Body to frame question 1957. Lenghtly

[bnw]

My body was not bolted to the frame when I got the car, it just sat there with a few bolts finger tight. I don't remember removing any shims or pads. I cross braced it and removed it 6 years ago. Both inner and outer sills were replaced with the doors and fenders temporarily hung as a reference point. The aftermarket inner sill brackets were re positioned to hug the new floor pans. Now, back on the frame, this is what I have: The floors rest nicely on the inner frame rails at the tunnels. The outer floors are about 1/8 inch above the frame rails. The gaps between the sill brackets and the outriggers is still about 3/8 inch with the four pads installed, as recommended in the factory manual. What will "give" if I tighten the floors to the outriggers? Adding almost 1/2 inch in pads to both outrigger mounts seems excessive. I can make pads of various thicknesses from conveyor belt scrap, but it just seems like too much gap to make up. What would you do?

 

[CJD]

I am having trouble picturing what is supporting the body if not the sill plates. Is it resting on the front and rear of the frame? If so the sill plates will pull down when you tighten the bolts...but that will "hog" the body. In other words, the door gaps would close up to less than zero.

The only way I can picture what you have is if the sill plates and outer floors are set too high. Some pics would help

John

 

[Moseso]

There are all kinds of pads and shims, at various locations, between the body and the frame. There is a fine picture of this in the "official" TR3 shop manual -- section N, pg. 1.

This is all available in kit form from TRF, the "Body Mounting Kit." Well worth it, IMO.

 

[TomMull]

What will "give" if I tighten the floors to the outriggers? Adding almost 1/2 inch in pads to both outrigger mounts seems excessive. I can make pads of various thicknesses from conveyor belt scrap, but it just seems like too much gap to make up. What would you do?

I've only done one car (not finished either) so don't have broad experience but here's my perspective. You can pull the floor pans down an eighth of an inch easily enough. The 3/8 between the pads and the outriggers is another story. There is not much to give if you try to pull them down.
How are the rest of the body mounts, front inner wing in particular and door gaps? In my opinion, if those are more or less correct, you have little option other than shimming or more surgery. Conveyor scrap seems like a good idea and probably matches the original material better the the repro pads.
I've read several posts on inner sills and spent lots of time fitting mine. Perhaps just lucky but I didn't find the pads to be that far ought. Each side came from different lots and were quite different. One side really dropped right in, the other was a struggle. However, in the end I did not move the floor pads. The forward pad on the difficult side was a little about 1/4 too low from the floor and I chose to shim it.
Tom

 

[bnw]

Pictures later. Thanks