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Trunk Lid Alignment
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ThomasD500
Posted 2011-12-05 6:28 PM (#298662)
Subject: Trunk Lid Alignment


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Anybody have any tips?

My trunk lid fits horribly.  The worst part is in the front (near the rear window) where it sticks about 1/2" up in the air (allowing leaves, water and everything else to enter the trunk, which probably explains why that was where 90% of the rust was.)  I found the adjustment bolts for the hinges and moved them all the way down, but the trunk lid still sticks up about a 1/4" on the passenger side and a little over an 1/8"on the driver side.

 And no matter how hard I try, I just can't get the gap even all around.

And in general, the curve of the lid does not match the curve of the body (particularly the radius of the 90degree bend from horizontal to vertical (probably not much to be done about that.)

I know these were pretty bad from the factory...but how bad is too bad?

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safetymike77
Posted 2011-12-05 6:43 PM (#298666 - in reply to #298662)
Subject: Re: Trunk Lid Alignment



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You sure either the car hasn't been hit, or the hinges are bent?
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finsruskw
Posted 2011-12-05 6:55 PM (#298670 - in reply to #298666)
Subject: Re: Trunk Lid Alignment


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Trunk lid on what??

The service manuals usually have a section devoted to panel, door, hood and trunk
alignment.

Dave S
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ThomasD500
Posted 2011-12-05 6:58 PM (#298671 - in reply to #298662)
Subject: Re: Trunk Lid Alignment


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I got the car still wearing it's original paint. There was no damage on the rear of the car.
As for the hinges, one hinge was broken. I didn't even realize this until I removed the trunk lid. It was broken where the 'cup' holds the torsion bar. With everything assembled, all the pressure held everything together. As soon as I removed the hinge from the car (thus releasing the tension from the torsion bar), it all fell apart. I welded it back together and now that side of the lid fits better than the other, original side.
Of course, the question remains 'Why was the hinge broken?'. There is no other discernible damage in the trunk area.
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ThomasD500
Posted 2011-12-05 6:59 PM (#298672 - in reply to #298670)
Subject: Re: Trunk Lid Alignment


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finsruskw - 2011-12-05 6:55 PM Trunk lid on what?? The service manuals usually have a section devoted to panel, door, hood and trunk alignment. Dave S

 

Sorry, '57 Dodge.

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d500neil
Posted 2011-12-05 7:27 PM (#298677 - in reply to #298672)
Subject: Re: Trunk Lid Alignment



Exner Expert 19,174 posts. Neil passed away 18 Sep 2015. You will be missed, Neil!

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Heh, heh....gotta go dig out a certain photo from "The Dodge News' " advertisement.

FIRST, though: does your trunk lid go up and stay open?

Not all of them do....the medical term for that condition is the Heartbreak of LDS (limp deck syndrome).

Horrie suffers from LDS, and I even performed a NOS(!) trunk torsion-bars transplant operation on him;
his deck stood upright and proud...for one night's closure, and, then, his deck was limp, again.

Anyway, going back to your ride's leakage, it may well be attributable to water getting down into the deep trough
at the base of the rear window.

There are huge trim mounting holes in the belly of that trough, which are OEM-made for water to drip/pour into the
trunk area.

The reason that the trunks (and the hoods, and the roof structures, and even, the doors-and-body sides, too) do not align
well is due to the new-for-57 "Gate Line" body-panel assembly jigs, which either had design defects and/or inexperienced
operators, which caused the complex body structures not to be fully squared-up and aligned with each other.

As your car is basically being stripped down to its base metal, it is possible for a competent auto body shop to put your
car onto a frame alignment machine so that all of its openings can be properly aligned----but, like a Rubick's Cube, merely
changing one body opening-aspect may well affect other openings' alignments.

BTW, my current theory for the causation of LDS (since I replaced the trunk T/bars, and the T/bars are inserted
into the adjustment-slots that provide the most leverage)....is that one or both of the vertical trunk hinge supports
might not be installed perfectly parallel to the body, which causes the T/bars to lose some of their leverage onto the deck lid.









