73-87chevytrucks.com

73-87 Chevy _ GMC Trucks => Body, Glass & Paint => Topic started by: LoFat74 on June 17, 2008, 05:15:58 pm

Title: Cab to bed bodyline wont line up...
Post by: LoFat74 on June 17, 2008, 05:15:58 pm
Heres the deal.. I had a 74 Longbed with a bent frame that was 2wd.  I found a shortbed box in decent condition for $150.  I searched for years for a shortbed frame to no avail.  One of my buddies had a Shortbed frame in his backyard that I could have for free...the catch was that it was a 4wd frame and a 77.  I converted it to two wheel drive and its been a lot of work...  One of my many problems is my cab doesn't line up with my beds bodyline, it sits about an inch too high.  So my question is this... Does the 77 4x4 frame have taller bodymount bushings than a 74 2wd frame?  I have the 2wd bushings on the 77 from the 74.  Can someone take a picture at the cabmounts for me?
Title: Re: Cab to bed bodyline wont line up...
Post by: dumbucket1 on June 20, 2008, 02:00:54 pm
you should have this in the body section I believe. But you can put shims between your bed and frame to line it up. Where are you from anyways?
Title: Re: Cab to bed bodyline wont line up...
Post by: Blazin on June 21, 2008, 12:05:00 pm
I am not positive but I believe the bushings are the same. The frame mounts could be taller though?
Title: Re: Cab to bed bodyline wont line up...
Post by: VileZambonie on June 21, 2008, 12:40:48 pm
I don't really get what you are saying either. Is the cab or the bed sitting higher?
Title: Re: Cab to bed bodyline wont line up...
Post by: Fordeatinz71 on June 21, 2008, 01:04:19 pm
i think he's saying his cab is sitting about an inch above his bed's bodyline.  you might have a bent mount somewhere.  is the inch difference the same on both sides?  the mounts could very well be different on the 74 and 77 frame (although i doubt it) but even if they were, it's the same height mounts on the same frame, so your bed/cab should sit perfectly level on it.  doesn't matter if the mounts are at different heights or not on different frames, unless there is a variance in the bed/cab area, which i doubt.  also, are you reusing used mounts?  if so, there's your problem.  you probably have sagging mounts, you have to use new ones if you plan on getting the two level...
Title: Re: Cab to bed bodyline wont line up...
Post by: HAULIN IT on June 21, 2008, 01:31:22 pm
Lofat, The rear cab bushings are different from 2wd & 4wd. The 4wd ones are taller (look like 6 rings stacked on top of each other) The 2wd is just one lump of rubber (the same as the front cab mounts & rad support bushings) However the crossmember is located on the frame lower on the 4wd to make up for the height difference. In the end it should come out the same (there is only one set of front cab mounts & the beds interchange) Which bushings do you have under the back of the cab? The 4wd ones seem to squash down some over time also. Did you replace the rear cab crossmember in the frame during your swap? Maybe you have the 2wd bushings with the 4wd crossmember or the other way around (I didn't understand which part was too high)? What does the gap between the bed & cab look like, is it straight or pinched a little top or bottom? Lorne
Title: Re: Cab to bed bodyline wont line up...
Post by: LoFat74 on June 21, 2008, 04:53:41 pm
Sorry about the confusion... My beds bodyline sits an inch higher than my cabs bodyline. So the 4x4 rear mounts are different??? Ill have to try to find some.  I reused the radiator support bushings, the front cab mount bushings and the rear cab mount bushings, none of them were rotted or squashed.  I thought about shimming the cab, but an inch of shims just doesn't seem safe.
Title: Re: Cab to bed bodyline wont line up...
Post by: LoFat74 on June 21, 2008, 05:06:30 pm
I did not switch out the crossmember from my 2wd frame so the 4wd crossmember is on there.  Theres a good chance thats my problem as I have the 2wd bushings on the 4wd crossmember.  The gap between the frame and the bed looks even from top to bottom, but if I put taller bushings on the back wont that make the gap weird??? Ill have to use a jack to get it to line up and see what my gaps look like.  Does anyone know where I can get 4wd rear cab bushings from at a decent price?  I haven't seen any 4wd's in my local pick a parts..  Thanks for all your responses... sorry about the delay in answering, I had the post in the wrong section and nobody was answering.
Title: Re: Cab to bed bodyline wont line up...
Post by: VileZambonie on June 21, 2008, 10:42:50 pm
Autozone can get them for you  http://www.autozone.com/N,16501016/shopping/partTypeResultSet.htm

Or summitracing.com or pretty much anywhere.