If anyone has one of these in stock width I'd like to now something. Our your bolt hole center line equal front and back? I just received mine and it's toe'd out in the front by 3/8" (3/16" each side). Front is 22 7/8" (seems wrong), back is 22 1/2" as should be per description . As well it over hang's outside edge of frame rail by 1/16" on each side.
I've got one of these on my '32. I called them when I originally got it, asking the same questions you're talking about. They claimed they are all jig made, but the polishing process causes them to distort some? When I installed it I centered the holes on the frame rail, loosely bolted one side on, then used a ratchet strap to draw the other side in until it lined up. It all worked out fine.
Really! Not exactly what I wanted to hear. Unpackaged it to late today to call them. I'm not happy to hear were tomorrows conversation with them is likely going to go. If a manufacture know's an issue as such always happens. Corrections need to be addressed IMO. Question about your forcing it into position. It would seem the cross bar would bow toward grill shell doing it the way you described. Did your's? I'm game to making adjustments to a point. But to the point of where something goes wrong, guess who bought it forever?
Would be easy enough to built one to fit a given car.You can buy the light mounts,and weld a model A bar center on then chrome it.
They're made of cast stainless and can be cut, welded and polished. Not exactly what you might want to hear about what is essentially a 1-800 part but hey, you've got it and it's not suiting you as it is so what have you got to lose? I don't have a stash of original stuff but enjoy personalising the bought stuff where necessary. Chris
I've got better trick's than cutting and rewelding. It involve's reworking the mounting pads and holes. Bending is not an option. Do not want to put stress onto welds by forcing or bending then weld false. Worse yet, having tube collapsing. But before all that I'm going to talk with So Cal first. Maybe they'll correct the issue or have a replacement within better tolerances that I can leave with.
This is exactly what I did to make mine fit. I removed a 3/8" section from the middle, machined a plug to fit in the inside diameter of the bar to keep the two pieces concentric. Took a flat 1x6 board. located and drilled the mounting holes to match the location I wanted on the car frame. Bolted the light bar to the board, took it to a friend to heliarc back together. Used a fine file to dress down the weld and then polished the joint. Worked out well. I find it hard to believe polishing makes the part too long.
Called 1-800 this morning. Turns out since I have no knowledge of thirty-twos, hell even bucket lights of that era, even cars from that era to be exact I didn't know the light sockets should point down hill. Turning the light bar as I did, 180 from it should be looked better to me and even complimented head lamps buckets from United Pacific best. That's right another 1-800 vendor. The only issue now is the over hang of oval bases to outside edge of frame rails. Good news is over hang is half of what is use to be. Simple fix. Re-arc cross bar so it has a little more crown to it. There must be some truth to heat during polishing that @evil clown mentioned in reply #2. Tubing (cross bar) wanted to go back straight? But after some serious thinking I won't even re-arc the cross bar. I'll just grind some, oh lets say 1/8" off the outer edge of each pad and then re-polish just because I don't want any stress issue showing after I drill a hole in the middle of the cross bar for V8 emblem.
Glad you got it figured out.Reshaping with a file,and finishing with a fine cut file before polishing is a good idea.Ive seen very few parts that didnt need some sort of attention.
Sorry for not noticing this thread again after my other post. It was no big deal to pull it into alignment with a ratchet strap, and then everything lined up just fine. I've got 7 years & 8,000 miles on the car with no problems. Hope it works out well for you!
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