Edited by d500neil 2011-12-05 7:31 PM
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d500neil
Posted 2011-12-05 7:43 PM (#298682 - in reply to #298662)
Subject: RE: Trunk Lid Alignment



Exner Expert 19,174 posts. Neil passed away 18 Sep 2015. You will be missed, Neil!

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So, how does your car's trunk alignment compare with this beauty's alignment?

This car was a "hand made" Pilot car, undoubtedly, which is seen from various angles
in many pre-production advertising photographs.








Edited by d500neil 2011-12-05 7:45 PM




(PICT3842.JPG)



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ThomasD500
Posted 2011-12-05 7:55 PM (#298684 - in reply to #298662)
Subject: RE: Trunk Lid Alignment


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Some pictures, albeit not good ones.  I'll have to take some better ones in the daylight.

For the first one, you can see how bad it is on the passenger side.

For the second pic, you can see it looking at the driver's side.  I could almost accept this.

Third pic is of the gaps at near the rear window, Driver's side.  You can see how small the gap is at the rear.  Any smaller and it could make contact (not good), yet at the rear of the car (not pictured), the trunk lid is sticking out about 1/4".  Needs to be pulled back but there is no gap laft near the window (pictured) to allow that.

You can see how large the gap is on the side.  It's like that on both sides, so nothing to be done about that.





(IMG_2356.JPG)



(IMG_2360.JPG)



(IMG_2359c.jpg)



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d500neil
Posted 2011-12-05 8:12 PM (#298688 - in reply to #298684)
Subject: Re: Trunk Lid Alignment



Exner Expert 19,174 posts. Neil passed away 18 Sep 2015. You will be missed, Neil!

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For some reason (see the Pilot car, above), the gap alignment is typically much worse on the passenger's side of the
body.

The factory Service Manual talks/shows a trunk alignment using a stout chain and a block of wood in order to re-shape a trunk.

Hopefully, that's not finish-body paint, there, but, again, a pro-shop can reform the body panels to fit closely with the body openings.

As 'they' say: "Restoration costs money; how 'good' do you want it to be?"

And, theoretically, a properly operating trunk system will allow the trunk to remain PARTIALLY open at any
position that you place it in.

The trunk should not merely 'whang' open, to a full-open position...but, that condition is much better than if the trunk
happens to be suffering from LDS.










Edited by d500neil 2011-12-05 8:17 PM
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ThomasD500
Posted 2011-12-05 8:45 PM (#298691 - in reply to #298662)
Subject: Re: Trunk Lid Alignment


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Location: Orlando

My trunk lid will stay in the full upright position, but if you move it downward a few inches, it will then 'fall' to about 1/2 way open. The good news is that one torsion bar is set to it's weakest position (the other to it's strongest) so there is still room for adjustment.

The paint is the final 'jamb' paint, but it can be easily touched up or re-done at final paint.



Edited by ThomasD500 2011-12-05 8:46 PM
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d500neil
Posted 2011-12-05 9:03 PM (#298695 - in reply to #298691)
Subject: Re: Trunk Lid Alignment



Exner Expert 19,174 posts. Neil passed away 18 Sep 2015. You will be missed, Neil!

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Tom, if you know what a house's Main-Water supply shut-off/turn-on "key" (wrench) is; you can put its jaws into a vice
and close them up a little bit, so that they can get a good grip onto the bent-end of a torsion bar, where it gets to be
inserted into the hinge support's notches.

It will take two men and a boy to do this, but, using that 'key', with its long rod and its two long lever arms, you can 'horse'
a T/bar out of its insertion-slot and maneuver the bent end into another adjustment slot.

This deal will take more than one strong man to accomplish; but, if your car is not yet fully painted, this would be a good time
to do that adjustment.

