32 bb headlight bar

sonny

sonny

Senior Member
has anybody had the problem with the stainless bolts that hold the headlight bar (purchased from Macs) being too short? I just thought I'd check before I call them tomorrow. Thanks.
 
Many times, Sonny, the bolts will appear to be too short, especially when working on 32 stuff. Make sure that the fender braces are close to the fender itself.
 
Just found out the problem, guess I wasn't thinking. The cabs on the pickup and the bb "big truck" are the same, but the fenders are not (bigger wheels). Duh. Well I have a nice new shiny set of four stainless bolts I'll give somebody a good deal on.
 
NO --- fenders on a 32 Pickup and BB 32 big truck are the same with the exception of the wheel wheel hole if it has a side mount spare. The question may be are you attempting to use 33/34 Commercial fenders as 1932's? Note any time these one of these "it don't fit" situations comes up a picture would assist figuring out the problem
 
As Dick says, other than unique welled fenders for the big trucks, all '32 front fenders are the same regardless of the vehicle type.
 
Thanks for getting back. I called Macs this morning and the "tech" said the fenders were larger, so being this was my first bb I believed him. Probably just trying to cover his ***. They carry another set of bolts that are about a half inch longer but are not stainless. The ones I got from them were about a half inch too short. With everthing lined up and flush I could only catch about two threads, and forget the washer. Long story short I picked up four stainless carriage bolts about a half inch longer, put the compound on the wheel and they look better than the ones from Macs. Thanks all, for the info. P.S. when my son gets around to teaching me how to post pictures I'll get some on.
 
It sounds like you have a '33-'34 head lamp bar. There is no way a carriage bolt will properly fit in the holes of a '32 head lamp bar. The head of a '32 head lamp bar bolt is canted and oval-shaped underneath the head, whereas that bolt for a '33-'34 bar has a conventional carriage head with a square underside.
 
Well just got home from work and davidG you are right. I just tried my newly polished bolts and they fit and are long enough but they don't seat properly on the bar. So I've got about 40.00 ******* in some bolts that don't fit right. The bolts from Macs measure 1 3/4 to 1 7/8 from under the head, with the slant. I'm going to try some other vendors and maybey even try canting the heads on the bolts that I have. Will keep you posted. This is crazy, almost done with my two year build and held up by a few bolts. But gotta do it right.
 
Time to put this to rest, Here is a picture comparing 32 HL bars on the left to 33/34 Pu headlight bars on the right, they are not the same part. The 32 bar is shorter in width and uses the oval/angle headed bolt to install to the fenders. The 33/34, as well as model A, use a carriage bolt to install the bar to the fender and brace. If you have a 32 bar, fenders and 32 fender braces you need all the parts on the left. If you have a bar that looks like the one on the right (33/34) and attempt to install it on 32 braces it wont fit and vice versa, installing a 32 bar on 33/34 braces wont work either so to satisfy the issue you need to identify the parts you are attempting to assemble. As it stands it sounds like you have all the correct bolts but a mismatch of parts.
 

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I have all the right parts, this I know for sure. Just like the ones on the left. The problem is the stainless bolts from Macs are too short. The plain steel bolts will fit.It's been put to rest long ago, I'm just trying to find slightly longer stainless bolts.
 
Hmmm...book says BB-13114, never realized it was different. No mounting hardware information with the listing, unlike passenger listing. The '32 catalog makes life difficult for truck people...only parts that are different are in the truck section of the book, and we are meant to assume that anything not listed is the same as passenger...which is probably not always true. I would call Nacewicz...he apparently practically lives in the archives researching hardware issues.
 
Nope, wrong information, original headlight bars are all the same thickness, if you have purchased a cheap reproduction headlight bar there may be an issue, What do you have for a headlight bar?

Bruce BB would be lacking the stainless steel clad.
 
I'm sorry but I still think you have a 33/34 commercial bar mixed up as a 32. This cant be that much of a problem for bolts, the same bolts have been sold for years. I measured the thickness of a stock 32 headlite bar pad and it is tapered towards the centerline of the vehicle. thickness at outer edges is approx . .250 and inner edge is .325. the 33/34 Pu bar measures .325 outer edge and .375 inside lip. A stock bolt measures 2.150 overall lenght and after installed on a fender the threads stick off the fender brace bottom by about 1/2" more than enough room for a nut and washer.. Please find a friend that can post a picture of the parts you have to settle this.
 
The fender brace where the bolts go through are about 1 3/8" thick. I have a good history on the truck and have been assured that it is all origional, and it appears to be so. But thanks for all the feedback.
 
Ok since I have had you jump thru a bunch of hoops on IDing this PM me your address and I'll send you 4 stock bolts for free. DS
 
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