front bumper alignment and installation
04-15-2012, 09:13 AM
#1
Safety Car
Thread Starter
front bumper alignment and installation
i've done a search for this thread and found nothing, I'm tired of looking at my cockeyed right front bumper and would like to try to get them looking more even, what is the best way to go about doing this? I don't believe the grill has ever been out of the car but the bumpers aren't even with it. And before anyone mentions it I have already lowered the front of the hood 
Last edited by vt65; 04-15-2012 at 09:20 AM.
04-15-2012, 09:29 AM
#2
Melting Slicks
When you find a remedy be sure to post it. I have been working on my bumpers for over 20 years and I still don't have them correct. In fact, I am taking the car with the bumpers down to Keystone Plating in Brainerd MN on thursday to have them look to see what is wrong. I will bolt them up and they can assess what needs to be done to get them looking like they did when the car was new. Like your car, my right front is the problem. I am crossing my fingers just in case.
Steve
Steve
04-15-2012, 09:38 AM
#4
Race Director
Basically you have to loosen all the bolts so the bumper and bracket sections are all loose and moveable. Get some body shims because you may have to shim the lower braces running under to the crossmember (at the mounting bolts) in order for them to end up at a uniform heigth where they attach to the bumpers. Find something that you can lay across the top if the bumpers for a straightedge and tape a level to it. Then just shim and adjust and tighten things up to maintain the top of the bumpers level and even in heigth. You may run into some braces or a body bolt hole that don't have enough room for adjustment and have to do some filing to open it up a little.
Your driver side is a little higher and more level but I think I would shim that side to drop it a little lower to match the passenger side. This is because the pass side looks to be dropping off some towards the outside. That suggests to me that you may run into problems trying to raise the entire pass side bumper up high enough to match the driver side. Once everything is loose and moveable you can shift it around a litle and see which approach will work the best.
As 66BlkBB says - don't expect absolute perfection. Mine has a pass side bumper that the outer section that wraps around by the wheel opening gradually turns down a little. It's not real noticeable but it's there. Nothing that can be done other than replace it with a hopefully straighter one.
Your driver side is a little higher and more level but I think I would shim that side to drop it a little lower to match the passenger side. This is because the pass side looks to be dropping off some towards the outside. That suggests to me that you may run into problems trying to raise the entire pass side bumper up high enough to match the driver side. Once everything is loose and moveable you can shift it around a litle and see which approach will work the best.
As 66BlkBB says - don't expect absolute perfection. Mine has a pass side bumper that the outer section that wraps around by the wheel opening gradually turns down a little. It's not real noticeable but it's there. Nothing that can be done other than replace it with a hopefully straighter one.
Last edited by DansYellow66; 04-15-2012 at 09:40 AM.
04-15-2012, 10:34 AM
#5
Melting Slicks
I have tried all of your methods with no success. I finally figured out that the bumpers were never straightened correctly. That is why I am taking mine right to a source that has a jig for the bumpers. Some of the brackets cause the problem but I have found that really it is a function of the bumpers not being straight in the first place.
Steve
Steve
Basically you have to loosen all the bolts so the bumper and bracket sections are all loose and moveable. Get some body shims because you may have to shim the lower braces running under to the crossmember (at the mounting bolts) in order for them to end up at a uniform heigth where they attach to the bumpers. Find something that you can lay across the top if the bumpers for a straightedge and tape a level to it. Then just shim and adjust and tighten things up to maintain the top of the bumpers level and even in heigth. You may run into some braces or a body bolt hole that don't have enough room for adjustment and have to do some filing to open it up a little.
Your driver side is a little higher and more level but I think I would shim that side to drop it a little lower to match the passenger side. This is because the pass side looks to be dropping off some towards the outside. That suggests to me that you may run into problems trying to raise the entire pass side bumper up high enough to match the driver side. Once everything is loose and moveable you can shift it around a litle and see which approach will work the best.
As 66BlkBB says - don't expect absolute perfection. Mine has a pass side bumper that the outer section that wraps around by the wheel opening gradually turns down a little. It's not real noticeable but it's there. Nothing that can be done other than replace it with a hopefully straighter one.
Your driver side is a little higher and more level but I think I would shim that side to drop it a little lower to match the passenger side. This is because the pass side looks to be dropping off some towards the outside. That suggests to me that you may run into problems trying to raise the entire pass side bumper up high enough to match the driver side. Once everything is loose and moveable you can shift it around a litle and see which approach will work the best.
As 66BlkBB says - don't expect absolute perfection. Mine has a pass side bumper that the outer section that wraps around by the wheel opening gradually turns down a little. It's not real noticeable but it's there. Nothing that can be done other than replace it with a hopefully straighter one.
04-15-2012, 11:56 AM
#6
Le Mans Master
Dan 66 has the right idea, but shimming may not be the only way to cure this. Many cars (mine included) were lifted during their former lifetime at the center crossmember which is pretty thin metal that can easily deform as it was never meant to support the weight of the entire front of the car. Directly to the left and right of the center spot are the mounting holes for the front bumper supports (see where I am going with this). When I redid my car a few years back (before painting and refitting the bumpers I repaired and strengthened the front crossmember in addition to straightening the bumper supports which had become deformed slightly as well from years of people jacking the car up from there.
Here are some pictures of what was involved in the repair of the front crossmember which also solved the bumper alignment issues on mine:
ORIGINAL DENTED CROSSMEMBER
DENTED SECTION REMOVED FOR REPAIR
NOTICE CUTS FOLLOW FRONT BUMPER MOUNTING BRACKETS
ORIGINAL PART STRAIGHTENED AND REINFORFORCED WITH CONTOURED STEEL PLATE
REPAIRED PART WELDED BACK IN PLACE
FINISHED ASSEMBLY
Very strong repair that won't dent again, and straight bumper supports
with no shims.
Pilot Dan
Here are some pictures of what was involved in the repair of the front crossmember which also solved the bumper alignment issues on mine:
ORIGINAL DENTED CROSSMEMBER
DENTED SECTION REMOVED FOR REPAIR
NOTICE CUTS FOLLOW FRONT BUMPER MOUNTING BRACKETS
ORIGINAL PART STRAIGHTENED AND REINFORFORCED WITH CONTOURED STEEL PLATE
REPAIRED PART WELDED BACK IN PLACE
FINISHED ASSEMBLY
Very strong repair that won't dent again, and straight bumper supports
with no shims.
Pilot Dan