And, having a deck lid that operates fully should not interfere with a body shop's 'hammering' onto the trunk, to align it with
the body opening.




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ThomasD500
Posted 2011-12-05 9:13 PM (#298698 - in reply to #298662)
Subject: Re: Trunk Lid Alignment


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That's a good idea about the water-main 'key' or wrench. It just so happens that I have one! I will be trying to get that to work. Thanks for the tip!
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ThomasD500
Posted 2011-12-05 9:19 PM (#298702 - in reply to #298662)
Subject: Re: Trunk Lid Alignment


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Neil, that advertisement you posted above is a good approximation of my car. The entire passenger side of the trunk sticks up just like that. The gap at the bottom is pretty tight though so it can't be brought down into alignment at the rear. I might remove the bolts (one at a time) that hold the hinge on the passenger side and elongated the slots to bring the trunk lid down. I can think of no other way.
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56Fanatic
Posted 2011-12-05 9:56 PM (#298706 - in reply to #298662)
Subject: Re: Trunk Lid Alignment



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I still think your hinges are bent. I mean what else would hold the front of the lid up even though the back is nearly perfect? Neil, do you have any pictures of good-fitting trunk hinges?

Loyd
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ThomasD500
Posted 2011-12-05 10:07 PM (#298707 - in reply to #298706)
Subject: Re: Trunk Lid Alignment


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56Fanatic - 2011-12-05 9:56 PM I still think your hinges are bent. I mean what else would hold the front of the lid up even though the back is nearly perfect? Neil, do you have any pictures of good-fitting trunk hinges? Loyd

Maybe.  There must be some explanation, and one hinge WAS broken after all.  How it got that way, I do not know.  But like I said earlier, there is nothing obvious to my eyes to indicate any damage (other than the broken but now fixed hinge.)

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Coronet 58
Posted 2011-12-06 12:29 AM (#298732 - in reply to #298662)
Subject: RE: Trunk Lid Alignment


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Hi. I had the same problem with my 58 Dodge Coronet. The hinge was bent. First I put some flat washers between the lid and the hinge. Do just one of the two bolts at a time. One will make it better and one will make it worse. You will find it to be just the opposite to what you would think. After I did that I took the hinge off and bent it by the washer amount and my lid was pretty close. You can try to go a little past where you want it because there is a small amount of adjustment. I know that when I bent the hinge that too was the opposite of what I thought. It's easy to try the washers so try that . It's not so easy to release the torsion bars and remove the hinge to bend the bend it. I had no luck trying to bend it on the car and it can take more than one try to get it right. I hope this helps and good luck. John
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BigBlockMopar
Posted 2011-12-06 5:50 AM (#298742 - in reply to #298691)
Subject: Re: Trunk Lid Alignment



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ThomasD500 - 2011-12-05 8:45 PM

... The good news is that one torsion bar is set to it's weakest position (the other to it's strongest) ...



So one hinge is pushing harder on the trunk then the other. And you still wonder why the trunk is misaligned?
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finsruskw
Posted 2011-12-06 7:47 AM (#298746 - in reply to #298742)
Subject: Re: Trunk Lid Alignment


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Perhaps some PO caught a huge burst of wind just at the moment they were opening
the trunk, it got away from them, flung (is that a word?) open and "sprung" something. The lid, hinges or both.

That cant be a word, it don't even look right!!!

If you have help, I'd check to see if all 4 corners touch the floor when removed and placed
on a flat level spot. I would think they should if it is not sprung. JMHO here.
I do know the '57's suffered from poor fit and finish all round.

Dave S.
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Chrome58
Posted 2011-12-06 7:51 AM (#298748 - in reply to #298662)
Subject: Re: Trunk Lid Alignment



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I'm afraid trunk lid alignment was very bad in those days ...
I have the same problem with my '58 Plymouth.
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56Fanatic
Posted 2011-12-06 11:16 AM (#298770 - in reply to #298662)
Subject: Re: Trunk Lid Alignment



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Here's a thought: take the trunk lid off the car, remove the hinges and see if the lid actually fits the opening.

