Ron816
Mopar forever
How should I approach repairing this gap?
How would you fix this ?
- Thread starter Ron816
- Start date
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I'd bring things closer to start. I suspect the fender could come back a little on the top.
The factory used shims in various places on the fender
The factory used shims in various places on the fender
ragtopfury
Well-Known Member
Make sure the door is aligned properly to the quarter first
. Then work on shimming the fender accordingly.
. Then work on shimming the fender accordingly.
Ron816
Mopar forever
everything is shimmed the fender is as far back as it can go
pishta
I know I'm right....
If the red is the door, I'd start by shimming the bottom hinge or rebuilding the hinge itself. If the upper or lower pin is wallowing in a ratted out hinge, no shimming is going to correct it.
Inertia
Well-Known Member
Repair/replace door hinges and get the door to fit properly, - then go onto fitting the fender .
Ron816
Mopar forever
the body lines at the rear quarter and the rear part of the door are spot on if I lift the rear of the door to tighten up the gap the rear of the door will be much too high I need to fill the gap somehow, possibly with welding rod?
pishta
I know I'm right....
Is the black a repop fender? I bought a new repop fender for a Subaru GL-10 and it fit like that. Nothing I could do to get it any better. It was just made wrong.
Aftermarket fender? Might not fit any better than that. Like it was mentioned, good hinges and align the rear gap first. The quarter opening doesn't change. Once the door is adjusted properly, the fender is next. That's a tricky corner. Sometimes the cowl cover has to be shimmed as well.
Ron816
Mopar forever
yes its a AMD fender
Ron816
Mopar forever
I'll probably cut the fender and re align
Rmoore
Well-Known Member
Maybe slot the bolt holes in the fender to make the fender more adjustable
el5dart
Well-Known Member
end of story. heard alot of bad on amd fitment
harrisonm
Well-Known Member
LETS COME BACK TO THIS EXCELLENT SUGGESTION. Assuming the door is OK, align it to the quarter panel and rocker panel. This is ALWAYS the way you reassemble and align everything. The doors have to be fitting against the quarter panel and rocker first. Then align the fenders. You may still have to tweak the doors a tiny bit, but if they are nicely aligned against the quarter panel and rocker, you are 90% there. If the door is properly aligned and you still have that gap, it is time to 'make' it fit. You will be doing some cutting and welding. You might even be able to fix the gap by adding a bit to the door. Either way, it should not take too long. It's hard to tell without seeing it.
Kendog 170
Let the boy go !
Make sure all your fender bolts are started but very loose. You should be able to close it up. Sometimes just one of those cage nuts on the apron can get hung up and make it seem like your all the way back but double check. JMO and yes I had some fitment issues with the AMD 68 Dart fenders.
As everyone is saying fit the door first.
Then raise the door striker pin at the quater 1/8" to make sure that is not holding the back of the door down, see if that helps the gap. Then cheat the body lines at the door to quarter just a tad high, they were not perfect from the factory anyway.
This is what you call "Steal from Peter to Pay off Paul".
So doing as much as you can with the door situation, go to the fender next.
Now if you have your car up on jack stands on the frame at the front of the transmission area, this will produce the wide gap at the at the top of the fender you are seeing.
The car needs to be down on all 4 wheels and tires on the floor so the front of your unitized body and frame is not flexing down opening the fender gap at the top.
The reverse of this is also true if you take 2 bumper jacks at the front bumper and bring the front of the car up 4" with the fender loose.
Then do your final fender alignment starting at the door gap first. Lock it down/bolt it down at the rear fender cowl and rocker panel area. Then work your way forward along the hood gap and final lock down at the core support and inner fender braces.
Then let the car sit on all 4 wheels without the bumper jacks, things should stay in place with good gaps.
It is a bit of a wrestling match flexing and moving the front fenders around until you get the gaps you need. The unitized bodies are strong once all components are in place, tightened down, and holding position.
I had quite the fight putting the front fenders back on the D100 Pickup to get the door gaps to line up. Had to flex the frame like above, push with Porto Power and pull with a Come-A-Long. Locked down the good door gap then proceeded to lock down at the core support and finally install the steel inner fenders.
Down on it's wheels and all gaps held good.
Those fenders don't just drop on, although I wish they did . . .
Then raise the door striker pin at the quater 1/8" to make sure that is not holding the back of the door down, see if that helps the gap. Then cheat the body lines at the door to quarter just a tad high, they were not perfect from the factory anyway.
This is what you call "Steal from Peter to Pay off Paul".
So doing as much as you can with the door situation, go to the fender next.
Now if you have your car up on jack stands on the frame at the front of the transmission area, this will produce the wide gap at the at the top of the fender you are seeing.
The car needs to be down on all 4 wheels and tires on the floor so the front of your unitized body and frame is not flexing down opening the fender gap at the top.
The reverse of this is also true if you take 2 bumper jacks at the front bumper and bring the front of the car up 4" with the fender loose.
Then do your final fender alignment starting at the door gap first. Lock it down/bolt it down at the rear fender cowl and rocker panel area. Then work your way forward along the hood gap and final lock down at the core support and inner fender braces.
Then let the car sit on all 4 wheels without the bumper jacks, things should stay in place with good gaps.
It is a bit of a wrestling match flexing and moving the front fenders around until you get the gaps you need. The unitized bodies are strong once all components are in place, tightened down, and holding position.
I had quite the fight putting the front fenders back on the D100 Pickup to get the door gaps to line up. Had to flex the frame like above, push with Porto Power and pull with a Come-A-Long. Locked down the good door gap then proceeded to lock down at the core support and finally install the steel inner fenders.
Down on it's wheels and all gaps held good.
Those fenders don't just drop on, although I wish they did . . .
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