Odd OEM parts removed during body lift installation

[airbur]

I've just finished installing a new body lift including new bushings and hardware. As I removed the old stuff, I noticed that some of the mounts had washers on them and some didn't. Some actually had two of these stacked on top of each other on one side, but on the opposite side, there were none, or only one. Is this how the factory did it? I do know that the body mounts and bushings are all OEM and had never been removed previously.

 

[broncnaz]

I doubt they are factory. I've never seen anything that looked like that on the body mounts but then again I've only done 2 sets. Also all the ones I've ever done had washers and only one at each point.
Unless you owned this bronco since new you can never be 100% sure if it was factory or not.

 

[airbur]

I doubt they are factory. I've never seen anything that looked like that on the body mounts but then again I've only done 2 sets. Also all the ones I've ever done had washers and only one at each point.
Unless you owned this bronco since new you can never be 100% sure if it was factory or not.

Yea....could be they did something, you never know. There are a total of 6 of these washer things I pulled. They are about 2" in diameter. Most of the mounts didn't have any washers other than on top for the bolt..but at least 3 or 4 of them had these weird ones.

 

[broncnaz]

Plus they are just a little to rust free to be factory items on a 40 year old truck

 

[70 U150]

They may be factory, my 71 had a couple.

 

[needabronco]

Those look like the body washers I pulled off of my 71' Mine looked like new... Your body lift should come with new washers so you don't really need them.

 

[Broncobowsher]

body shims? Used to level and staighten the body out due to sloppy manufacturing tolerances of the day. You can work the body gaps a lot with shimming the body mounts.

An example. Door to fender gap is good. Door to quarter is good. Door to rocker panel is a tapered gap too tight at the back. Shim the mount under the drivers feet lifts the A-pillar to straighten the taper but leaves the front and rear gaps alone.

 

[airbur]

The body lift has all new hardware (1" from WH). I wasn't going to reuse these....but I do think they were used as shims.

 

[stevew]

Factory body mount shims ... see them on most every Bronco I've done . Like you found they can be one here , one there , maybe more ... all depended on where the body needed aligned . You realize you start from scratch with new mounts .....;D

 

[airbur]

Factory body mount shims ... see them on most every Bronco I've done . Like you found they can be one here , one there , maybe more ... all depended on where the body needed aligned . You realize you start from scratch with new mounts .....;D

So I should have kept track of where they were! Dang it!

 

[DirtDonk]

Yep. ;D

Paul

 

[DirtDonk]

Although, like pretty much was stated above, you can wing it if you have to. Leave them out for now, check out the body lines, door gaps, stuff like that, and if you need any, stick 'em in.

Look just like the one's on my '71 and my '79. And about as rusty. Had a few with a bit of rust, but others looked practically new. Consider where they are though, and they're pretty protected as long as water does not get in between the layers.

Paul

 

[broncnaz]

Well I guess the ones I did had a pretty straight body at one time. As i had never seen them. Might have to check my 71 a little closer see if it has any.

 

[airbur]

I think I can remember where most of them were. There was one on the front passenger side under the battery, 2 under the passenger floorboard, 1 under the passenger seat, and 1 under the driver's seat....I think. The set under the passenger floorboard was rusted together. Most of the other ones are pretty rust-free...but this Bronco is pretty rust free also so not surprising.

 

[Baja71]

My '71 with factory mounts had none of these. Just the mount hardware and rubber.

 

[DirtDonk]

I had 3 on one mount, 2 on another and none on the rest.
My '79 had 3 on pass. side front and one or two others spread around.

Paul

 

[73azbronco]

you actually want me to believe that as this thing ran down the assembly line in the 60's and 70's that someon actually cared about body lines enough to stop the process and install a 1/16 inch shim?

 

[DirtDonk]

Yes. Please.

Paul

 

[airbur]

I can believe it. For my 70', I'm the second owner and the PO did nothing to the Bronco expect fill it with gas and change the oil. Everything else was 100% stock.

 

[73azbronco]

ok....