Expert: William Forster - 9/22/2007

Question
My son had a wreck which damaged the front left corner of his 96 chevy 1/2 ton. We replaced the front clip including the radiator support and also had to do some frame work on the horn that supports the bumper. Everything seemed to go together ok till we put the hood on, it is out of alignment by  a good inch and we are having trouble finding where we can adjust this. The replacement clip came off a 92 and fit nicely. Is it possible our frame is bent? I am baffled as to where to get this much adjustment from. Thanks for any help.

Answer
Hey Bob! The frame is surely still bent. You can slide the support around maybe 3/4 of an inch left to right, at it's maximum- you will never pick up an inch. Even if you did, you will still need to pick up an inch when you put the bumper on. The bumper on these trucks are notoriously difficult to install and allign, especially if you have an aftermarket bumper. Try cross measuring from one of the oval shaped holes in the frame directly under the front of the cab, to the outter most edge of the front frame rail- on the opposite side. Then do the same on the other side. If the measurement isn't within 5mm, I would take it to a frame shop. Bill