Don't have a Charger so I don't know the answer but, there is a Charger forum on here for your year car and those guys will know what to do. Several of them have been exactly where you are right now. Also you can search the forums for answers to.
1969 Dodge Charger Restoration
- Thread starter John69Charger
- Start date
John69Charger
Well-Known Member
Thanks, ya we are not going to be left with much of an original car to say the least lol, but your right there have been worse!
Watching this build!
pat1969charger
Well-Known Member
Good progress John, I am in the same boat with my charger. Haven't been at it much since April. A wife and a three year old plus working full time takes a lot of my time lol (not that I'm complaining!). Anyhow, I have an original front clip I put on mine rust free I can check for you later and see what the measurement is.
John69Charger
Well-Known Member
I hear ya, sometimes its a struggle to find time to work on these cars, and they really take a lot of time to make any progress or change.
I've come to the conclusion that my measurements from centre of rail to centre of rail are bang the 34", and there is no way i can change the outside measurement.(possible after market rails are a tad wider).
But if your out around your car, i'd greatly appreciate a measurement, that would be awesome, thanks
pat1969charger
Well-Known Member
John, I had a chance tonight after my little guy was in bed to get out to the garage and check for you. Mine are at 36 1/4 so pretty much right in the middle of what yours Are and what the sheet says. Mine are original pieces still held together with and original firewall, torsion crossmember and radiator support. Did you get goodmark rails from keystone?
John69Charger
Well-Known Member
oh wow..that puts my mind at ease. Yours being completely original and mine only being off by 1/8" from yours. Yes, i bought the Goodmark rails, as i figured i would splurge on things like cowl, quarters, tail panel, fenders, etc in AMD metal because you see them. I figured a frame rail would all be the same...lol. I've also discovered where the rails bend outward and meet the crossmember, the bend might be a little extreme, im about 3/4" to wide, but luckily at that length they are easily manipulated and can be pushed back over and welded without to much tension on them.
Thanks so much for that measurement though!!, that really puts my mind at ease going forward, and that this frame spec sheet isn't always what an original car truly is
John69Charger
Well-Known Member
got the right inner rocker removed...what a dirty job.
John69Charger
Well-Known Member
So my rails were bang on in the front, but spread apart to far at the other end. I had to compress them together about 1/2" with a strap and then weld in two braces one in the front and one in the back so when i un-bolt them from the k-member they dont re-spread apart, until they actually get welded in.
So now all my measurements involving the rails/k-member/crossmember are bang on.
So now all my measurements involving the rails/k-member/crossmember are bang on.
John69Charger
Well-Known Member
Not only were the rails spread apart to far, but the fitment to crossmeber was horrific. Originally the crossmember was 3/4" or a little more to far back to where it mates with the rails. So i had to make a series of slices/relief cuts into the rail to allow me to bend the flanges father to get the crossmember in position.
Still some cleaning up, but fitment and measurements are satisfied.
Still some cleaning up, but fitment and measurements are satisfied.
John69Charger
Well-Known Member
Tried to mock up the firewall filler and inner rocker. The inner rock indentations line up perfect to my cross member which was very encouraging! But the firewall filler fits like garbage. I'm going to have to separte the 2 parts of it re-do the flange that mates with the side of the rail, its way off.
John69Charger
Well-Known Member
The crossmember flanges that weld up to the insides of the L & R inner rockers seem to be short on both sides and will need persuasion as well, as if the inner rockers are to far apart from side to side. But i cant seem to find any measurements of L rocker flange to R rocker flange online.
Last edited:
pat1969charger
Well-Known Member
John, I had originally bought front rails, torsion crossmember, and the filler pieces from goodmark through keystone, I found they were absolute garbage when compared to original which is why when the chance to buy this clip came I grabbed it. I sent back all the goodmark, I wonder if keystone resold it to you?
John69Charger
Well-Known Member
LOL that very well could be! This stuff came through keystone! I wasn't expecting this stuff the be easy to fit, especially buying some goodmark parts instead of all AMD, but my god..were not talking a 1/4" here, or a 1/2" there. These parts are like an inch or more from fitting some of them, like someone sat down and sketched the piece on paper and said, "there thats looks like a part from a charger, Go stamp that out pal"
I'm buying all AMD from here on out, regardless of price.
pat1969charger
Well-Known Member
I sent mine back in September of 2016. I had the exact issues which is why I sentnr back.
John69Charger
Well-Known Member
i bought that order prob a little over a year ago, so its safe to say i got the same bad batch if not the parts you returned. Thanks alot lol
pat1969charger
Well-Known Member
Did it take them long to get? I had originally bought mine in October 2014 so I had them a long time, I'm surprised they took them back. I told them they fit like absolute crap and should not be put back into inventory but I had a hunch they would. I was right because my work has a keystone account and I can log in online and about a month after I sent them back the same parts showed up in stock, which never happens around here with b body parts.
John69Charger
Well-Known Member
no it didnt take them long at all to get some of the parts, but it was a large order and i waited until everything came in to get everything at once. but there was a bunch of stuff that was there like within the first 2-3 days. cant remember what they were tho.
Curious if you had a front crossmember and if you sent it back. there us an area of damage on this one, and im not to sure, but is the crossmember suppose to have a bend or flex in it? i thought it was suppose to be pencil straight? I lined a piece of 1" square tubing next to it to show how bent it is. and there is a large dent in it... but thats no biggie.
pat1969charger
Well-Known Member
Mine had no noticeable damage it just fit like crap.
John69Charger
Well-Known Member
Any idea if the crossmember is suppose to have a bow in it? i cant tell from my old one because it is so rotted and pieced
Similar threads
