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Author Topic: Body mount shims  (Read 31801 times)

Offline 86 chevy silverado

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Body mount shims
« on: December 30, 2007, 07:23:46 pm »
I searched past posts before asking yet another repeat question but did not find much info on body mount shims to aid in aligning body panels. It seems a lot of people do have problems with fender to door alignment as well as body lines matching up at the bed and cabs edge.
I had both problems. My truck is a 86 K-30 srw p/u. Body mounts were replaced with urethane. Both (aftermarket) fr fender gaps were tight at top of doors edge and I could put my finger in at the bottom. I had read somewhere that body mount shims could be used to raise the front of the cab slightly, sure enough I had some oversized shims around threw in some equal amount on each side and the fenders fell into place. Today I put the bed back on and one side lines up perfect the other side the bed sits almost 1/4" higher. It seems now I have to shim the cab up to meet the line of the bed for a nice line. My before pics show the bed was high before teardown as well.
My question is how common is this? Are you guys using shims to help alignment?
I'm going to do what I have to to make my line nice, but it seems I'm doing a lot of shimming.
Thanx and Happy Holidays.
-Kevin
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Offline monte85

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Re: Body mount shims
« Reply #1 on: December 30, 2007, 11:30:32 pm »
if you look in the   truck catalog, they show shims with the body mount parts. my 87 didn't have them but that doesn't mean they were never used.
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Offline 86 chevy silverado

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Re: Body mount shims
« Reply #2 on: December 31, 2007, 09:59:49 am »
I'm going to rephrase the question, Do you find it NECESSARY to have to use body shims for proper alignment of panels after major work done? Are you commonly finding shims on your truck during teardown? I did see the shims available in the   catalog...thanks.
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Offline monte85

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Re: Body mount shims
« Reply #3 on: December 31, 2007, 10:13:07 am »
well like i said, i don't have them on mine.
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Offline 86 chevy silverado

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Re: Body mount shims
« Reply #4 on: December 31, 2007, 10:27:52 am »
Quote from: monte85 on December 31, 2007, 10:13:07 am
well like i said, i don't have them on mine.
I appreciate the coment, I did'nt have them on mine before teardown either.
The past owner may have replaced the body mounts on my truck and never replaced the shims if any.
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Offline Captkaos

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Re: Body mount shims
« Reply #5 on: December 31, 2007, 10:43:28 am »
The cabs never used shims, nor the the rest of the body mounting.  These trucks weren't built with excellent panel alignment and if you are going for 2007 body line tolerances, you are going to have to shim everything.  I am going to have to shim my bed up on the front passenger side and up on the rear drivers side if I can't get it tweaked like I want it...
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Offline 86 chevy silverado

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Re: Body mount shims
« Reply #6 on: December 31, 2007, 11:16:01 am »
I'm finishing a frame off on my chevelle after several years of blood, sweat, money etc and have been getting equally intimate with my truck the past 6 mo and cant help but want things perfect after all of the work done. I know I cant get as critical with gaps on the truck but that body line has to be nice, its the first thing you see.
This being a 1 ton 4wd the chassis and body over time and heavy duty use could be a little out of wack, so I guess it would be safe to say shimming is acceptable if not necessary for exceptable alignment.
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Offline VileZambonie

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Re: Body mount shims
« Reply #7 on: December 31, 2007, 07:36:48 pm »
These trucks have the crapiest body lines especially when you start bolting on aftermarket crap. I have no idea how the factory mass produced these trucks with such nice body lines. It seems like as soon as you loosen one bolt everything goes to H3LL. My 74 has perfect body lines and it took a lot of care and time to get it that way... I would say before you shim everything replace all of your body mounts
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Offline 86 chevy silverado

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Re: Body mount shims
« Reply #8 on: December 31, 2007, 07:49:53 pm »
Another poor $#*() in CT. What section of this lovely state do live? I'm in the middletown area.
Vile, I just replaced both floors, one front mount, outer rockers (repair inners), both cab corners (inner and outers), doors, inner/outer fr fenders and a goodmark cowl hood as well as poly urethane bushings.
Finish body work and paint in the spring.
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Offline VileZambonie

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Re: Body mount shims
« Reply #9 on: January 02, 2008, 08:59:57 pm »
I'm on the Eastern side of the state... Middletown is about a half hour away
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Offline 86 chevy silverado

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Re: Body mount shims
« Reply #10 on: January 03, 2008, 07:28:30 pm »
Quote from: VileZambonie on January 02, 2008, 08:59:57 pm
I'm on the Eastern side of the state... Middletown is about a half hour away
A little nicer out that way (I feel), I'm usually stuck in endless traffic on the west side.
Is there any truck oriented shows in Ct. that you know of?
I tried posting some pics of my truck and even one was too large of file allowed, is there a different way of posting pics or have to be a member or something?
Thanx
-Kevin
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Offline Captkaos

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Re: Body mount shims
« Reply #11 on: January 03, 2008, 11:15:28 pm »
Resize the pictures to 800x600 and save them in .jpg format.
Check this link on how to do it...
http://forum.73-87chevytrucks.com/smforum/index.php?topic=6428.0
« Last Edit: January 03, 2008, 11:19:36 pm by Captkaos »
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Offline monte85

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Re: Body mount shims
« Reply #12 on: January 03, 2008, 11:24:07 pm »
Quote from: 86 chevy silverado on January 03, 2008, 07:28:30 pm
Is there any truck oriented shows in Ct. that you know of?
i'd like know the same thing, actually. what goes on in this state of ours?
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Offline VileZambonie

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Re: Body mount shims
« Reply #13 on: January 04, 2008, 04:54:39 am »
In the summer there's a car/truck show in Vernon every week. I may organize somthing at the school in Enfield this summer too.

Monte85 where are you from?
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Offline monte85

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Re: Body mount shims
« Reply #14 on: January 04, 2008, 08:15:14 am »
i'm in good old willimantic.
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