Couple questions running thru my head. First, on a 1932 Ford with a stock style tank do you put anything between the top of the frame and bottom of the flange on the tank? Thinking a piece of webbing might be in order there to cut down on the metal to metal contact. Am I nuts (please keep responses to that question in relation to the webbing and not my personal issues...) Second, and this is on a fiberglass body so please keep it civil, should you put webbing between the body and frame rail? I've seen manufacturers that recommend direct glass floor to frame surface mounting (less movement and less likely to wear around the body holes and mount bolts will stay tighter was what I was told) and I've seen manufacturers say mount them just like a steel body with webbing. Opinions? Thanks in advance, SPark
I'd definitely use webbing between frame and steel tank. Likewise for the 'glass floor to frame. A customer brought in his Polyform 'glass '27 Highboy, on narrowed and pinched '32 rails... Body had 'flanges' at bottom, (6" wide, trimmed down to frame width) nice contact, no 'gap-osis'. Every bolt was slightly loose, (stainless 3/8" X 1") washered and nyloc nutted. The holes in the 'glass body were elongated, and some 'surface contact' was rubbed thinner, (Polyform bodies were noted for their uniform thickness, constant 1/4" on the 'flats') I removed the body, we sanded it in former contact places and my body shop friend-and-neighbor came over and laid some 'glass cloth over bonding resin...then a coat of 'finish resin'? (sorry, not 'up on' 'glass methodology!) Larry got it nice and flat, cautioning me that unless BONDED, 'Glass should NEVER be in constant contact with metal. So...would a slat of wood suffice? Larry said, "Maybe...Seen it before, didn't like it." He brought me a long roll of webbing he used for something on boats. We laid it out, punched holes for body mount bolts, and laid the body on the rails. We used 1.5" O.D. poly urethane washers (3/8" bores) and steel washers above those. NO steel contact with 'glass, as it is in constant 'stress' on the road. 'Overkill'? Afterward, I thought not. The customer loved it, came by in a few days afterward, reported 'No more little squeaks' on driveway entrance, (he wondered what could 'squeak' and 'creak' in a 'glass car!) I used the webbing (got it from my upholstery guy) on my '27 roadster on '32 rails, also. My advice on webbing? DON'T leave home without it!
Like I said to a friend of mine wearing a speedo, I can clearly see your nuts. I used a rubber isolator pad between the tank and frame. They definitely need something in there. My tank sat a little low for aesthetics sake so I needed to pick it up a small tad. I cut out rubber pads and used the frame webbing around the out side of the pads again, for looks.
Opinions? Yeah,I have those. I used webbing under everything on my frame rails. Even Vettes have some mounts and don't bolt directly glass to metal frame.