Ok, I had the whole front end on my F350 on except the hood. Then I read about aligning the hood and found out I needed to take the front tin off first. I did that with much grumbling. I followed Racers' (I think that's his handle) very detailed instructions down to the cab needs to be square. So my question is what reference points are there, if any, to when my cab is square? I've moved the cab forward on the driver's side, back on the passenger side, side-to -side; but my hood just doesn't seem to want to sit right. Either I'm sitting good at the cowl and on the front of the hood the latch strip is sticking out on the right-hand side. If I square it up on the latch strip then I'm about an inch off at the cowl. Do I even need to worry about the latch strip if I'm square at the cowl? Feeling kind of frustrated.

 

I've never really had much of a problem setting a cab but want to follow your thread "just in case". Axracer may be on a sabbatical, I haven't seen any posts for him in a while.

 

The essence of the alignment procedure is that the hood should be aligned to the cab first. What this entails is mounting the hood via the hinges and setting the gap where the hood meets the cab cowl. Once the hood is aligned to the cab/cowl then you can proceed with the remaining sheet metal. Personally I would not have removed the front sheetmetal if it was already in place, there is plenty of play in the mounting holes to accommodate whatever repositioning that is necessary just as long as the mounting hardware is loose. I would go back to the point where the hood is square with the cab and work from there. The stiffening rods that go from the corners of the hood latch panel back to the firewall will pull/push the hood latch panel from side to side. If your hood is square to the cab and the hood latch panel sticks out on the right side then shorten the rod on that side to bring the hood latch panel back in line. If this adjustment throws out the left side then do the same on that side until you have the hood latch panel square to the hood. At this point you should have the hood square to the cab and the hood latch panel square to the hood and thus square to the cab. Don't forget the bolts under the radiator cradle, loosen those to move the whole frontend (minus the hood) from side to side.
By now the hood latch pin should be fairly centered on the hood latch. Mount the fenders and set the hood to fender gap by shifting the radiator cradle side to side. Further adjustment of the hood latch mechanism may be needed if you have had to move the radiator cradle to either side. Fine alignment of the fenders can be done to bring them in line with the front edge of the hood via the mounting points at the cowl and the hood latch panel/wind deflectors. Good luck!

 

Ok, I'm breathing a little easier. That's what I was thinking too; as long as the gap at the cowl is even with the hood then I'm square. Because the stiffening rods will raise and shift the whole front core. Good point about the bolts at the bottom of the radiator "horse shoe" as AXERACER calls it; I'll make sure I loosen them. I did buy new hinges my old ones were pretty sloppy. Now to go level the frame again; I have a floor jack that keeps bleeding down - drove me nuts at first until I realized it was the jack bleeding down. Thanks for the pointers!

 

But what about if you have a forward tilt hood...??? Kind of hard doing it this way..

 

The instructions I got were to aling everything, adding spacers where needed and bolt it all togeather. Couldn't figure out how to do it with the engine in so that's why my Panel has no engine in it.

Just reread your post. Oops I'm doing a tilt frontend not a hood.

 

Ok, an update on aligning my the hood. I was one frustrated guy until I received an email from Jesse@midfifty.com. I cried on his shoulder and he gave me the comfortable advice I needed. I had followed AXRACER's very detailed instructions but never could get the hood to align right. Jesse's suggestion to me was, "When aligning the hood begin with the cab." I found my cab was almost 3/4 inch to the passenger side. I found a place to measure from the frame to the cab pinch weld and used that point of reference on both sides. A hefty alignment bar and a little brute strength and I was able align the cab. Then I found a point of reference to measure from the rear of the cab, but I was alright that way. I ended up loosening all of the fender, inner fender, wind deflector, and horseshoe (I call it the core support) bolts. Previously, I had leveled the frame (front to rear), the core support, and the cab; I had told Jesse that my cab was lower on the driver's side so I shimmed it up, Jesse told me to jack up the "wing" on the driver's side - so I removed the shim (a large washer) and jacked up the wing it worked like a champ! After getting the cab straight side-to-side and back-to-back on the frame. I went back to the hood making sure I had the same gap on the rightside and on the leftside and adjusting my hinges, up or down or forward and backward as needed. Then I started tightening the fender to cab bolts to finger tight only. First I started on the right side fender tightening the inside fender bolts then I went to the left side - something that was suggested by AXRACER. Then moving on to the inner fender to outside fender bolts; again moving from one side to the other. Once those bolts were tightened finger tight I checked the hood (I was amazed it was a uniform gap on both sides of the hood). Then I went and tightened the fender bolts just snug; again going from side to side - checked the hood again and the uniform gap was still there. Then I tightened the fender bolts and checked the hood gap; I was still good. Then I bolted the wind deflectors to the fender and inner fender; again just going finger tight. Checked my hood latch plate and it was still level. Then did the same procedure snugging the bolts down, checking the hood gap, and then tightening the bolts and checking the hood gap - I was golden. Thanks to everyone on Ford Truck Enthusiast especially AXRACER and Jesse@Midfifty.com. Jesse told me how the front tin is balanced between the cab and the front horseshoeNow I just have to do some touch up painting where the hood chipped paint on the cowl and where my wrench slipped.. Next step are the windows!

If anyone needs any help in aligning your hood just email me I'll help you as best I can.

 

Great info. Flat you got it straight. I believe Jesse is a girl though.

 

Interesting and insightful! Thanks.

 

Yes, Jesse is a girl...she is Diane's daughter.

 

LOL, Well, Jesse is a savior to me regardless of gender - LOL

 

Finally, cab, hood, and fenders are aligned. Waiting for glass to come in. Have window regulators and vent frames prepped and ready to go.

 

Great progress

 

Some milestones are more significant than others...front sheet metal alignment is one of those things that nag at truck owners for years. Getting it right is a job well-done!

 

Thanks bjmayberry2 and CharlieLed.