The 1947 - Present Chevrolet & GMC Truck Message Board Network - View Single Post - 55.2-59 Fenders and hood install

dsraven · 10-09-2024, 01:31 AM

there is a great youtube on this subject. look up
old man fixing stuff
and see if you can find his site. it goes through a pretty comprehensive "how to" on the 55-59 trucks

maybe this will work
https://youtu.be/RgUwd9PdWiA?si=nKUXNxh2v-3ZD-k7

remember the rear of the cab sits on rubber. the front of the cab sits on the frame and becomes the fulcrum-sort of, and can be shimmed as needed, and the rad support sits on rubber and is also normally shimmed. get the cab parallel to the frame for starters, the assembly manual has a dimension for the frame to floor, then work forward from there. if it isn't parallel to start with then it all gets skewed. also understand that the cab can be squared up on the frame as required, the driver's side front cab mount becomes the hinge point. I find that using a small tab of masking tape on the body line at the front and rear of each panel, and marking the high point of the body line at each point, helps. use a magnet to hold a string at the front of the fender and the rear of the cab so you can line up the body lines. space the string off the body a little using an office eraser as this won't scratch the body. the door gets fit to the cab first, then the fender gets fit to the door. it's best to leave the fender off so you don't try to fudge it when fitting the door to the cab. a wooden paint stir stick is a pretty good gap guage for between panels as they don't scratch either. it is not uncommon to have to add or subtract metal from an edge to get the gaps looking good.
guzzi fabrcation has some good how to videos on the gap subject when you get that far or if you just wanna zone out on the couch for a minute and watch a bit. he shows how to get perfect gaps by cutting panels and adding metal to edges.

10-09-2024, 01:31 AM	#2
dsraven Registered User Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: calgary alberta Posts: 8,488	Re: Fenders and hood install there is a great youtube on this subject. look up old man fixing stuff and see if you can find his site. it goes through a pretty comprehensive "how to" on the 55-59 trucks maybe this will work https://youtu.be/RgUwd9PdWiA?si=nKUXNxh2v-3ZD-k7 remember the rear of the cab sits on rubber. the front of the cab sits on the frame and becomes the fulcrum-sort of, and can be shimmed as needed, and the rad support sits on rubber and is also normally shimmed. get the cab parallel to the frame for starters, the assembly manual has a dimension for the frame to floor, then work forward from there. if it isn't parallel to start with then it all gets skewed. also understand that the cab can be squared up on the frame as required, the driver's side front cab mount becomes the hinge point. I find that using a small tab of masking tape on the body line at the front and rear of each panel, and marking the high point of the body line at each point, helps. use a magnet to hold a string at the front of the fender and the rear of the cab so you can line up the body lines. space the string off the body a little using an office eraser as this won't scratch the body. the door gets fit to the cab first, then the fender gets fit to the door. it's best to leave the fender off so you don't try to fudge it when fitting the door to the cab. a wooden paint stir stick is a pretty good gap guage for between panels as they don't scratch either. it is not uncommon to have to add or subtract metal from an edge to get the gaps looking good. guzzi fabrcation has some good how to videos on the gap subject when you get that far or if you just wanna zone out on the couch for a minute and watch a bit. he shows how to get perfect gaps by cutting panels and adding metal to edges.