47-55.1 front fender alignment?

[evilokc]

im getting close on this fender. the front seems to sit flush but the middle has a small gap. do I need to raise the entire fender or just the rear?

[MiraclePieCo]

Looks pretty decent to me. Perhaps another angle would give a better view of the problem?

[mr48chev]

The gaps are usually on the left side rather than the right side.

One thing. Get the hood adjusted to the cowl perfectly before you attempt to adjust the fenders. Hood first then fenders to the hood. It just never seems to work right putting the fenders on and trying to adjust the hood to the fenders.

On my truck I tried several hoods that I had (still have some of them) before I got the one that fit the best. That one I had louvered but it still doesn't fit big show winner perfect.

[evilokc]

my trucks was damaged many years before I got it and the cab right where the heater vent is has damage. that area of the hood will never sit right unless I cut it out and replace it. I probably wont. I spent a while moving everything as best I could and ended up with an acceptable gap. I have to hook my headlight back up and that side is complete.

[dsraven]

haven't worked on one of the AD trucks in awhile but I'm on the same page as mr48, hood first then fenders.

[dsraven]

https://raybuck.com/how-to-align-the...or-gmc-pickup/

[Driver_WT]

Originally Posted by dsraven

https://raybuck.com/how-to-align-the...or-gmc-pickup/

"If you are keeping the fender cross brace rods, the left should measure 27 1/4″ and the right should measure 27″, with the measurement taken from the center of the bolt head to the head of the bracket."

Are the measurements for the fender cross brace rods from the center of the front bolt head at the firewall?

Thanks.

Wade

[mr48chev]

I'm not sure about the exact measurement thing on the rods but from experience with not running them in the past you have a real battle on your hands to adjust the gaps or keep them adjusted if you don't have them.

Still when everything sheet metal wise is what we see as close to perfect those gaps can be a real challenge. I probably tried ten hoods on my 48 before I found one that I thought fit the best side gap wise when I had my hood louvered in 1981 or 2.

The right side can usually be made to fit pretty good it is the left side that most guys have problems with as the dies that they stamped the hoods with didn't get it perfect at least in some stamping plants. The trucks were assembled in ten plants then and I have never seen if all ten had their own stamping lines or if the metal was stamped in just a few locations and shipped to the plants by rail.