Fenders won't align after front clip rebuild

[dgold_881]

Fenders came from Dennis Carpenter, I don't think its a fender issue since the oem and new ones do the same thing.

Who's fenders are those? Not trying to call anyone out.......

Mine just got here and no damage in transit but it appears as if like said below,



I'm judging this off the OEM fender that's on my rig now (it's cut and dented so i'm replacing it) compared to the new one I just got. The inner fender gaps are different and the welding job is CRAP so it should be easy to remove and adjust if needed.

In your pic it looks like the gap is very small but as said, hard to tell.

BTW, I bought my fenders from Dennis Carpenter due to the fact it was the same price as all the vendors but the shipping was a flat rate $14.99 vs the $80 plus everywhere else. They arrived in an "Oval Industries, Orange California" box.

I'll try to start working on getting the old off and new on tonight but I have a full plate....

Tim

 

[Timmy390]

OK, so I couldn't wait.

Tool the old off and sat the new on. It's almost perfect. There are just a few spots that look like they will need "tweaking" but with nothing bolted up, all the holes appear to line up and it seems to sit flat on the inner fender where the old one did. It's also flush with the bottom of my rocker panel I replaces a few years back. I'll get some bolts in it in a bit and report if I have any issues.

So because we both bought fenders from Dennis Carpenter and both D side. It appear the issue is not the fender. Sorry to not be more help on this.

Tim

 

[Rustytruck]

Is the height of the top of the core support to the frame the same on both sides of the frame horns? even a little difference gets magnified when you get out to the ends?

 

[dgold_881]

Ok I tried just bending the inner fender apron lip up and I was able to make up the 3/4 of an inch gap difference and it will work.

 

[AZ73]

I would say your new DS fender is aligned correct. It's perfect with the body line. Not to insult you, but did you have the same body lift in your other broncos when you did the first measurements? It seems like the core is about as low as the height of your new body lift bushings, almost as if the core is at the stock body bushing height AFTER the body lift. From your side view on pix 1 above, the apron looks really low in the front. I'm going to pull my fender off and take a pix for you to give you some perspective.

Here's mine. I ran a string from the cowl at the windshield straight out parallel to the cowl and it was 3 inches above the last forward hole in the apron right at the core support.

 

[dgold_881]

I used the same body mounts during the mock up so that everything when welded up would be true.

I would say your new DS fender is aligned correct. It's perfect with the body line. Not to insult you, but did you have the same body lift in your other broncos when you did the first measurements? It seems like the core is about as low as the height of your new body lift bushings, almost as if the core is at the stock body bushing height AFTER the body lift. From your side view on pix 1 above, the apron looks really low in the front. I'm going to pull my fender off and take a pix for you to give you some perspective.

Here's mine. I ran a string from the cowl at the windshield straight out parallel to the cowl and it was 3 inches above the last forward hole in the apron right at the core support.

 

[KBUCK1]

the very first pic in the first post looks like everything is right. Is that a different set of fenders?

 

[suckerpunched]

It's hard to say why it came it out so far off. lots of things affect that. Bent frame, bent floor support rails and inaccurate aftermarket parts to name a few. I had to replace everything in front of the firewall on mine, It was hit head on and I had nothing to measure to. The way i approached it was; I mounted a straight set of fenders to the body. bolted in another grill and hood. bolted the core support and aprons to the fenders and grill but didn't weld any of the inner panels together or to the rest of the body until all the panels fit right. pulled it apart and finished welding. When I was finished, my front body mounts under the core support were too tall by about 1/4" I am running a 2" body lift so I trimmed the front spacers to fit. sorry I don't have any advise on how to easily fix your issue. I would cut it apart at joint between the aprons and kick panel and weld it back together where the fenders are happy. check frame for straight. If frame and floor supports check out ok. trim body lift spacers, all of them, to get the body to land on the frame right.
thats my 2 cents

 

[AZ73]

Ok First I bought this bronco with the front totally gone except for the hood original fenders and the front core support. I purchased new inner fenders sides ect. After taking several measurements from my other broncos I proceeded to weld the front clip back on. \

The point I'm making is you took your measurements off a DIFFERENT Bronco.

So what were you measuring the core height from? The frame? The ground? When I did my entire front end, I took the body off and placed it on a body dolly, and then measured, from points on the body dolly which is my constant. I welded the aprons and core using those measurements while it was still on the dolly so the measurements were off the same reference points. If you used a different Bronco to take your measurements, you need to make sure the REFERENCE points on the other Bronco are in the are in the exact same place as your new one. If the Bronco you took the measurements off of didn't have the same body mounts and you referenced it off the Frame, they'll be different. Or maybe I'm missing what you're saying.

 

[dgold_881]

Its a 75 bronco. I took measurements from my 72, 76, and 77 they were all pretty much the same. The body mounts had to be under there so that it wouldn't hit the wild horses extreme shock hoop. The 72 has the same set up with the 2" blocks to clear the rear shock hoop.

The point I'm making is you took your measurements off a DIFFERENT Bronco.

So what were you measuring the core height from? The frame?

 

[AZ73]

Ok. So in the picture with the old fender on the DS, is that the apron already welded on? You pulled the old fender off and just put the new one on?

 

[dgold_881]

Correct. I wanted to see if it made a difference in that the original orange fenders were cut as opposed to the black new uncut rigid ones.

Ok. So in the picture with the old fender on the DS, is that the apron already welded on? You pulled the old fender off and just put the new one on?

 

[Timmy390]

I know this does not solve your issue but wanted to follow up on the DC fender. I installed the new one. All the holes lines up but for the one screw at the top of the door post. Body lines are right, it's flush to the bottom of the rocker as it should be and the front matches the stock grill just as good as the OEM did.

The fender appears to be a 1/8 to 1/4 longer then the OEM. I say this because of how it fits at the door post. The top screw issue is due to it being longer and the flange appears to be spot welded just a bit off. Should be an easy fix. Same with the flange that lays on the inner fender. The flange appears to be spot welded just a bit off thus causing it to be too low by a 1/16 inch at the grill. Should be an easy fix with a spacer or just pop a few spots welds and reattach once lined up.


Do your door screw holes line up? It looks like the fender is not sitting down in the "notch" near the upper door post screw hole. My old fender falls right in however the new one needs some assistance to fall into place. I think this is due to the fender being just a bit longer as I noted above. maybe give that a look?

Tim

 

[dgold_881]

Yes my door holes lined up.

I know this does not solve your issue but wanted to follow up on the DC fender. I installed the new one. All the holes lines up but for the one screw at the top of the door post. Body lines are right, it's flush to the bottom of the rocker as it should be and the front matches the stock grill just as good as the OEM did.

The fender appears to be a 1/8 to 1/4 longer then the OEM. I say this because of how it fits at the door post. The top screw issue is due to it being longer and the flange appears to be spot welded just a bit off. Should be an easy fix. Same with the flange that lays on the inner fender. The flange appears to be spot welded just a bit off thus causing it to be too low by a 1/16 inch at the grill. Should be an easy fix with a spacer or just pop a few spots welds and reattach once lined up.


Do your door screw holes line up? It looks like the fender is not sitting down in the "notch" near the upper door post screw hole. My old fender falls right in however the new one needs some assistance to fall into place. I think this is due to the fender being just a bit longer as I noted above. maybe give that a look?

Tim