Suggestions before removing body again?

[Torkman66]

Had the body off and on a cart for a bunch of work on the underside, floors, tailight housings, etc. Put it back on the rolling frame with new body mounts and setup the doors and fender gaps so I could weld the rockers in the right place for the lower door gap. I installed the windshield frame with self taping screws and it lined up nice with the doors as well. Before I remove the body and put it back on the cart to do all the body work for paint, is there anything else I should do BEFORE I take it off the frame? Thanks for any advice.

 

[bronkenn]

It sounds like you did the fitments on your frame. Good idea.

 

[fordguy]

It sounds like you did the fitments on your frame. Good idea.

Fitment off the frame = bad idea. I plan on draping plastic over frame and bolting body back on doing body work, then tear the drop sheet off. Nowt worried about the little bit I can’t get where body mounts are.

 

[DirtDonk]

Is the body already well braced and cross-braced? Pretty much must be, so guessing you did.
But if not, definitely do it! Brace the crap outta it or the body panels you so carefully lined up, won't the next time.

Paul

 

[Torkman66]

DD, yes I made a good brace system. I have bolted on 3" square tubes that run the length of the top of quarters where the top would bolt on, and then forward over the door openings and then a 90" tube welded on that runs down the A pillar and is bolted into the door hinge plates top and bottom. I also have two cross tubes that run from quarter to quarter mid way and in the back where the tailgate would be. When I removed the floors, I added a 1" square tube brace that connected the floor supports to the brace. Now that I have the floors and rockers back in, I will no longer use that potion of the support. It gets lifted straight up with ceiling hoist and then strait down.

Here is a month old pic before floors and rockers where in. Now that I have the floors, rockers in, it should be even more structurally sound during lifting. Hopefully this will ensure little to no movement.

 

[sprdv1]

So if you are restoring your Bronco to it's original condition, and you don't care about the hood being shimmed crooked, and the front end core support being shifted over...then just ignore me.

I'm sure that' s in consideration I would think

 

[Torkman66]

I installed the doors, fenders, hood, and grill. The hood gaps were terrible and the fenders did not have a straight line going down the hood line. At about the 6" remaining on that fender line, they bowed in toward the hood to a near 0 gap although the gap everywhere else was at least 1/4" to 5/16". Further, the hood was bent and cracked. I attempted for several hours to bend it back in shape and weld up cracks, but in the end, it was not salvageable, at least not by me. It also had several dents. So I bit the bullet and bought a new hood. Hoping the aftermarket hood is usable although I will likely need to modify to some degree to make it right.

The fenders and the grill took some work to get them to line up with near 0 gaps but eventually that worked out. However, the rear gap at the door is giving me fits. Shims, washers, a small bend here and there and they are close, but until I get my hood, I wont know for sure. I might be in the market for fenders...ugh. The lines are very important to me. I spent many hours lining up the doors perfectly before welding in the rockers. Needed to shim the rear body mounts to bring the top rear of the door gap close enough (moved it in about 1/4") and put hinges in press to get a 1/16" door movement forward. However, that was still not a perfect gap so I am using a cutoff wheel to slit the upper quarter panel right at the gap and moving it over 1/16" or so and welding it back up. That turned out perfect. The gaps along the back are parallel to quarters at 3/16" top to bottom. The gaps along the bottom rockers are slightly more at 1/4" or maybe 5/16"., but straight and parallel all the way front to back. The gaps at the fender are close at 3/16" to 1/4" but until I get the hood, wont be able to dial them in completely.

So. all that to say that before I take it off the frame again, I plan on getting all the gaps near perfect including the tail gate and the window frame. I'll put the top on tomorrow to dial in the window frame to door window gaps.

Finally any suggestions on what I should try to get in terms of hood to fender gaps?

 

[Torkman66]

Understand. I went out an measured from the lip of the core support to the center pin on the windshield hinge. It is 49" on the PS and 49 1/8" on the DS. However, doesn't that also assume the core support is dead on and not slightly bent/tweaked left to right by an 1/8" I'll take your advice and wait until the hood arrives to test fit everything. I have plenty to do to keep me busy on this thing until then! Thanks.