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For various reasons I want to raise the center brace (part #1) on the car a little (~ 1/8" - 3/16")
The bumper is where I want it and I don't want to move all the other parts related to this (frame extensions, corner brackets, etc)
Looking through the AIM and my pictures of when I put it together last time it seems like I should be able to just loosen the two bumper bolts in their slots and put some shims under where it bolts to the cross member. Nothing else seems to really be affected and I believe the holes were slotted at the cross member as well
Anyone tell me something I'm missing? (I know the grill and plate move a little as well but that's not a problem)
M
I'm not going to (or at least I don't want to) use it to force the bumper, front nose or anything up or down, I believe it will just sit higher on the crossmember (shims) and on the bumper (in the slots)
I really don't think it will affect anything but before I start loosening everything off I thought I'd put it out there
M
you shim the front of the horseshoe you will raise it. you could also Bubba out the slots in the top of horseshoe to give bumper more upward travel. i have the setup laying in the back yard. phone is charging. gimme a few.
So I should be able to raise it straight up without affecting the bumper or anything right?
I'm trying to get this up a little higher. If I thought about it back when I did the front I could have adjusted all the extensions to make it work but I didn't
M
So you are happy with bumper height but want the horseshoe to go farther up and disappear behind the bumper? It looks like the bumper is mounted high on the horseshoe so it has room to let horseshoe go up. A couple of shims under the front 2 mount bolts probly raise it a half inch or so.
Yeah that's all I'm after, and I just need a little more clearance there.
I can't see anything else that tied into it and the only thing that might be in the way is the bolt coming down from the rad-bumper point rod.
That picture confirms what I'm thinking, thanks
M
I had issues getting my bumper to where I wanted it. The adjustment on the left and right extensions were adjusted to the max. I know the car had been hit and a crappy repair done in its earlier life. I ended up adding shims, I believe about 1/4 inch to those two front bolts you are talking about. ( circled in your picture).....but....when I tilted that u brace up the spot where the two bolts go through to the centre of the bumper it tilts up on an angle. When you bolt the bumper on it tilts the centre of the bumper up causing the outside ends to tilt down. I could have just tightened everything down but there would have been way to much stress on the front fiberglass. I ended up machining a spacer (two centre bolts in to bumper) on an angle to compensate for the tilt on the u brace. The bumper now fits as per the AIM.
Yeah that's all I'm after, and I just need a little more clearance there.
I can't see anything else that tied into it and the only thing that might be in the way is the bolt coming down from the rad-bumper point rod.
That picture confirms what I'm thinking, thanks
M
Not just the bolt , if you start pushing the rod up with the U brace it will try to move the front clip up .
If somebody can pull it off- I'd have my faith in you!!!
I didn't like the way my original bumper fit up against the body - originally!!! It just sat out too far. I notched the fiberglass on each side - scooted it in and up a bit-
All I needed was a washer where "Norm07" circled to tilt up the brace.
However- I had to notch the bumperette z bracket off the bumper as it was just too close to the headlight buckets.
I didn't like the way my original bumper fit up against the body - originally!!! It just sat out too far. I notched the fiberglass on each side - scooted it in and up a bit-
....
Richard
I tucked the bumper i a lot when I re-assembled the front a few years ago
It flares some on the outer corners, partly because it's in so tight and partly because it's a re-chromed 68 or something (grill brackets don't have the second bend in them)
It went in far enough to cause interference with the headlight surrounds when the lights went up, had to modify the brackets a bit to get everything to clear
Now that I'm done the the wiper panel bling and the rear partially re-aligned, I'm looking at the front spoiler that been handing on the wall for 3 years, so with the car on the quickjack to see what I'm into I got looking at this bracket and......
I'm going to loosen everything off tomorrow and I think I can go straight up and hopefully not get into tapered shims or anything but if that's what it needs...
M
Worst of it is the front probably could go up some as I've got more gap at the top / front of the doors than the bottom but then the front of the hood will be too low... I could chase that tail for a long time
M
After reading all the posts I'm thinking if you shim all 4 bolts that connect the horseshoe to the crossmember you keep the front of the horseshoe level and you won't run into tilting the angle of the front 2 bolts as they tighten up.
I tucked the bumper i a lot when I re-assembled the front a few years ago
It flares some on the outer corners, partly because it's in so tight and partly because it's a re-chromed 68 or something (grill brackets don't have the second bend in them)
It went in far enough to cause interference with the headlight surrounds when the lights went up, had to modify the brackets a bit to get everything to clear
Now that I'm done the the wiper panel bling and the rear partially re-aligned, I'm looking at the front spoiler that been handing on the wall for 3 years, so with the car on the quickjack to see what I'm into I got looking at this bracket and......
I'm going to loosen everything off tomorrow and I think I can go straight up and hopefully not get into tapered shims or anything but if that's what it needs...
M
Yes- I was surprised how close that stuff was- from my experience don't have any "young ears" or someone easily offended around when you are fitting it back together!!!
if you raise the frame extensions you will also be raising the entire mounted part of the nose. which is also the hood hinge mounts. i have a hood that is too high. raising the hood surround at the 2 headlight support bars seems to help raise the hood surround to match the hood and even that out. a hood that is too low is easy. just add shims. it is when they are too high that it is hard to align. people have cut hinges and welded them back together shorter to compensate. another thought. that crossmember is attached to 4 bolts on the frame extensions. they are not flat, but at an angle to each other. possible that moving it back could change the angle downwards and mounting it forward raise angle up a bit. i know there is a lot of adjustment room where frame extensions attach to the frame horns. another possibility is shims between crossmember and horseshoe at all 4 bolts. you would get less total lift, but the center mount would not tilt.
I'll leave those adjustments for another day (there's still a chance we might be able to go out and enjoy this season and I know if I start now I'll get in waaaaaay too far and one thing will lead to another and the engine will be back on the stand....
M
another suggestion. stop kneeling down and looking at the bottom of the horse shoe. nobody but you notices it. you are driving by. nobody thinks "that idiot has his bumper mount a half inch too low. what a tool!" it'll still be too low in the fall... mess with it then.
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72 Bumper center U brace - raise slightly
and I know if I start now I'll get in waaaaaay too far and one thing will lead to another and the engine will be back on the stand....