29 Tudor how to shim wood body blocks
 

I hope that I am not wearing everyone down here. I desperately am trying to finish the 29 Tudor that I started restoring in 2011. After five years of bad health issues I am now back in the saddle, as they say, trying to get all my ducks in a row so I can finish this project. So I am looking for answers to many questions--so far everyone has been very helpful and I wish to says thanks again.

The paint work on the body is near completion and I will be lifting it onto the chassis soon.

I have looked at the many posts about body wood install and shimming and I have some questions:

#1--can the wood be attached to the body or do I just lower the body down close to the chassis and slip the wood in? I just looked at the new wood blocks and it looks like the very front blocks slide into the channel and will be held in place no problem--the next cross block for #4 hole seems to have extra holes to attach it to the body before it is lowered onto the chassis. #5 & #9 holes look like I will need to install them from underneath??

#2--after the wood is in place but before the bolts are tighten down--is there a special process to start shimming? I know that the running board aprons need to be attached to the chassis before the body is set on the frame but once everything is properly shimmed do I just start snugging the bolts down a little at a time?

#3--I realize that the shims can affect the door alignment--I assume that I can only shim that area a small amount before things start cracking and coming apart?

#4--When I lifted the body off the chassis I used my hydraulic two post lift - from what I see in the pix that I took at the time I must have lifted the body up some how and got the lift arms under the body (I don't really remember how I did that--too much water under the bridge)--When I put the body onto the chassis I am hoping to put two 2x4's through the body--one at the door opening (the doors will not be on the body) and the other 2x4 through the side windows. I posted a picture of a fellow that used the same process (naturally I will use some type of padding to protect the painted areas) Does anyone see a problem with that???

#5--When I took the body off the frame I noticed that the rear body channel metal where the attaching bolt went through (#9 hole) was cracked in several places--Please see photo--I welded the area up as best I could but I am wondering if I should make a steel plate to just set on top of the channel with a hole for the attaching bolt (like a big square washer). Just a little more support? Is that a normal problem area with the Tudor??

That's it for now--I sure that I will have many more questions as time goes on! Thanks again for your help so far.

Fred

Re: 29 Tudor how to shim wood body blocks
 

yes, Ford added two times a reinforcement plate on the top of that channel they knew they had a problem there . so yes add a reinforcement plate on top. weld it in place. you can drill a couple holes in the channel and put a couple wood screws to hold the block in place.

Re: 29 Tudor how to shim wood body blocks
 

Thanks for your reply

Fred

Re: 29 Tudor how to shim wood body blocks
 

I don't know if I did it correctly but I used 2 pads for each hole and torqued them down to level the body and doors. That was on a late 30 roadster with a Brookville body, only minor tweeking was required.

Re: 29 Tudor how to shim wood body blocks
 

I don't have a Tudor but Les Andrews red book page 1-27 shows the placement of the blocks if this helps you.

Sewall

Re: 29 Tudor how to shim wood body blocks
 

I have his book and it is helpful--thanks for your reply.

Re: 29 Tudor how to shim wood body blocks
 

When I took the body off the frame it had two pads on each hole as well--maybe that is a starting point.

Thanks for the reply.

Re: 29 Tudor how to shim wood body blocks
 

Anyone have any thoughts on my question #4 ??

#4--When I lifted the body off the chassis I used my hydraulic two post lift - from what I see in the pix that I took at the time I must have lifted the body up some how and got the lift arms under the body (I don't really remember how I did that--too much water under the bridge)--When I put the body onto the chassis I am hoping to put two 2x4's through the body--one at the door opening (the doors will not be on the body) and the other 2x4 through the side windows. I posted a picture of a fellow that used the same process (naturally I will use some type of padding to protect the painted areas) Does anyone see a problem with that???

Re: 29 Tudor how to shim wood body blocks
 

Can't help with water under the bridge :-) If it was me, I would use 2x6's but thats me!
Through the quarter windows yes, through the door opening without the doors on???
There's a lot of strength with the doors in place!

Re: 29 Tudor how to shim wood body blocks
 

When I need shims, I have a pile of wooden shingles.

Re: 29 Tudor how to shim wood body blocks
 

2X6's probably would be better. I was thinking about the doors on would be good as well.

Thanks for the reply

Re: 29 Tudor how to shim wood body blocks
 

A club member recently set his Tudor on his frame with 2 - 2x4s. Body was totally empty, no glass, no interior, no top, no doors. A person on each end of the 2 boards about 2 ft longer on each end. Nobody was straining and none of the boards were bending. After they set it down on the frame they lifted each end one at a time and slid the 2x4s out.

Recently I lifted my body about 4 inches so that I could replace my rear spring u-bolts. From memory only the rear blocks dropped down when I removed the bolts. My body had never been lifted and the original pads under the blocks where they weren't compressed measured 3/16" thick. Every car is different.

Re: 29 Tudor how to shim wood body blocks
 

Well, I could lift the body the way that I was thinking. My lift will not go high enough. So I lifted the body off of the stand and laid wooden spacers on the chassis so the lift arms could be removed from the body. Then I was able to use the lift arms at a different/higher position. The wooden spacers could then be removed and the body could be set down on the chassis. It worked great. I placed extra long bolts in six places to line up the body with the chassis.

Re: 29 Tudor how to shim wood body blocks
 

To start the shimming of the body, you need to install the hood to see how the hood to cowl gap is. Then shim the cowl to a good fit there first. Then move on to the door fit and see how they fit into the opening. Then you may need to shim under the 3rd and 4th body bolts working to the rear of the body. The Front Cowl bolt is considered the "Zero" point of the body. from there you work forward and rearward. Hope this helps.
John Poole

Re: 29 Tudor how to shim wood body blocks
 

Useful information--thanks for your reply. This phase is making me a little crazy!!!