Align fender/hood - The 1947 - Present Chevrolet & GMC Truck Message Board Network

NJ C10 Guy · 12-14-2015, 03:32 PM

I recently crashed my truck. My fault, slow speed crash, did some damage to the driver's side fender. The hood was up when I crashed and it wouldn't close after the crash. It would come all the way down, but it wasn't lined up with the latch in the rad support. I assumed it was because the fender bowed out a little bit and since the hinge is attached to it, it pulled it out with it.

I found an aftermarket fender color matched in my area for a good price, so i picked it up. I put the fender on my truck and got the gaps lined up great by the cab. I am running into some issues with the screws up front where the rad support bolts up to the fender. I got 3 of the 5 screws in (the top 3) and the other 2 are off by an inch or so. Also, the hood will not close now. It is off to the point where it would hit the fender on the driver's side if I closed it.

Is my issue with the hood springs or should I be able to correct it by loosening the hinges and adjusting them? Also, for bolting up the fender to the rad support, should I loosen up the rad support to adjust it?

snaptoo · 12-14-2015, 03:59 PM

Some of those replacement fenders are a real mess to align ! You have already found mismatched holes !

tucsonjwt · 12-14-2015, 05:19 PM

Some posters here have had good luck with aftermarket fenders. Most body shops I have talked to around here won't use them because of the fitment issues. They tell me that they have to spend a lot more time getting a good fit, and it is never as good as OEM.

One trick I have heard of is installing all of the mounting bolts loosely prior to driving them all home.

Are you sure that all of your mating parts are still not tweaked out of position? Sounds like your rad support might be bent out of shape.

NJ C10 Guy · 12-14-2015, 11:46 PM

My rad support seems like it's straight. I didn't notice any kinks or bends, minus the lip on the top of it which had some slight bending inward. Just the lip, and it was rolled up a little and not bent. Nothing else seemed out of the ordinary.

**old Rusty C10** · 12-15-2015, 11:20 AM

when you bent your fender its possible you bowed your hinge. With aftermarket parts sometimes I need to use a come along and loosen the entire rad support and fender to line stuff up with the holes..

12-14-2015, 03:32 PM	#1
NJ C10 Guy Registered User Join Date: Sep 2014 Location: Toms River, NJ Posts: 437	Align fender/hood I recently crashed my truck. My fault, slow speed crash, did some damage to the driver's side fender. The hood was up when I crashed and it wouldn't close after the crash. It would come all the way down, but it wasn't lined up with the latch in the rad support. I assumed it was because the fender bowed out a little bit and since the hinge is attached to it, it pulled it out with it. I found an aftermarket fender color matched in my area for a good price, so i picked it up. I put the fender on my truck and got the gaps lined up great by the cab. I am running into some issues with the screws up front where the rad support bolts up to the fender. I got 3 of the 5 screws in (the top 3) and the other 2 are off by an inch or so. Also, the hood will not close now. It is off to the point where it would hit the fender on the driver's side if I closed it. Is my issue with the hood springs or should I be able to correct it by loosening the hinges and adjusting them? Also, for bolting up the fender to the rad support, should I loosen up the rad support to adjust it?

12-14-2015, 03:59 PM	#2
snaptoo Registered User Join Date: May 2015 Location: Las vegas nevada Posts: 26	Re: Align fender/hood Some of those replacement fenders are a real mess to align ! You have already found mismatched holes !

12-14-2015, 05:19 PM	#3
tucsonjwt Registered User Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Tucson, AZ Posts: 3,188	Re: Align fender/hood Some posters here have had good luck with aftermarket fenders. Most body shops I have talked to around here won't use them because of the fitment issues. They tell me that they have to spend a lot more time getting a good fit, and it is never as good as OEM. One trick I have heard of is installing all of the mounting bolts loosely prior to driving them all home. Are you sure that all of your mating parts are still not tweaked out of position? Sounds like your rad support might be bent out of shape.

12-14-2015, 11:46 PM	#4
NJ C10 Guy Registered User Join Date: Sep 2014 Location: Toms River, NJ Posts: 437	Re: Align fender/hood My rad support seems like it's straight. I didn't notice any kinks or bends, minus the lip on the top of it which had some slight bending inward. Just the lip, and it was rolled up a little and not bent. Nothing else seemed out of the ordinary.

12-15-2015, 11:20 AM	#5
old Rusty C10 Robert Olson Transport Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: recent transplant to NC USA Posts: 20,277	Re: Align fender/hood when you bent your fender its possible you bowed your hinge. With aftermarket parts sometimes I need to use a come along and loosen the entire rad support and fender to line stuff up with the holes.. __________________ Bob 1951 International running on a squarebody chassis "If a man's worth is judged by the people he associates himself with, then i am the richest man in the world knowing some of the fine people of this board" http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/a...t.php?f=25&a=9 (you can review the site rules here!) PM Me for your vehicle/parts hauling needs in the North East US or see my Facebook page Robert Olson Transport Live each day to the fullest.. you never know when fate is going to pull the rug out from under you... I hate cancer!!



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