Loyd
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big m
Posted 2011-12-06 2:36 PM (#298806 - in reply to #298770)
Subject: Re: Trunk Lid Alignment



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56Fanatic - 2011-12-06 8:16 AM

Here's a thought: take the trunk lid off the car, remove the hinges and see if the lid actually fits the opening.

Loyd


Good idea, Loyd!

I've seen trunklids get twisted or bent by a previous owner trying to cram items into the trunk space that are way too big, even sitting on the lid trying to get the latch to click.

---John
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FURY
Posted 2011-12-06 4:50 PM (#298823 - in reply to #298806)
Subject: Re: Trunk Lid Alignment



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After a few disastrous attempts with a pair of vice grips, I had a trunk torsion bar tool made to the specs in the manual. It was not dear at all and makes life easy (ier...).
Also when I installed the first trunk weatherstrip from a certain well know rubber supplier, my trunklid hung up at the back badly. I replaced it with a much better fitting and softer rubber from a generic supplier and now it fits very nice indeed. It will also remain in any position you leave it, from fully open to an inch away from fully closed.
Glenn.

Edited by FURY 2011-12-06 4:52 PM




(Torsion bar tool.jpg)



(Torsion bar tool drawing.jpg)



(Torsion bar tool FSM photo.jpg)



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ttotired
Posted 2011-12-06 6:38 PM (#298836 - in reply to #298662)
Subject: Re: Trunk Lid Alignment



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That tool looks good

Did it want to pop off the tortion bar?

I am asking because its a slot.

I havnt had a go at doing the trunk yet, but that tool looks like it would be the shot

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d500neil
Posted 2011-12-06 7:25 PM (#298845 - in reply to #298662)
Subject: RE: Trunk Lid Alignment



Exner Expert 19,174 posts. Neil passed away 18 Sep 2015. You will be missed, Neil!

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As I mentioned, above, any homeowner should have this household tool in his garage/shed.

It is a Mark1/Mod1 (Navy talk) Main-Water-Supply 'key', that operates the water supply valve,
at your house's lateral-line's connection with the street-main supply line.

These guys are available at any decent hardware store.

This key allows for MEGA-torque, and control, due to its long rod, and dual grip levers.

All that you have to do is squeeze together, slightly, its jaws, in a Mark1/Mod1 table vise, so
that it gets a good grip onto the bent end of the trunk torsion bar.









(PICT3844.JPG)



(PICT3845.JPG)



(PICT3846.JPG)



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d500neil
Posted 2011-12-06 7:31 PM (#298846 - in reply to #298662)
Subject: Re: Trunk Lid Alignment



Exner Expert 19,174 posts. Neil passed away 18 Sep 2015. You will be missed, Neil!

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Even using this mighty tool, removing and re-inserting (in my case: both of the new NOS) torsion bar end(s) into another
adjustment slot required the effort of two men working together, sorta-sitting, inside the trunk.

Also, the length of this key's rod allows both men to work together, without their having to get to be too close
to each other, which is a good thing, when you're gruntin' & cussin' a lot.








Edited by d500neil 2011-12-06 7:42 PM
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Rebels-59
Posted 2011-12-06 7:59 PM (#298853 - in reply to #298662)
Subject: Re: Trunk Lid Alignment



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Be sure to check the Inner Frame of the Trunk Lid, Sometimes there can be a Weak Fracture that isnt highly visible, So when the Trunk is closed the Torsion Bars will Twist the corner of the Trunk Up.. Another way to check for Weak Fracture is to remove the torsion Bars and have someone in the Trunk, Loosen all the hinge bolts are close and align, Get the guy in Trunk to then tighten the bolts and see what the fitment is like then, refit the torsion bars and If then it raises the corner then you have a weak point on the Lid..

