Assembling order of front clip and shortwide bed?

[K85 Octane]

I searched through tons of threads, with keywords like assembling/putting together/ reproduction/ etc. The "etc" didn't get me anywhere.

I pulled my front clip from the '68 in one piece and didn't really pay attention when I disassembled it. (or shim locations for that mater) Luckily there was only a couple shims and things looked pretty good when I pulled it.

I never really messed with the bed as it was a long bed. I sold that a while ago.

So my front clip is primered and ready to go back on. I also have a reproduction bed coming in the mail. I watched Stacy David put a bed together, but it was a wood bed. Mine is a steel floor.


Here's my guess, please help me if you got info.

Bed: Loosely bolt bulkhead to fenders. Make sure it's equal on both sides. Bolt wheel wells to fenders. Lay everything on top of steel floor and enjoy fixing holes and tabs to get bed bolted together and square. Maybe tighten down bulkhead but install the tailgate before tightening down the sides.


Front Clip: Loosely bolt core support in place as it might need to move left or right. Bolt up small triangle brackets (fender brackets) loosely at each end of core support. Bolt in lower grill support along bottom of CS (core support). Loosely bolt in center grill support bracket in center of CS. Loosely bolt in grill. Put in wheel wells and loosely bolt to bottom of CS and cab. Align each fender, will need to put shims back at cab. This sounds like the crappy part. Getting all those wheel well/CS/grill/cab bolts in at once. I think, if I measure the width of the hood, I can probably check the clearance/square-ness of the fenders and tighten everything down. As long as it's all square and wide enough, I should be able to bolt the hinges up and mount the hood. CAREFULLY check hood fitment. If it works, bolt hood latch to grill and CS.



Am I close? Any tips? Pleeeeesssssse

I am chomping at the bit to start wiring and buttoning up stuff in the engine compartment. But I need coverage for everything first.

 

[bigblock72]

The bed is pretty easy you shouldn't have any serious problems with it, just look at the nuts that are welded to the bed sides those sometimes get welded on the wrong direction.

The front clip will likely try your patience. Start by installing the radiator support then install one fender at a time, loosely bolt to support to help hold it in place then line up each fender to the door, the doors must be aligned properly BEFORE the fenders are installed. Once both fenders are aligned to the doors make sure your length measurements are the same from cab to tip of fender then tighten the fender to cab bolts. Install the hood (make sure the hood hinges are in good shape) and get the front clip squared and make the hood fit and close properly (don't be alarmed if you have to move the cab on its mounts). Once the hood fits good tighten the rad support mount bolts, the fender to support bolts, then install the grill and align it to the fenders and if necessary loosen the fender to rad. support (one side at a time) bolts to move the support and make the headlights fit in the grill. After you spend a day or two on that then install the triangle braces and the inner fenders.

 

[76zimmer]

I think you need to get the doors as perfect as possible before starting on the front clip. The cab is fixed and you adjust the doors for the best possible fit to that, then the fenders to the doors.

 

[K85 Octane]

After you spend a day or two on that then install the triangle braces and the inner fenders.

Holy crap.

I thought the only way the fenders mounted to the core support was those little 6x6" triangle brackets in the very corners of the fenders/CS. Interesting, I also thought the wheel wells had to go in before the fenders, seems like it would be a PITA to get in afterwords.

Ok ok hmmm

Also, my doors close really nice right now and the gaps are good. I will try to bump my passenger door up ~1/8", if that, as it seems to hit the jam striker a little and show a tiny bit more spacing above it than the driver side. I worked on them after getting the cab mounted. I closed like poo when I bought it.

I also measured from a few different points to make sure the cab went on straight. I'm sure it's within 1/32" side to side but front to back is anyone's guess.

 

[ryoken]

what Dave said...