68 grill spacer kit - what goes where?

[bull]

Yeah, I took about 100 pics of the grill when it was coming apart and as usual didn't take pics of the one thing I'm having trouble remembering. So below is an Ebay pic of Firestone's 68 grill spacer kit with the thin washers and the steel sleeve integrated spacer for one side. I thought the steel sleeved spacer (middle of the pic) goes in from the outside, or down from the top if you're working on the top of the grill frame. And then the thin washer (top of the pic) clicks onto the larger diameter spacer (bottom of the pic) which then clicks onto the steel sleeved spacer from the bottom. I called Jason at Gunslinger and he thought the washer went on the top but he wasn't sure, so then I called the Smith Bros. and their description kind of got lost in translation due to a lack of visual aides.

I'm hoping the pic will help here but trying to describe top and bottom and/or inside and outside gets confusing. Anyway, please give it a shot.

[68Charger4me]

Thin spacer on the bottom, that's the way mine came apart anyway.

[cdr]

do you need a picture?

[HeavyFuel]

The piece with the metal sleeve inserts through the holes from the outside of the fastening area.....through the tray from the top and through the support from the bottom.  They "point" to the grill.

Then assemble the other bigger plastic disk, the foam then the plastic washer.  That assy snaps onto the tip of the metal sleeved piece.

My pic is of the aftermarket kit that doesn't have the metal sleeve....but the assy is the same.

[bull]

Thanks! I got it together. Now to figure out why the top of my grill dips down in the middle. Bent frame?

[HeavyFuel]

Thanks! I got it together. Now to figure out why the top of my grill dips down in the middle. Bent frame?

Do you have the whole grill in, and everything snugged up but not tight?   I'm trying to get a visual.

[bull]

Thanks! I got it together. Now to figure out why the top of my grill dips down in the middle. Bent frame?

Do you have the whole grill in, and everything snugged up but not tight?   I'm trying to get a visual.

Yes, it's all put together but not on the car yet. There's a couple things I'm thinking it might be. The top plate of the frame looks like it's bent slightly downward which would push down on the plastic. Also, once the frame is mounted in place and everything is bolted down it may spread the top and bottom of the frame apart which might lift the top/center up. I should either take the plastic part back out and try to straighten the top frame plate or I could just wait and see how it lookes when mounted.

[HeavyFuel]

So the plastic grill doesn't look aligned to the top frame/tray. 

You didn't put a spacer in the middle hole by the hood latch, did you?  I think that hole is too small to do that...I don't remember for sure.

[HeavyFuel]

The position of the lower brace might help.  I snugged up the brace at the factory wear marks.....it may help.

[bull]

So the plastic grill doesn't look aligned to the top frame/tray.  

You didn't put a spacer in the middle hole by the hood latch, did you?  I think that hole is too small to do that...I don't remember for sure.

Yeah, no room for a spacer in the middle and I don't have one there. That middle mounting pad is taller than the others.

The position of the lower brace might help.  I snugged up the brace at the factory wear marks.....it may help.

That's what I'm hoping will work to fix part of the problem. In essence you're spreading the space between the upper and lower frame plates at the front by moving that lower brace farther back. But at the same time a bent top frame plate (bowed down in the middle) will still push the plastic down in the middle.

Now that I'm getting a closer look at your pic, I don't believe I have that lower bracket that your grill brace is attached to.

[HeavyFuel]

This part?      No....you've got to have that.   It's perm mounted to the lower rad support.  There is no sliding fore and aft for that piece.

The grill support can just adjust up and down there.

[bull]

Oh duh, yeah, I've got that. Something looked different in the pics above.

[bull]

The position of the lower brace might help.  I snugged up the brace at the factory wear marks.....it may help.

You were right. Actually had to use a floor jack to get those holes to line up but once I got it the dip in the middle/top disappeared.