Edited by Rebels-59 Coronet 2011-12-06 8:01 PM
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d500neil
Posted 2011-12-06 8:22 PM (#298857 - in reply to #298662)
Subject: Re: Trunk Lid Alignment



Exner Expert 19,174 posts. Neil passed away 18 Sep 2015. You will be missed, Neil!

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This-all is why the factory (was SUPPOSED to) align the trunk and the hoods before the bodies were painted!

The Dodge hoods and trunks were installed and "aligned" before the bodies were painted (with the hoods and trunks being
elevated at the time of the painting.)

There must have been some crude joking going on, on the assembly lines, when the hood & trunk installers were given 15
seconds, or so, on each car, to align the hoods and the trunks (and doors), against the mis-aligned body structures.

Actually, the hoods, doors and trunks could just as easily have been mis-stamped/formed, as seen in the "Pilot" car's advertisement, above.










Edited by d500neil 2011-12-06 8:27 PM
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FURY
Posted 2011-12-06 11:46 PM (#298882 - in reply to #298836)
Subject: Re: Trunk Lid Alignment



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No it does not want to pop off at all, it is a snug fit. Very easy one man operation.
Glenn.

ttotired - 2011-12-07 10:38 AM

That tool looks good

Did it want to pop off the tortion bar?

I am asking because its a slot.

I havnt had a go at doing the trunk yet, but that tool looks like it would be the shot

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chrysler300c
Posted 2011-12-07 12:08 AM (#298887 - in reply to #298732)
Subject: RE: Trunk Lid Alignment



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Coronet58 is correct above about the direction to bend the hinge is the opposite of what you would expect. I watched my bodyman align my trunk lid on my 300C coupe and he put a block between the back of the hinge and some part of the body back there and pushed the lid up to bend the hinge. I told him he was going the wrong direction and he said wait and see.... I did and he was correct. Bending the hing flange that mounts to the deck UP actually lowers the deck lid relative to the panel behind the window. I was caution to be careful in doing it or have a pro do it.

George
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ThomasD500
Posted 2011-12-07 8:26 AM (#298911 - in reply to #298662)
Subject: Re: Trunk Lid Alignment


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That's exactly what I am going to do when I get a chance. I am going to throw a bunch of washers under the REAR nut (toward the rear of the car) between the hinge and lid and see if it fixes it. I can see the angles in my mind and I do believe it may be the solution to the problem. If that aligns everything, then I will have to figure out how I will bend the hinge by the right amount. Baby steps
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ronbo97
Posted 2011-12-07 12:18 PM (#298932 - in reply to #298911)
Subject: Re: Trunk Lid Alignment


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It would be great if someone would post some pics showing what has to be bent in order to align the trunk lid. I'm going to be dealing with this issue on my 59 Dodge. The alignment on the driver's side corner is pretty close. But the passenger side sticks up at least 1/2". This is after I elongated the hinge holes. My body guy was scratching his head on this.

Ron

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Coronet 58
Posted 2011-12-07 1:29 PM (#298937 - in reply to #298662)
Subject: RE: Trunk Lid Alignment


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Bending the hinge on the car using a block does not work very well on these cars because the mounting is so flimsy the hinge probably won't bend where you want it to. I tried this. Proceed with caution. It also might be a good idea to first have the torsion bars even.(in the same hole on both sides)
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big m
Posted 2011-12-07 2:12 PM (#298945 - in reply to #298662)
Subject: Re: Trunk Lid Alignment



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A large gap at the forward part of the trunklid can also be cured by shimming the hinges, you need to place the shim towards the Rearward hinge bolt in order to drop the front part of the decklid.

---John
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ronbo97
Posted 2011-12-07 3:55 PM (#298959 - in reply to #298945)
Subject: Re: Trunk Lid Alignment


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Just to clarify, the area of my trunk lid that sticks up is closest to the rear window area of the car, on the passenger side.

