I would say the gap in the rear is due to the frame bending under the weight of the bumper just use a jack to bring the frame up tight. I don't suggest shimming anything on the body tub. Did you put the #5 bushings in place?
Replacing body bushings on 1979 Monte Carlo
- Thread starter rmorman
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I completely removed the rear bumper, but I still might just stay away from shimming anything but the rad support. I'll maybe just jack the frame to the bushings. My '79 Monte already had the #5's installed from the factory. I replaced them with new poly ones.
Mentioning the rear bumper brings up another thing. The single bolt that comes up through the bottom of the frame and helps secure the bumper frame inside the car frame broke when I removed the bumper. I'd like to replace it when I re-install the bumpers. Does anybody know the specs on this bolt? Am I giving enough info? I'm not sure there will be much of it left when I extract it.
What I mean is after the bushings deteriorated and the bolts broke, the rear bumper was putting a lot of force on the frame during driving. These frames are not as rigid in the rear as you would think.
This is a great time to add a bar to tie in the rear frame rails together. You can see how much it flexes. It made a huge difference on my car. I just used the lower bumper bolts at the frame side.
https://gbodyforum.com/threads/f41-and-aftermarket-bracing-diagrams-more-pics-added.8126/
That thread has some examples. Some people use a hitch although it can be as simple as some square tube or angle stock with holes drilled in the end.
Best way to describe it is imagine the difference between being pulled across your yard on a piece of 1/4" plywood. After the rear brace, it's like riding on a piece of 3/4" plywood. I did mine 10 years ago, but that's about the best description that I can give.
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