front end body alignment

[Gregsenne]

Anyone have any tips on getting the core support aligned properly (especially without removing the front clip again!!!)? I just threw my core support on and the rest of my front end (without thinking about it's positioning), and went to bolt my hood on (last piece of the project), and it doesn't line up. Now looking at it, the whole front clip is about a half inch to the side.

I loosened the two core support-to frame bolts and tried to push the whole front end over (it moves slightly, but just comes right back in the same spot). I'm thinking of putting a comealong on a hole in the core support and yanking it back over. Any thoughts?

[Keith Seymore]

Yes - you've got to loosen all of the vertical bolts.

Here's how they did it in the assembly plant. You can pick up midstream here where ever is convenient:

a) Radiator support is sitting on the mounts, with the bolts started, but completely loose.

b) Hang the fender on the truck, setting it on any spacers required at the cowl to get the feature lines to match the door. Push it rearward until the gap at the door is where you want it (in the plant they had a small magnetic spacer they pushed the fender back against) Drive the vertical bolt by the base of the cab A Pillar until it is almost snug, but still loose enough for the fender to slide.

c) Drive and tighten all of the fender nose bolts, attaching the rad support to the front inside of the fender, using the small pointed bolt pt# 3846202.

d) Drive the fender anchor bolt at the bottom of the fender (from underneath) fully seated and torqued. Shims may be required here to get it to match the door in/out position, or you can bend it with a long 4x4.

e) Open the door and drive the top horizontal bolt, fully seated and torqued. Shims may be required here as well.

f) Set the hood on and gently close it without latching it. noting the gaps between the fender and hood. Open the hood and shove the front end sheet metal left and right, closing the hood and checking until the fender to hood gaps are even and straight. Note - if your cab is cocked on the frame rails it will cause the hood to shoot off to one side or the other, and the front end will have to shift to accomodate it. You will know this is the case if your bumper to fender gaps are different from one side to the other.

g) Once you have everything where you want it torque it all down.

h) Repeat, peforming all of the above at least once per minute while reading the newspaper.

K

[Gregsenne]

Thanks Keith, that's very helpful. If anyone would know this best, it'd be you! Hell, you probably watched my truck's front end be assembled right on the line!!
Thanks again. I'm going to try to adjust it tonight, I'll let you know if there's any problems.

[Keith Seymore]

What year is your truck, and was it build in Flint?

Depending on your answer, I may have been leaning on the desk when it went by.

Conversely, I may have been hanging the spare tire, fixing crossthreaded body bolts or fighting with the Shop Commiteeman when it went by...



K

[Gregsenne]

its an 86 high sierra, and it was built at the Flint plant.
Just curious, did they mix Chevy and GMC trucks on the same line at the same time?

[Keith Seymore]

Originally Posted by Gregsenne

its an 86 high sierra, and it was built at the Flint plant.
Just curious, did they mix Chevy and GMC trucks on the same line at the same time?

Absolutely. Some times on the same truck.

K

[esbstuff]

Originally Posted by Keith Seymore

Absolutely. Some times on the same truck.

K

[motornut]

Originally Posted by Keith Seymore

Absolutely. Some times on the same truck.

K

lol

[THE "10" SILVERADO]

Originally Posted by Keith Seymore

Yes - you've got to loosen all of the vertical bolts.

Here's how they did it in the assembly plant. You can pick up midstream here where ever is convenient:

a) Radiator support is sitting on the mounts, with the bolts started, but completely loose.

b) Hang the fender on the truck, setting it on any spacers required at the cowl to get the feature lines to match the door. Push it rearward until the gap at the door is where you want it (in the plant they had a small magnetic spacer they pushed the fender back against) Drive the vertical bolt by the base of the cab A Pillar until it is almost snug, but still loose enough for the fender to slide.

c) Drive and tighten all of the fender nose bolts, attaching the rad support to the front inside of the fender, using the small pointed bolt pt# 3846202.

d) Drive the fender anchor bolt at the bottom of the fender (from underneath) fully seated and torqued. Shims may be required here to get it to match the door in/out position, or you can bend it with a long 4x4.

e) Open the door and drive the top horizontal bolt, fully seated and torqued. Shims may be required here as well.

f) Set the hood on and gently close it without latching it. noting the gaps between the fender and hood. Open the hood and shove the front end sheet metal left and right, closing the hood and checking until the fender to hood gaps are even and straight. Note - if your cab is cocked on the frame rails it will cause the hood to shoot off to one side or the other, and the front end will have to shift to accomodate it. You will know this is the case if your bumper to fender gaps are different from one side to the other.

g) Once you have everything where you want it torque it all down.

h) Repeat, peforming all of the above at least once per minute while reading the newspaper.

K

Holy crap Keith, wish I could remember stuff like that. So if my bumper is farther out on one side then it could be my cab is sitting cockeyed?

[Keith Seymore]

Originally Posted by THE "10" SILVERADO

Holy crap Keith, wish I could remember stuff like that. So if my bumper is farther out on one side then it could be my cab is sitting cockeyed?

Well...after you do it three or four million times it kind of gets etched in your mind....

Re: cockeyed cab - yep.

K