Ron

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big m
Posted 2011-12-07 6:16 PM (#298969 - in reply to #298959)
Subject: Re: Trunk Lid Alignment



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ronbo97 - 2011-12-07 12:55 PM

Just to clarify, the area of my trunk lid that sticks up is closest to the rear window area of the car, on the passenger side.

Ron



Ron, try using a shim between the decklid and hinge at the rear bolt [closest to the bumper] It should cause the gap to lessen on that side.

---John
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poly
Posted 2011-12-08 4:39 AM (#299008 - in reply to #298823)
Subject: Re: Trunk Lid Alignment



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FURY - 2011-12-07 6:50 AM

After a few disastrous attempts with a pair of vice grips, I had a trunk torsion bar tool made to the specs in the manual. It was not dear at all and makes life easy (ier...).
Also when I installed the first trunk weatherstrip from a certain well know rubber supplier, my trunklid hung up at the back badly. I replaced it with a much better fitting and softer rubber from a generic supplier and now it fits very nice indeed. It will also remain in any position you leave it, from fully open to an inch away from fully closed.
Glenn.


Hi Glenn, Can you pass on some details about that generic trunk seal you used. Supplier? Part number? Would you know if it fits a 60 Phoenix? My car suffers the exact symptoms you described and I would like to fit a better seal. The one on there now is pretty stiff and I don't think it is the correct profile anyway. Cheers, Frank
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ThomasD500
Posted 2011-12-10 5:53 PM (#299303 - in reply to #298662)
Subject: Re: Trunk Lid Alignment


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Location: Orlando

Well, I got my trunk lid about as good as it is going to get, I think. First, I adjusted the torsion bar to its highest setting, so they are both set that way now. It did make the slightest difference and evened out the difference between the alignment of either side ever so slightly. But I still had one side way up in the air and one up slightly. Here is a picture of how I adjusted the torsion bar with tools I had on hand. It was fairly easy this way and was set in about 30 seconds:

 

I used the screwdriver to leverage the torsion-bar out of the slot and then pulled into the highest spot with the vise grips, where it snapped into place on it's own.  It was that easy.

Now the trunk lid springs up on it's own to about half way.  At the upper half of it's travel, it stays where ever I put it, with a slight tendency to want to go up rather than down.



Edited by ThomasD500 2011-12-10 6:11 PM




(IMG_2365s.jpg)



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ThomasD500
Posted 2011-12-10 6:05 PM (#299304 - in reply to #298662)
Subject: Re: Trunk Lid Alignment


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Then I put washers behind the rear most trunk-lid bolts, between the hinge and the lid. I used 3 washers on the passenger side (the worst side) and one on the driver's side.
The corners of the lid are STILL not flush with the body, but they are very close. Acceptable for a nice driver and probably better than it left the factory. The lid actually is BELOW the body of the car in the middle, which shows that the curvature of the lid does not match the curvature of the body. I cannot lower the rear of the lid any more because it is already making contact with the body in the middle (by the rear window) AND almost making contact at he rear of the car where the lip is maybe about 1/8" from contacting the body. So in other words, the front AND rear of the lid are almost touching the car body. Yet there are numerous spots where the lid is well above the body. But I got everything 'even'. And that even included twisting the lid in various places to get it that way.



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FURY
Posted 2011-12-11 12:38 AM (#299339 - in reply to #299008)
Subject: Re: Trunk Lid Alignment



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Frank.
The trunk seal I got which was passed onto me as a lead from someone else who experienced the same problem with the commonly supplied weatherstrip which is far too firm, works very well.

TRUNK WEATHERSTRIP, WWW.FUSICK.COM 1968-72 A body trunk weatherstrip.

Yes it is a GM part but looks identical to the original Mopar weatherstrip only it is a softer composition.
Glenn.

