Help align fender with door ??
- Thread starter 87gbodydanny
- Start date
I'm not the "gap master" but I can tell you this- mastering the aligning a G-body fender is a freakin' art. They never fit just perfect anyway, and with any sort of sag, you're going to feel it at the gaps.
Can't say for sure, but if you have the REAR of the door gap straight and evenly spaced from top to bottom, plus an even gap along the bottom of the door, then your door is aligned fairly "square" to the body. Now it's time for getting the fender on right.
Assuming all that's good back there, it appears your front fender is drooping a bit in the front, thus making a larger gap up top than at the bottom. Also, if the lower section of the fender is too far inward, you'll pinch paint that way too. If the body's been tweaked at some point, you're going to be in for an almost endless fight. You seem to need a bit more gap at the bottom.
I'd get me some frog tape or blue painter tape and tape up the edges of your door/fender while doing this to keep from rubbing off too much paint. Additionally, you MAY need to add a spacer or two for the front radiator support to the frame. Sometimes those rubber bushings up there just crush down with age and throws off fender alignments by allowing the front to pull lower.
Can't say for sure, but if you have the REAR of the door gap straight and evenly spaced from top to bottom, plus an even gap along the bottom of the door, then your door is aligned fairly "square" to the body. Now it's time for getting the fender on right.
Assuming all that's good back there, it appears your front fender is drooping a bit in the front, thus making a larger gap up top than at the bottom. Also, if the lower section of the fender is too far inward, you'll pinch paint that way too. If the body's been tweaked at some point, you're going to be in for an almost endless fight. You seem to need a bit more gap at the bottom.
I'd get me some frog tape or blue painter tape and tape up the edges of your door/fender while doing this to keep from rubbing off too much paint. Additionally, you MAY need to add a spacer or two for the front radiator support to the frame. Sometimes those rubber bushings up there just crush down with age and throws off fender alignments by allowing the front to pull lower.
I spent days trying to align the doors on mine after off-frame restoration. Put back all the shims where I took out from, no dice. Door aligns with body contour on the back, great. But... if you align fender on top then it closes gap at the botttom and walla! it has no clearance for the door to open. there in no way I can figure it out. I love my gaps!
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Anyone that bought a new G-body can attest to the fact that gaps were pretty bad as compared to newer cars' alignment procedures. If you can improve them, by all means, do it!
The car needs to be on all four wheels on flat ground to perform a fender alignment. Frame sag will throw your fender adjustment off along with bad body bushings. The door alignment must be good to get a good fender alignment. I had to hammer the fender lip by the door in a little to get the gap good. Any single adjustment to one gap affects all the other gaps, its a delicate balance between all the sides with little margin.
Its not just G bodies that are a PITA to align body panels. It was a big pain to align the replacement door on my 08 Crown Vic.
Its not just G bodies that are a PITA to align body panels. It was a big pain to align the replacement door on my 08 Crown Vic.
This is how I would start. Align it to the parts that cannot move and then work forward.
the door to rear is perfect it’s the front end that’s a headache. I got my passenger side with no problem but the driver side is where it’s not align right
Pull the fenders and front header forward. Figure out where they want to sit on the frame. Every GBody that I’ve done this too as required adjusting the core support height. It sounds like a pita, and it is. But it’s not really that bad.
As 69hurstolds mentioned, get the rear door line to match (might have to move the striker if needed.) Be sure the window looks right on the window seal. If it doesn’t, then adjust the front of the door an accordingly. Then move into the fenders. - I always make too much fender to door gap initially. Then get the core support at the correct height.
Once that done - you’re ready for the hood battle.
As 69hurstolds mentioned, get the rear door line to match (might have to move the striker if needed.) Be sure the window looks right on the window seal. If it doesn’t, then adjust the front of the door an accordingly. Then move into the fenders. - I always make too much fender to door gap initially. Then get the core support at the correct height.
Once that done - you’re ready for the hood battle.
Unbolt the two bolts holding the core support to the frame. Looks like you might have to add some shims to close up the top gap and pull the bottom of the fender away from the door. Make sure all of the fender bolts are loose. Once you get the fender where you want it. You'll have a better idea of shims are required by the door to keep the fender in that location. Just went thru this two weeks ago. First door took me 2 days. Second took 1 hour.
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