body and frame alignment (multiple questions)

[Tigger]

FINALLY getting started on the 69 after buying it in 2004. I have and read the service manual and need clarification.

1. the plub-bob method the service manual has me stumped. Point A shows it to be just in front of front crossmember and in-line with torsion bar. Is this correct?

2. Has anyone actually tried this method?

3. Mine has right front inner fender damage where the top slopes down to the front. So, should i cut the inner fender out and then have the frame aligned or leave everything on and then have it aligned?

I am going out today to buy a camera. So pics will be coming shortly (i hope).

Thanks for any replies.

[hemi-hampton]

Unless you have a frame machine & going to pull it yourself I would leave all the work to the frame guy. LEON.

[Mike DC]

 
If the car got hit on the right side then any frame damage is almost surely gonna be asymmetrical. 

Take a bunch of diagonal X-measurements on various structural places on the front half of the car and see what you find.  If it's the same in all those numbers then the unibody is pretty unlikely to be bent beyond the individual crushed panels at the site of the impact. 



If you need to have the frame straightened then I would get it done with the crunched panels still on it.  Then afterwards, drill out the spot welds on the really wrinkled stuff and replace those parts.    If you first cut off the crunched metal then the car might not move around the same way when it's being straightened.

[tan top]

Unless you have a frame machine & going to pull it yourself I would leave all the work to the frame guy. LEON.

 
If the car got hit on the right side then any frame damage is almost surely gonna be asymmetrical. 

Take a bunch of diagonal X-measurements on various structural places on the front half of the car and see what you find.  If it's the same in all those numbers then the unibody is pretty unlikely to be bent beyond the individual crushed panels at the site of the impact. 



If you need to have the frame straightened then I would get it done with the crunched panels still on it.  Then afterwards, drill out the spot welds on the really wrinkled stuff and replace those parts.    If you first cut off the crunched metal then the car might not move around the same way when it's being straightened.

   

[Tigger]

Another question. my garage has a drain in the center of floor, so it has a slight incline to the center. So, in order to get the car level where would you put a level on it to see if its level?  would two pieces of square tubing across the door sills front and back with level across both be acurate?       thanks for the replies so far.