Re: 55/56 body mounts/pads

Posted by HH56 On 2013/6/4 10:22:33

The thing I think you are going to find is unless you took measurements, you will have an interesting experience when it goes back on the frame. I took mine apart blindly and didn't measure. Tried to keep track of which cushions went where but with duplicating hard, flat or shrunken cushions and probably a wrong guess or two, had a devil of a time getting it back where things are decently aligned with the new cushions. Mine is still not perfect but tolerable. An experienced body shop guy probably would have less of a problem because he knows what affects other things.

Steele's cushions were not available at the time so I made my own out of Flexane in the thicknesses and configurations I thought were needed. Even though trying to keep them so I was reasonably sure I knew which thickness went where, with the new it took a lot of trial and error to get things back to the condition where they are now.

Because the body is flexible and maybe partly due to the poor quality assy problems, there is a variation in height to the frame mounts. Just because the parts manual says a certain thickness or combination is used at a point -- don't entirely believe it. It's a starting point and shims do the rest. If things are not lined up pretty well, the body will bow, twist, skew, flex, bind and you name whatever term you want when things are tightened down. Doors won't line up, front and rear glass fits the openings poorly.

The parts manual in section 30.1004 has locations using thick and thin cushions so you might be able to cross Steele's numbers that way. A following group # and also the convertible listings gives some steel washer thicknesses which might also help in figuring out the overall distance. As Brian mentioned, the cushions are under the body with the frame hole captured between the cushions. There's one or two locations with a single cushion - no sandwich. A steel washer on bottom & a washer or shims on top to underside of body completes the assy. One of the cushions usually has a section which will fit into the frame hole. Most all have a steel spacer to prevent tightening the bolt from compressing the rubber.