OldIHC

Here's a photo of my "original" angled washers that go between the fender and the running boards. They certainly look original to me, and are dried up old rubber with bits of original paint. Now another forum member said he had lead washers on his and they were original. Mine are definitely rubber...why would they ever use lead when there was obviously going to be movement between the two parts? Plenty of other special rubber parts were out there so why use lead that has no "give"? Doesn't make sense. I found a rubber stopper in the bins at Home Depot about the same diameter as the old washer (1 1/2"). I'm gong to cut it on my band saw the same angle and use one half between the fender/running boards and the other half behind the fender to make the surface flat to tighten the nuts and bolts against. Seems like a better solution than a piece of lead pipe! My buddy from work suggested I freeze the stopper first as he used to do exactly that in the aerospace industry when he fabricated rubber parts...although they had liquid nitrogen to make the process a little faster!

Don't install the spacer and bolts between the fenders and the running board. It is not necessary unless you are driving on rough roads. The movement will rub through the paint.

I vote with Nikkinut. I installed some rubber bushings (forgot where I got 'em) on both my running boards and it really makes for one more PITA to get the fenders and boards to line up. So if you can get by without why not? I think working the dents out of the sheet metals parts causes some warping so your parts never fit like fresh out of the factory stamping plant.
Incidentally I've had 4 '37 or '38 D-2's at one time or another and they all had brittle rubber bushings remnants in this spot.
Tom

Well, time for a vote.
I think I've had at least two D-2s with lead spacers. Anybody else with lead between front fenders and runningboard?
I can't imagine using lead in an application where rubber would be easier to source. I'm assuming IHC had a reason for it. Lead is malleable?

The spacers on My 37 D2 are steel and I believe they are factory, their defiantly not lead.


--George

Hmmmm.

Fellas,

Looks like there is conflicting information on what was "stock factory" installed! Not surprising... Now, I assumed the angled washer was for between the running board and the fender in order to keep the fender from deforming when you tighten the nut. Otherwise you would not be able to tighten the nut without the lead edge of the bottom of the fender wanting to slip under the running board (at best) or bending under the pressure (worse). It makes sense (to me) to have a washer there, otherwise you would see the bare bolt threads of the connecting fasteners showing and then must assume they would need painting black to hide them. An angled rubber washer between them takes care of that, and another matching angled washer on the inside of the fender allows full perpendicular and flat contact surface for the bolt head (or nut depending on which way you install them). That's how I see it and plan on doing mine. It seems much more secure then no washer and keeps the two surfaces from contact and rubbing the paint off each other! Factory or otherwise, that's how I'll proceed...

And thanks for all the thought provoking input as always!

JT

I have 1/4" thick rubber spacers on mine, but I am not convinced they are original. Regardless, they are doing the job nicely.