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I'm working on replacing my very beat up front fenders on my '66 with a pair off of another truck. Does anyone know of a guide or have any tips on the process of getting these to fit correctly? If I just put them on and bolt on, the gaps are all wrong and the doors are a little too close for comfort. Just looking for the recommended process before I reinvent the wheel on these.
If your cab mounts and radiator support are good, start all bolts and leave loose. Then tighten the bolts to the cab first, assuring door gaps are correct. Then work your way towards the front.
Last edited by wauto; Mar 15, 2019 at 07:35 AM.
Reason: spelling
...also, make sure the doors fit the cab first, and they are not sagging. Most of the mounting holes in the fender/apron are slotted to allow a little play. You can always elongate the slots if you need more adjustment. Everything else is somewhat “flexible” towards the front. As wauto said, keep all the bolts loose so you can push, pull, pry and tug to get the alignment you need before snugging the fasteners.
Are there any how-to's on dealing with door sag? When i open my passenger door and it unlatches the door drops/sags a bit. Unsure if there are worn parts or some of the hardware just needs to be snugged with the door in proper position. Or is it also a combo of worn out body mounts?
I don't know of any how-to other than just trial and error. If that door drops, I'd recommend checking how much flex the body mounts show, lift up on the door and feel how much play the hinges have and go from there. You can get replacement hinges or replace the bushings on your originals.
The doors look good to me, I don't think they've ever been off either. I'll look for play in them though. My main problem seems to be that the fender doesn't go in enough, and it is proud of the door. I'll try to get a pic or two when I get home tonight. Is there typically much metal shaping required when retrofitting?
You can move the front of the door out by adjusting the hinges at the pillar. I would remove the striker and make my door adjustments first, the reinstall the striker for proper latching. If you move the door out, however, your weatherstrip may no longer seal. You can only move the fender inboard so much, as the rocker panel nut and the nut behind the kick panel, limit travel. Unless someone here has additional tricks short of major modification. Another issue is installing fenders that are not original to the truck. On the assembly line, close was close enough. Aaaaahhhhhh, the pleasure of working on older vehicles!
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Fender Replacement Tips?
