55.2-59 Fender mount questions

[davecarney2]

Trucks been a project for many years now. Inner fender wells have been chopped to allow clearance for exhaust on the outside of the frame.

Can I get some pictures of how the fender mounts are when stock. Is the bolt at the top where it meets the cab a mounting point or the adjustment stud to adjust hood height? I'm running into issues with keeping the top of the fenders off the door. Once the hood hinges are on will it give me better adjustment?

I've seen guys running without inner fenders so I know there's a way but without tightening the top bolt to the point of feeling like it could snap at any moment the fender just slides back.

[_Ogre]

the whole front clip is held on with 8 bolt: 2 top of cab, 2 bot of cab, 2 inner fender brackets and 2 core support bolts
all can be shimmed to make the fenders fit the doors
front and rear cab supports can also be shimmed to make the front end fit

you can cut out more inner fender (i wouldn't) but they fasten the core support to the fenders
look at the factory assembly manual for the core support bolts: 2 layers of rubber and spacers to allow for twist of the frame

[davecarney2]

Thank you!!!!

[dsraven]

check the floor of the cab for rotten areas near the cab mounts. common because the drains in the inner cowls plug at the bottom and then water collects in the inner cowl plenums until it runs out on the floor of the cab from the kick panel vents. this usually rots the floor, hinge pillars, inner cowls, steps etc. look under the hinge pillar as well from the under side while you are there and check the lower fender mounts to ensure they are solid. if the cross member under the original trans has been removed for a different engine/trans combo then the rigidity of the frame in that area of the front cab mounts could also be compromised which can allow the cab floor to flex with the frame (spreading apart or flexing together of the frame rails) and can mess with the cab to fender gap as well as the door fitment. this can also be compounded if the solid axle has been replaced with a different style IFS cross member and some of the other original cross members have been removed. the rear cab mounts are also prone to rust since they are in an area that most wouldn't be flushing out when they wash the truck. stuff gets stuck in there and the rust sandwich starts. this leaves the cab sitting on a pliable surface at it's 4 mounting spots. a tell tale sign is if you look at the sheet metal of the floor and it is not flat in the foot area but it sags down from the floor seam ahead of the seats towards the front. it is because the pillars have rusted, the cab mounts have rusted etc so the floor is able to "give" and the weight of the cab is mostly at the firewall so the floor sags as the cab flexes down at the front under the weight. first ensure the cab is solid and the mounts are solid, check the door pillars for integrity and then install some new cab mounts and shim the cab to get it level etc. check/rebuild/replace the door hinges get the door gaps set how you like and latches adjusted so the doors open and close properly. at this point also check the actual doors because the mounts for the hinges inside the doors are prone to rusting and the doors can also crack due to flexing over the years. a common spot for a crack is between the inner and outer shell right behind the vent window. there is a web there that attaches the inner and outer shells together. when the door is able to flex the web usually cracks. the lower hinge mount inside the door is also a common rust or crack point. if the hinges are tight but the door still has movement if lifted at the rear (when open) then look internally for problems with the actual door. adjust the hinges with the strikers removed from the pillars so the doors don't get drawn in/out or up/down when adjusting the hinges and closing the door to get the body line right. when done the hinge adjustment install the striker plates and adjust the door latches so the door closes without the latch pulling it into the right final location up/down. otherwise the latches and strikers will not last and the door will tend to close like it is 60 years old (weird). when done close the door slowly and as the latch starts to engage watch the door to ensure it isn't being drawn into it's final spot, up/down, by the latch. it should be a simple click/click process as the latch catches. next look at the rad support mounts and integrity of the rad support in the mount area. some new mounts there would also be an asset since the cab mounts and rad mounts are related to each other. check the cab at the upper rear fender mount to ensure the integrity of that mount is solid. some rust pretty bad but it's not like you take the fenders off every week to service the mount area and flush out the inner cowls. these mounts are welded on top of the inner cowl parts so if the cowls are rusted out then these mounts can flex and cause the fender to fit differently all the time depending on how the truck is sitting or things are flexing. these upper mounts are where the fender can be shimmed to get the body line at the correct height with the door, and also where the fender can be adjusted in or out some to fit the hood and door as a unit. once all the mounts are fixed up and solid then stick some tape on the edges of the painted parts and mount the fenders to bridge the gap between the cab and the rad support, maybe just leave the bolts a bit loose on the inner fenders to rad support etc so things can move as they need to. there is a rubber mounted inner fender mount down low on the firewall as well. the inner fender would have had some rubber seal stapled onto the rear edge where the fender meets the cab, it may or may not still be there. shim the front cab mounts and the rad support mounts until you get the body lines of the fender and door right and the door/fender gap looking good.a magnet at the front of the fender and the rear of the door body line can help here if you run a string between the 2 parts with a small spacer to keep the string off the body by 1/4-3/8". some also simply use masking tape but whatever you use it is good to see the lines line up with something other than your eye. this can be difficult since the body lines on some parts can be much crisper than other parts so it can still be a bit of a guessing game. when you get the fenders fitting good then adjust the hood to fit. sometimes you will need to shim the rad support on each side where it attaches to the fenders in order to get the gap correct at the sides of the hood. it is good to have the hood latch removed at this point so the hood can close fully without being drawn to one side or the other by the latch. when done install the latch and adjust it accordingly.
hope that made sense. if you don't take the fenders and inner fenders off then simply improvise by using the main ideas of how the parts all relate to each other. ensure the mounts are good and solid and replace the rubber parts for a more longer lasting adjustment.
think of the cab and fenders/rad support as a single unit sitting on 6 adjustable points, 3 points on each side with the rear cab mounts being the "hinge" point. obviously the adjustable points all have to be in line properly for everything to work. a low spot in the middle (front cab mount) will give a "tight at the top" fender to door gap because the parts sag in the middle but can be shimmed at the front cab mount to get things lined up. a low spot at the front (rad support) will give a "tight at the bottom" fender to door gap but can be shimmed under the rad support or front cab shims could be removed if there are shims installed.
check
-cab integrity around mounts and then condition of actual cab rubber mounts
-door hinge repairs, door repairs for hinge mounts etc and then hinge fitment and door adjustment. then latch fitment adjustment, then new door seals if that is in the plan.
-rad support integrity and actual rubber mount condition
-fender fitment adjustment, adjust cab and rad support to get the parts fitting in the same plane so body lines are straight
-hood fitment adjustment then hood latch fitment and adjustment

have fun and smile lots as people pass by so they think you are actually having fun as you cuss under your breath, lol.

[dsraven]

remember these trucks didn't have sheet metal that fit well when they were new. we are trying to make them fit better than new most of the time. if parts were changed over the years or the truck had a hard life then fitment and panel gaps will likely not be the great. not like new cars where a new door would simply bolt on with hardly any room, if any, for adjustment. no computer assembled parts back in the day, lol.

[davecarney2]

Wow thanks for all the great info!!!!