I'm getting ready to replace the front fenders on my '80 F100 and noticed that the two bolts into the bracket off of the firewall at the cowl (between the cowl and the hood spring) have some type of (deteriorating) shims. Does anyone know what this material and/or what would be a good substitute? Would it need to compress a little to get the fender aligned?

 

Probably they are just standard body alignment shims, made of some kind of metal. They come in different thicknesses, LMC truck sells them as I'm sure many other places do.

 

The HELP section of a decent auto parts store might have them.

 

OK. It was dark when I looked and maybe there was some crud on them or the PO used something else... didn't seem like metal. I'll check again and if need be I'll get some at the JY next visit. Thanks for your replies.

 

I got this shim/spacer at the JY this morning. It's hard to tell what it is made of, maybe resin impregnated laminated paper. My Ford dealer says they are not available. Their parts printout lists the part as #16D162 in Section P25106 Fenders and Related Parts. Would using washers (vinyl-coated or stainless) work? Is the original part suppose to reduce any possible metal-to-metal contact squeaking noise?

 

That's exactly what that's for. To keep the fenders from metal to metal contact and squeaking.

That is not a body shim.

Body shims are metal and are used to bring into alighnment the body lines of the seperate parts. Most all trucks have them from the factory. Used on radiator supports, fenders, front bumpers etc...

I'd just re-use that one.

 

I've seen those things before, they always seem to fall apart as I remove the fender.

 

The part shown is brittle and I glued it back together before I took the picture. It was from the JY ('95 truck). I know mine will fall apart when I remove the fenders (idea reinforced by ctubutis), so I think I will have to fab one. Any ideas what material would be suitable?

 

If I remember, those things are actually kinda thick and I'm having a hard time thinking up of common household items that could be adapted.

For example, I think of bathtub mats, or rubber Welcome mats, or Rubbermaid stuff that goes over the center section of a two-well kitchen sink.

Obviously, I'm thinking some sort of rubber-like material.

I think the factory used something that seems paper-like, prolly cuz it's cheaper (important when you're building bazillions of the things).

 

Some type of rubber, I agree with CTUBUTIS.

Inner tube would be to thin. Perhaps a heavy equipment inner tube or something simular. An old conveyer belt like at the supermarket etc...

 

Maybe like piece of radiator hose or gas line hose, cut open and flattened out.

 

Good suggestions guys! I'm leaning towards rubber and thinking maybe built up roofing membrane (cruise the new housing developments) or even built up thick card coated with polyurethane glue like Gorilla Glue.

 

I talked to two different body shops and was told they just use metal shims when replacing the fenders. If you try to make some, it would need to be a hard rubber or it will squeeze out on you.

 

I know I am a little late, by a few years, but you can make them out of pressed cardboard paper. Thats what the original shims were made of.

Gets some elmers glue. About 5-6 sheets of cardboard paper. They are between a 1/16-1/8 in thick. It looks similar to the piece of cardboard paper in the back of a legal writing pad or notebook. I bought them at Michaels. It's a crafts store. Mix the glue with some water. About a 50-50 solution is good. Lay a piece on your work bench. Brush the top of that piece with the mixture. Let it soak in. Only takes a few minutes. Do it again, then place a new sheet on top of it. Soak the top of that one, and so on, until you've done 5 pieces. Finally, brush the mixture onto the top of the 5th piece, letting it soak in, then doing it again. Then do the bottom piece in the same manner as the others. I laid it out onto the top of a gallon size plastic freezer bag. I put another freezer bag on top of it. I put my 1984 Ford F150 Manual on top and a 25 lb weight on top of that. I waited about a week for them to thoroughly dry.

I used the old ones to create new stencils to use on the new pressed cardboard I created. I cut them with a jigsaw. Worked great. I used a drill bit to start on some of the stencils. Some of the paper got messed up on the backside, but it turned out okay. I used a palm sander on all 6 sides. Then I made some more glue mixture and brushed them a final time, letting it soak into all 6 sides.

I think they came out really nice. Very sturdy. Im sure they will be great shims. I think there were three on each side. I'm doing a ground up on my 1984 Ford F150 2WD. Trying to keep as much as possible original. I'll be putting those fenders on pretty soon.

 

Mine also fell apart when I took my truck apart.
I used vinyl floor tile to make my shims out of and worked pretty good.
Dave ----