Body panel alignment - Top of Apron to Cowl (1 Viewer)

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JDNs78FJ40

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Dec 3, 2018
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Draper Utah
I've searched this up and read till I'm blue in the face and need some help. I mounted the tub to the frame with a kit from cruiser outfitters. I started putting the front fenders on and was about 5/16" proud/high on the apron side where it meets the cowl. I loosened the body mounts to where the rubber bushings can spin, jacked the body up ever so slightly and this is as close as I can get it to line up, a little less than 3/8th tall on the apron side.. Do I need to shim the body mounts toward the front? I read somewhere that the thickest mount in the front measures 1 3/16ths but mine is 1". Any help is greatly appreciated.

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Looks like the gap between the cowl and fender is narrower at the top and wider at the bottom. This would seem to indicate the front of the cowl needs to come up some more.
 
Looks like the gap between the cowl and fender is narrower at the top and wider at the bottom. This would seem to indicate the front of the cowl needs to come up some more.
Agreed. The passenger side is almost perfect. Silly question... what is the best way to jack up the cowl and once things lined up better I assume I shim the body, let the jack down and tighten things up starting with the panels and then snug up the body mounts?
 
Agreed. The passenger side is almost perfect. Silly question... what is the best way to jack up the cowl and once things lined up better I assume I shim the body, let the jack down and tighten things up starting with the panels and then snug up the body mounts?

How did you jack it up when you replaced the body mounts? Who's body mount kit did you use and are you sure it was for the short wheelbase FJ-40 and not the long wheelbase versions?
 
The body was taken completely off for rust repair and paint. I used the body kit below from cruiser outfitters.

40 Series Polyurethane Body Mount Kit
Energy Suspension Body Mount Kit, Black)
(Fits 69' - 78' 40 Series)

It seems like it's as close as it's going to get unless I'm missing something? The apron/cowl height is nearly perfect on the passenger side and the apron on the drivers side is about 1/8-3/16 higher than the cowl. It's definitely frustrating....
 
Lower the fender. Am I missing something? Such an easy fix.
 
Did the forward 2 body mounts Look like this?

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I bought the same kit although I have not installed mine yet.

Since the body was off the frame, was the frame ever checked to see if it was straight and not twisted? Visual really doesn't count, a frame table would be needed to verify it wasn't twisted or out of alignment. If the frame is twisted it might explain why the passenger side fits better than the drivers side.
 
I would measure the tub to frame at several areas and determine if the tub is actually lower in that spot. Also, look at the gaps along the fender and cowl and determine if raising the cowl/tub improves the gaps or not. The solution may be a combination of 'tweeks' and shimming.
 
It's already as low as it will go on the 4 bolts that mount to the frame? I guess I could enlarge those holes a bit. Could make it a very easy fix is that is the case?
That is what you need to do. It probably is a non Toyota fender and the holes were not drilled correctly. This is common.
 
Your fender is not true to the body to begin with.
You can check the frame for true ( not straightness) it can be perfectly straight but not true to the body. It will require careful measurements. Your options are to lower the fender to allow the body panel to go low enough to true up to the body tub or chain the frame if it is tweaked. Check the wheel fender to begin with to make sure it has not been tweaked up towards the front, you may be able to lower it at the front and by association lower the front body panel.
It is a old vehicle and there is no telling what it has been through.

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