Hi Glenn, Can you pass on some details about that generic trunk seal you used. Supplier? Part number? Would you know if it fits a 60 Phoenix? My car suffers the exact symptoms you described and I would like to fit a better seal. The one on there now is pretty stiff and I don't think it is the correct profile anyway. Cheers, Frank
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ronbo97
Posted 2011-12-11 10:39 AM (#299366 - in reply to #299303)
Subject: Re: Trunk Lid Alignment


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ThomasD500 - 2011-12-10 5:53 PM Here is a picture of how I adjusted the torsion bar with tools I had on hand. It was fairly easy this way and was set in about 30 seconds:

I used the screwdriver to leverage the torsion-bar out of the slot and then pulled into the highest spot with the vise grips, where it snapped into place on it's own.  It was that easy.

Now the trunk lid springs up on it's own to about half way.  At the upper half of it's travel, it stays where ever I put it, with a slight tendency to want to go up rather than down.

Thanks for posting the photos, Tom. I'll try shimming the trunk lid once it warms up outside.

Surprised that your torsion springs adjusted so easily. I have the same tool as Glenn, and on my 59 Dodge it took a ton of strength to move the spring from the first slot to the second. But now the trunk lid stays in any position without moving.

Ron

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ronbo97
Posted 2011-12-14 5:13 PM (#299719 - in reply to #298662)
Subject: Re: Trunk Lid Alignment


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Today was warm enough to head out to the Dodge to see if I could align the trunk lid. Shimming the bolts as seen in the pics was a big improvement and lowered the corners of the lid to just about where it should be. The issue now is the area of the trunk lid between the corners, and closest to where the rear window is (or in my case, the convertible top well) sticks up about 1/4" at the worst and tapers down as you get out to the corners.

What should I do to level this area with the opening ?

Ron
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d500neil
Posted 2011-12-14 6:02 PM (#299728 - in reply to #299719)
Subject: Re: Trunk Lid Alignment



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Tom, I forget if you've got your trunk weatherstripping, but that will affect how well your trunk closes and aligns
to the body.

The alignment will be interesting to see, after the W/S is installed.







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ThomasD500
Posted 2011-12-14 6:55 PM (#299736 - in reply to #299719)
Subject: Re: Trunk Lid Alignment


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ronbo97 - 2011-12-14 5:13 PM Today was warm enough to head out to the Dodge to see if I could align the trunk lid. Shimming the bolts as seen in the pics was a big improvement and lowered the corners of the lid to just about where it should be. The issue now is the area of the trunk lid between the corners, and closest to where the rear window is (or in my case, the convertible top well) sticks up about 1/4" at the worst and tapers down as you get out to the corners. What should I do to level this area with the opening ? Ron

 

If you are asking me, I have no idea

Mine does the opposite.  It is lower in the center than the corners.  In my case, I manually twisted the corners down a little bit and decreased the situation slightly.  Obviously, you can't 'tweak' it too much this way or it will be obvious that the corners are 'bent' downward.

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ThomasD500
Posted 2011-12-14 6:57 PM (#299738 - in reply to #299728)
Subject: Re: Trunk Lid Alignment


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d500neil - 2011-12-14 6:02 PM Tom, I forget if you've got your trunk weatherstripping, but that will affect how well your trunk closes and aligns to the body. The alignment will be interesting to see, after the W/S is installed.

 

No weatherstrip yet.

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big m
Posted 2011-12-14 8:32 PM (#299757 - in reply to #299719)
Subject: Re: Trunk Lid Alignment



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ronbo97 - 2011-12-14 2:13 PM

Today was warm enough to head out to the Dodge to see if I could align the trunk lid. Shimming the bolts as seen in the pics was a big improvement and lowered the corners of the lid to just about where it should be. The issue now is the area of the trunk lid between the corners, and closest to where the rear window is (or in my case, the convertible top well) sticks up about 1/4" at the worst and tapers down as you get out to the corners.

What should I do to level this area with the opening ?

Ron


Can you post some photos of your own car, Ron? It may be more helpful.

I have seen wrecking yard cars climbed over and jumped on, to where the center here gets pushed down. tyhat may be your problem.

