Author Topic: Body panel gaps  (Read 4539 times)

Offline thirsty

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Body panel gaps
« on: January 27, 2012, 09:40:44 pm »
After working on my truck this evening I realized that I was just guessing at the body panel gaps.
When assembling a truck after a complete tear down what is the average gap between the body panels that I should be trying to get? I know these trucks when assembled at the factory weren't perfect but just wondering what you guys use for a standard gap to start out with. Also how much of a gap between the bed and the cab?

Thanks
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Offline firefighter

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Re: Body panel gaps
« Reply #1 on: January 27, 2012, 11:11:21 pm »
After working on my truck this evening I realized that I was just guessing at the body panel gaps.
When assembling a truck after a complete tear down what is the average gap between the body panels that I should be trying to get?

I don't have a specific answer for you Mr. thirsty, but when I hung my doors, I just tried to get an equal gap on all 3 sides. Top, bottom and rear.
If the doors are just shells, I leaned on the side of a bit high at the rear side, meaning the body line of the door was like 1/16 to a short 1/8" higher than the body line of the cab. That way once you get the window mechanism / glass and door hardware in, it would settle down a bit.
I would estimate my gaps at about 3/16 to 1/4".

When setting the fender to door gap, you can't get them too close or the front door edge will hit the fender when you open it.

I know this doesn't help you too much, but it's all I had to go on when I started hanging my panels too.

 

Offline Blazin

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Re: Body panel gaps
« Reply #2 on: January 29, 2012, 07:49:54 am »
1/4 inch, give or take a 1/4 inch!! lol
I try to keep them to a 1/4 inch. As far as the bed to cab I use my fingers as a gauge. Tight three fingers is about average I would say.
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Offline bake74

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Re: Body panel gaps
« Reply #3 on: January 29, 2012, 08:54:58 am »
     The doors and fenders I have in the past basically made them all the same as close as possible, in my experience this changes from vehicle to vehicle, so I would say don't measure, just fit them all to where they are the same as possible.
     The bed I have cut wood pieces, ( depending on curve of cab or bed ), so that they would all be the same distance when you mount the bed and push up against the cab the gaps are the same all around.  Then I would mark underneath the bed, loose up and take out wood and then push back to marks and tighten down.
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