Can’t get this hood to fit
Just FYI (and you may know but just took these pictures for us so the numbers are easy to read) this is what the other side of calipers is for. Those prongs go into the gap and push outward to both sides
I had it like that from eyeballing the core support gap so I rolled with it
They interchange, you can use the big side to measure an outer measurement and then flip it over to take an inside measurement and they’ll read the same.
“This truck was hit on the front drive side at some point in its life so it’s a bit tweaked.” <- get it untweaked first, then go from there. Trying to fit parts on anything that’s tweaked is a losing proposition and will just cause headaches and frustration.
Pull the front end apart, then start measuring and get it straight, THEN build back and fit up the fenders/core; get those straight and square; then add the hood and go from there. These Squarebodies are not hard to straighten out, just need to do it in the proper steps.
The frame is a bit off on the driver side and it’s not in my budget to send it out to get the frame straightened. I’m trying to deal with what I have because everything was already smooshed to match and I’m not looking for something absolutely perfect
Shouldn’t need to send it out unless its massively off, rent the hydraulic ram kit at Aurozone for free (deposit only), take some measurements and push/pull. Hell, I’ve straightened Squarebody frames with 2 trees and a come-along.
You need to square the front end fenders first. With the hood upMeasure from the front corner of the left fender to the right rear corner of the right fender…….Then do the opposite measurement……. If the measurement is off from one another the front fenders are not square to each other and no hood will fit correctly until that is properly done. 1⁄8 inch or less is acceptable out of square
Being mounted on dzus rails it doesn’t have much allowance, it needs to be pretty flush or the fasteners will be half in and half out
If the fenders aren’t square in the first place all the work is for nothing
Can’t you loosen the fender bolts and pull it in on the one side?
maybe its a bad part remakes and non oem things like fiberglass usually like 98% of the time need tweaking or are wrong shape entirely maybe you just bought a bad one that dont fit at all these things happen
Journeyman Bodyman here.
Fiberglass parts rarely fit will.
Making a part from a mould leaves a lot of variation between finished product.
Aftermarket sheetmetal is much more reliable, but still not perfect.
I’m pretty sure the problem is on the original truck side. The new hood is square and everything looks good on it after being trimmed. I’m just not sure how to go anout this
Break out the tape and measure the hood. It’s fiberglass and if its not new it could be bowed or could have a production issue.
You can’t tell that picture 3 is not on the body line. At first I thought you might just have too much filler but there’s definitely a bow there.
Can you not shim the dzus bar with ¼ sheet metal? You could heat and shape the hood mounting on the inside to make up some of that difference.
Strange question…. But have you checked that its not the new bonnet and not the vehicle itself? 👍
The hood is square yes
How about the guards? Removed and put back on? Bowed by any chance? Hard to tell from photo.
Maybe you could try “twisting” it on the hinges to even out the gap
Theres a big bubble in the middle. Just hammer it flat to unstress the hood. It will expand and fit very well 👍
Bro, you have to unscrew the fenders to see whats going on there. Then adjust.
There are usually adjustment screws on the fender mounts and hood mounts that should help you center it better.
That said, you may need to ‘encourage’ some of the fender brackets into a more correct orientation. Base any corrections on either side from a known-centerline; in this case, probably tailgate-middle of windshield.
WTF do you want that UGLY NASTY POS on there in the first place. I guess you want it so that everyone will look at it and say WTF???