---John
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ronbo97
Posted 2011-12-14 9:30 PM (#299774 - in reply to #299757)
Subject: Re: Trunk Lid Alignment


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big m - 2011-12-14 8:32 PM I have seen wrecking yard cars climbed over and jumped on, to where the center here gets pushed down. that may be your problem. ---John

 The trunk lid has no dents, rust or damage. It still has the original paint. Same thing with the rear panel that it is supposed to align to. The center is actually higher than the ends. If it were the reverse situation, it would be easier to solve.

I'll attempt to get some photos, but the car lives in a garage without electricity. So a flash picture may or may not show what I want it to.

Ron

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Chrome58
Posted 2011-12-21 7:19 AM (#300516 - in reply to #298823)
Subject: Re: Trunk Lid Alignment



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FURY - 2011-12-06 10:50 PM

After a few disastrous attempts with a pair of vice grips ...

Been there, done that ... But with the new paint on !
I made the mistake of painting the car without the trunk lid on

My attempts with a pair of vice grips were successful in the end, but I managed to badly damage the paint inside the trunk aroud the hinge supports, because I made at least a dozen attempts, and each time the torsion bars would bounce off and scratch the paint.

I'm lucky I finally made it without hurting myself, but I learned the hard way that it's better to paint the car with the trunk lid on, and adjusted !

BTW, I also have an alignment problem on the left side of the trunk lid, where it hangs about 3/8" above body when closed.
I got worse when I managed to put the new trunk lid snubbers from Gary Goers.

And I have to slam quite hard the trunk lid to lock it ...
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mikes2nd
Posted 2018-11-23 11:53 PM (#574048 - in reply to #298662)
Subject: Re: Trunk Lid Alignment


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regarding trunk hinge alignment... is everyones trunk hinges broken?

It looks like there is a big "spacer" that the hinge side is welded up to with 3 welds.

When that spacer rusts, it looks like those 3 weld snap and the trunk is forced open. Not sure if this affects alignment but check your hinges.

It looks like this allow the trunk to open and stuff but the hinge might have more play without the spacer helping it.





(trunkhinge.jpg)



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56300B
Posted 2018-11-24 12:14 AM (#574050 - in reply to #574048)
Subject: Re: Trunk Lid Alignment



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Since this thread is being brought up again, here's what I found with my 61 NYer trunk lid that had a high leading edge. First remove the torsion rods so the trunk lid and hinges are not under any load. You will probably find that the front edge can now be adjusted to be flush and all the gaps can be adjusted to look good with the trunk closed and latched. If you have mismatched curves from the lid to the body that will have nothing to do with the hinges. Reinstall the torsion rods. If the front of the trunk lid is higher and/or the gaps are different, the hinges are worn out. I was pretty sure this was the problem after looking at the load the torsion bars put on the hinge assemblies. I asked John at Big M to sell me a 61 NYer hinge that was still tight and in good overall shape. Once the 'new' old hinge was installed, the trunk lid stayed in perfect adjustment after the torsion rods were reinstalled. The new trunk weather strip is one of Gary Goers newer soft hollow versions so there is solid, even support of the trunk lid all around. If the hinges are worn, it may prove to be impossible to adjust the trunk lid to factory specs. Just my .02...……..

Edited by 56300B 2018-11-24 7:43 AM




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mikes2nd
Posted 2018-11-26 11:07 PM (#574183 - in reply to #574048)
Subject: Re: Trunk Lid Alignment


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nobody? i would bet many have broken hinges...

 

mikes2nd - 2018-11-23 11:53 PM regarding trunk hinge alignment... is everyones trunk hinges broken? It looks like there is a big "spacer" that the hinge side is welded up to with 3 welds. When that spacer rusts, it looks like those 3 weld snap and the trunk is forced open. Not sure if this affects alignment but check your hinges. It looks like this allow the trunk to open and stuff but the hinge might have more play without the spacer helping it.

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