume you have checked to make sure you have room for the air cleaner not hitting the hood when closed. There is not that much clearance on a correct adjusted hood.
I assume you have checked to make sure you have room for the air cleaner not hitting the hood when closed. There is not that much clearance on a correct adjusted hood.
Yes Sir we have but the reminder is great. I will recheck the clearances once more to be absolutely certain.
I am fighting an 11/4 height problem. I have removed all shims and laid the inner fender on the frame rails and still i am 11/4 inch to high. we've loosened all front bumper brackets to be assured any and all movement could be had. I literally have no more movement downward.
Scott, something does not add up for me, when you remove 4 bolts that connects the rad support to inner wheel wells and you remove the shims from the center bottom are you saying it is laying on the steering third arm support? If so did you do any of the following, panel replacement on front end, replacement of any body mount frame supports change of shims at any position or leave out the steering Cross member wedges? Your rad support must be lowered to get the hood to fit without modifying the hinges. Can you measure the 4 wheel well dimensions is the car sitting high or low in the front? It feels like the front body mount locations are shimmed to low? But the door gaps can be affected!
Scott, something does not add up for me, when you remove 4 bolts that connects the rad support to inner wheel wells and you remove the shims from the center bottom are you saying it is laying on the steering third arm support? If so did you do any of the following, panel replacement on front end, replacement of any body mount frame supports change of shims at any position or leave out the steering Cross member wedges? Your rad support must be lowered to get the hood to fit without modifying the hinges. Can you measure the 4 wheel well dimensions is the car sitting high or low in the front? It feels like the front body mount locations are shimmed to low? But the door gaps can be affected!
The History of the car is an unknown, except for it being a one owner numbers matching (engine and rear axle, transmission converted to 4 speed) car purchased from a son that started the rebuild the car was brought to the shop literally in boxes. There is evidence of front end repair and I am beginning to suspect that this is what stalled the build. When the front body mount is loosened and the shims removed the inner fenders sit approx 1/16" off of the frame rails with 1/8" of shimming needed to support the body at the mount. All the door alignment seems just short of perfect. The body was removed and all shims and body mounts replaced. The alignment of the body seems accurate. I hadn't thought to measure all 4 wheel wells. Reading into your post, I gather they should all be the same with no body "rake" forward? It's a perplexing dilemma for sure. By the way the Aluminum crossmember shims are new and oriented correctly so the pad for the front body mount would also be accurate.
I hadn't thought to measure all 4 wheel wells. Reading into your post, I gather they should all be the same with no body "rake" forward? It's a perplexing dilemma for sure. By the way the Aluminum crossmember shims are new and oriented correctly so the pad for the front body mount would also be accurate.
ST-12 has a section that shows what body/frame heights should be at various points. obviously, wheel size and tire height may affect this, but the change should consistently applicable to each measurement point.
Have you tried to attach your fan shroud assembly.... as I mentioned this is where I ran into the adjustment issue your facing but it was the opposite problem the upper shroud was on the frame rail and the bolt holes were 1/2" off I had to raise my core support by shimming, and the round inner wheel wells did not require modification go figure, I could not understand that. It all fits well, just needed a bigger shim.... it is the opposite of your problem, it feels like you need to shim the floor board body mounts thicker, that's why I was wondering if you had a rake look?
Have you tried to attach your fan shroud assembly.... as I mentioned this is where I ran into the adjustment issue your facing but it was the opposite problem the upper shroud was on the frame rail and the bolt holes were 1/2" off I had to raise my core support by shimming, and the round inner wheel wells did not require modification go figure, I could not understand that. It all fits well, just needed a bigger shim.... it is the opposite of your problem, it feels like you need to shim the floor board body mounts thicker, that's why I was wondering if you had a rake look?
All the shrouds were bolted in and the bolt holes aligned with minimal fitting. I have not noticed a definitive rake look but the over all difference could be slight and not be noticed. I'll be away from the car this weekend so i won't be able to answer those questions until next weekend.
This is a strange one...as from the pictures things look right.
I would check the following...
BTW...there is a left and right hinge as discovered.
1. Your radiator housing is not sitting all the way down on the frame (but if your shroud fits and "cans" that is probably not it).
2. The body is too low in relationship to the radiator housing - but then the cans wouldn't line up to the housing.
3. You have the wrong radiator housing (unlikely)
4. Bent radiator housing (check the bottom) (unlikely)
5. Radiator housing tilted too far forward (straight up and down when the top should actually be further back - unlikely as the hood wouldn't fit front to back in relationship to the body)
To the center of the bolt it should be 36"
The fact that when you remove the hindges and the hood is not following the contour of the body tells me that the front needs to come up...regardless of "what was".
I would verify 1-5. I would separate the front body from the frame/radiator housing and see if front needs to come up. But that is a lot of "UP"....and then the cans wouldn't align. This is a weird problem.
Last edited by jusplainwacky; 12-09-2016 at 10:08 AM.
This is a strange one...as from the pictures things look right.
I would check the following...
BTW...there is a left and right hinge as discovered.
1. Your radiator housing is not sitting all the way down on the frame (but if your shroud fits and "cans" that is probably not it).
2. The body is too low in relationship to the radiator housing - but then the cans wouldn't line up to the housing.
3. You have the wrong radiator housing (unlikely)
4. Bent radiator housing (check the bottom) (unlikely)
5. Radiator housing tilted too far forward (straight up and down when the top should actually be further back - unlikely as the hood wouldn't fit front to back in relationship to the body)
To the center of the bolt it should be 36"
The fact that when you remove the hindges and the hood is not following the contour of the body tells me that the front needs to come up...regardless of "what was".
I would verify 1-5. I would separate the front body from the frame/radiator housing and see if front needs to come up. But that is a lot of "UP"....and then the cans wouldn't align. This is a weird problem.
I am planning to verify the Radiator support is not bent before I realign and re-install. this is the only unknown that I can verify at this point. As you stated realign and re drill then fill is, I believe, the only prudent answer.
12-04-2016, 09:18 PM
