body drop/position check?
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 1,224
Likes: 1
From: Clarksville Indiana
body drop/position check?
The body drop was last thing the shop did before the previous owner bailed on the project. I dont know how much effort they put into that last step so I rolled around on a creaper looking around. I dont see any issues but I dont know what I am looking for specifically. Anybody got any things I can check that will confirm all is correct? The door/hood gaps/alignment look decent. The rear upper shock bolts have the same small clearance from the storage box on each side. The gas cap is not centered with the hole in the body, hoping the tank just needs bumped over a inch maybe 2. Suggestions?
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 31,270
Likes: 4,362
From: Westminster Maryland
Hi 454,
I believe you could take some measurements at the front and rear of each rocker channel to the frame rail which would tell you if the body is sitting on the frame straight. I don't think I've ever heard of any dimensions for a front to back location.
It seems to me that although there is some movement at each body mount, by time you get all 8 bolts in place, there can't be much movement left.
The up/down adjustment is where the action is!
As far as the tank filler is concerned, I agree that the tank itself may need to be moved.
Regards,
Alan
I believe you could take some measurements at the front and rear of each rocker channel to the frame rail which would tell you if the body is sitting on the frame straight. I don't think I've ever heard of any dimensions for a front to back location.
It seems to me that although there is some movement at each body mount, by time you get all 8 bolts in place, there can't be much movement left.
The up/down adjustment is where the action is!
As far as the tank filler is concerned, I agree that the tank itself may need to be moved.
Regards,
Alan
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 1,224
Likes: 1
From: Clarksville Indiana
OK thanks, I didnt know how much slop was in the body mounts. They are all new and have some kind of new reinforment pieces rivetted in. But all that was done before me. So if my door gaps are decent then I should have no worries about the shims for the up and down variance? I still have issues with the front crossmember/frame ends ajustment. I'll put a pic below and maybe you can see what I'm talking about. With all those bolts loose and a floor jack under the V crossmember, With the slop in the slotted holes, I can raise everything up and down a lot. Since the core support sits on the crossmember and bolts to the fenders, the whole front clip moves up and down. I can tell that it isnt suppose to be at the extreme either all the way up or down. But the middle of the two still leaves a couple inch span of where it could/should be. Right now I have the top of the end bracket about a 1/4 to 1/2 inch above the top of the frame. But it can be even with or a little lower than, and I cant tell anything anywhere else either way. I know theres got to be a right way to do this but I cant find any thing any where...
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 31,270
Likes: 4,362
From: Westminster Maryland
Hi 71,
For what it's worth... On my car the frame extension is about 1/4" higher than the frame rail and the top of the extension is parrallel with the top of the frame rail. The little diagonal lip on the metal fender re-inforcement for the core support rests on the front of the frame extension.
I think you need to continue to put the bumper on in order to see what lines up even if it means you have to take it back off to tighten the frame extension bolt that the bumper bracket hides.
Regards,
Alan
For what it's worth... On my car the frame extension is about 1/4" higher than the frame rail and the top of the extension is parrallel with the top of the frame rail. The little diagonal lip on the metal fender re-inforcement for the core support rests on the front of the frame extension.
I think you need to continue to put the bumper on in order to see what lines up even if it means you have to take it back off to tighten the frame extension bolt that the bumper bracket hides.
Regards,
Alan
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 1,224
Likes: 1
From: Clarksville Indiana
Hey thanks Alan, I'll take a closer look now and see if I can get it right. I also have some issues with the frame and the extensions, the holes dont match up right, I guess this 4-speed frame is different than the original. Thanks! Pat
