Rear frame -> rocker panel anomalies

[RacerX]

Test fitting the new Dynacorn 6000WT rear frame/floor section and ran into some weirdness...

At the rocker panels it sits 5/16 high of the rocker surface.   That is the frame structure, not the
sheetmetal of the floor.   The floor is somewhat pliable and could be drawn down if that was the
issue, but it is the frame that is going high and it doesn't move.

Similar situation on both sides.   

The pictures compare the new unit with the original one.   On both sides of the frame rail they
either match exactly or darn close.   Over at the ends where it attaches to the rocker is where
things go off the rails (ha!).     

Currently the new floor/frame is sitting exactly where the original was.   The wheel housing
follows the new floor very well (original housings left in place for alignment cross-checking).

I suppose I could drop the whole works down 5/16 and in the overall big picture it may not
make much difference as long as the new wheel housings have enough meat on them to still
match to the floor.   The height of the wheel housings is pretty much set in stone due to the
roof structure.

Anyone run into anything like this?   Any thoughts?   Insight?    Condolences?     

[gzig5]

Mine is already installed and the old floor/frame assembly is cut up. But I'll look at it when I get home to see what I can see, if anything. I'll note that the passenger outer wheel housing does not attach to the roof structure on my '73. There is a pretty decent gap so that may not be set in stone.

[torredcuda]

I would reshape the flange on the new one with hammer and dolly where it is too high so the floor sits flat where it should and the main frame rails are still where they should be. The other option would be to pie cut it and drop the outrigger section down but that would be more work. I would also check where the holes for the spring hanger are in comparison to your original, 5/16" wouldn`t be a huge difference in spring location but may  help with the decision on where to modify it.

[Brads70]

I'll note that the passenger outer wheel housing does not attach to the roof structure on my '73. There is a pretty decent gap so that may not be set in stone.

I hope you remedied that before the quarter goes on?

[RacerX]

Mine is already installed and the old floor/frame assembly is cut up. But I'll look at it when I get home to see what I can see, if anything. I'll note that the passenger outer wheel housing does not attach to the roof structure on my '73. There is a pretty decent gap so that may not be set in stone.

That gap looks like it was done at the factory...   wow.    but after seeing the large amount of sloppy work on my car
I can't say I am surprised.

My OCD would never let that stay like that though...  I would definitely have to try to fix it!

[RacerX]

I would reshape the flange on the new one with hammer and dolly where it is too high so the floor sits flat where it should and the main frame rails are still where they should be. The other option would be to pie cut it and drop the outrigger section down but that would be more work. I would also check where the holes for the spring hanger are in comparison to your original, 5/16" wouldn`t be a huge difference in spring location but may  help with the decision on where to modify it.

The metal on those flanges is too stout to hammer into position...  it would require substantially more than a hammer and dolly!

One thought was removing the rear portion of the new inner rocker, which is just a short piece spot welded to the main inner rocker
as on the original.   Remove the same piece from the original, and then put the new piece in but position it so it meets the frame flanges
on the new floor.     Not the perfect solution, but seems like a possible solution that doesn't disturb the position of the main rails or
the rest of the floor...

[torredcuda]

I would reshape the flange on the new one with hammer and dolly where it is too high so the floor sits flat where it should and the main frame rails are still where they should be. The other option would be to pie cut it and drop the outrigger section down but that would be more work. I would also check where the holes for the spring hanger are in comparison to your original, 5/16" wouldn`t be a huge difference in spring location but may  help with the decision on where to modify it.

The metal on those flanges is too stout to hammer into position...  it would require substantially more than a hammer and dolly!

One thought was removing the rear portion of the new inner rocker, which is just a short piece spot welded to the main inner rocker
as on the original.   Remove the same piece from the original, and then put the new piece in but position it so it meets the frame flanges
on the new floor.     Not the perfect solution, but seems like a possible solution that doesn't disturb the position of the main rails or
the rest of the floor...

You need a bigger hammer!  It is thick but it will move - take a propane torch to it if you have to to heat it up or just cut it off and weld it back on the 5/16" lower. I would want to keep the frame rails as close to factory location as possible and modify the part going to the rocker to fit better however you decide to do it.

[Montclaire]

It looks to me like your original floor was hammered down that 5/16" to fit.  Look at the flange and the floor compared to the new one.  Line workers had BFHs to get this stuff to fit, I say heat and hammer that sucker to where it needs to be.  It's not a Duesenberg.

[anlauto]

In your first picture the four holes for the spring perch look to be at a nice 90* to your level. On the new part, in the second picture, they do not appear to be at 90*....Is they a chance you new part is bent up in that corner ?

[torredcuda]

In your first picture the four holes for the spring perch look to be at a nice 90* to your level. On the new part, in the second picture, they do not appear to be at 90*....Is they a chance you new part is bent up in that corner ?

I was seeing that also but it might just be the angle of the pic? That is why I suggested measuring the distance to the holes and maybe pie cutting to bring the whole bracket down. 

[gzig5]

Mine is already installed and the old floor/frame assembly is cut up. But I'll look at it when I get home to see what I can see, if anything. I'll note that the passenger outer wheel housing does not attach to the roof structure on my '73. There is a pretty decent gap so that may not be set in stone.

That gap looks like it was done at the factory...   wow.    but after seeing the large amount of sloppy work on my car
I can't say I am surprised.

My OCD would never let that stay like that though...  I would definitely have to try to fix it!

I'm sure that is the factory work.  No evidence of rework.  My car must have been built on a Friday. 

I am in process of fitting a replacement outer housing and one way or another it will be welded to the roof support structure.

If it were me, I think I'd get the frame rails as close to where they were as I could and adjust the floor to compensate for any variation.  Obviously there was enough variation in the parts from the factory that something like mine would get through.  Their tolerances must have been in fractions of an inch, and not thousandths.

[RacerX]

In your first picture the four holes for the spring perch look to be at a nice 90* to your level. On the new part, in the second picture, they do not appear to be at 90*....Is they a chance you new part is bent up in that corner ?

I was seeing that also but it might just be the angle of the pic? That is why I suggested measuring the distance to the holes and maybe pie cutting to bring the whole bracket down. 

Yea it looks askew but that is mostly just the angle of the photo...  the bottom of that flange follows the level straight across
as it does on the original piece.

I'll double-check that though and try to get a better picture.

[RacerX]

It looks to me like your original floor was hammered down that 5/16" to fit.  Look at the flange and the floor compared to the new one.  Line workers had BFHs to get this stuff to fit, I say heat and hammer that sucker to where it needs to be.  It's not a Duesenberg.

Yes, as we took the old pieces out we were constantly remarking about how it looked like the whole body was assembled by 800 pound
gorillas using 16 pound sledge hammers and 8 foot pry bars...     and a 3 year-old on the mig welder   

Some tweaking is to be expected but was hoping to avoid such brute force methods on re-assembly...    There has to be a higher
finesse solution than just beating the crap out of it   lol