draftman01,
If you are still curious about configurations, the best thing I can tell you is to go to the tutorials in Help. They will teach you a lot. If you have several parts that are similar and only different in a few small details, configurations allow you to show all those variations in a single part. Then you can make drawings of all those different parts. All the drawings will refer to the same part, but different configurations. It can be very helpful if you have to make a change that affects all or many of the parts. Change it in one place, and it shows up in all the affected drawings. Configurations can be frustrating as you learn how to use them, but once you've got it they are VERY useful.
From the files you posted it is obvious you did not create all the models from the base model as you said you had. Some of the feature structures are very different.
When dimensions are placed in drawings, they aren't just attached to a line, edge or point in a 2D drawing view, they are attached to specific lines, edges & points of the actual 3D model being viewed. So when a model is re-referenced, the dimensions look for those specific element ID's, and when they aren't found, the dimensions become dangling.
Why don't you try using Pack & go. Jboggs method is also good but the dangling dimensions could be very annoying some times. Instead Just p&g the drawing make sure to select all the parts and rename them to the new part no and also uncheck all the fasteners which are referenced of from the design library and save.
Just open up the part now and make the necessary design changes and the drawing is updated automatically. (You have to P&G almost similar one to save more time)
This way you can come around the dangling dimensions and save time.
