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Help with a Door fitment issue

Twalker

Twalker

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hi folks, I would like your thoughts here. I installed the drivers door and fender to do my initial gap and panel alignment as part of this restoration and had all the lines and gaps set to near perfect. I then installed the door latch/handle and a new door seal, from soft seal. Now, because of the seal, the door is being pushed out at the bottom and causing the door to get out of alignment. See the photos. I believe the seal is installed correctly, but you can comment on that too based on the photo. Maybe this is a know issue with a brand new seal, or with these seals in particular. When I push on the bottom of the door to see if I can bring it back into alignment, it’s very tight and takes a lot of force to squish the seal enough for the door to get back into alignment.

Thanks for your input.
2CA9FDC0-4CC7-4C42-BA73-21C699AFCBA4.jpeg


Top of the door is still lined up-
796E29BA-3FB7-4ABD-BBE8-172712EBC184.jpeg


Front edge is fine
9598EF41-D6B4-4593-A4EB-E2DBDDABACA2.jpeg
6F8D6A4D-A43A-4109-9DEA-6EAE0A9D8FE5.jpeg
D9624AEB-858E-4550-A8FC-02758F7212FE.jpeg
 
I am having a similar issue with mine once I installed the seals and latches. From what I have read its damn near impossible to get a perfect alignment on these with factory latches. I messed with mine for over an hour re positioning the latch assembly until I got it to what was acceptable to me but it still is off slightly in the lower part of the door. Maybe as the seal breaks in it will improve.
 
The repo seals are stiff and cause this problem.
 
Ugh. I’d hate to modify the quarter edge (cut and extend outward) to get this into alignment but I don’t want this look either. What to do.....
 
It is due to the harder, newer seal....it needs a lot of usage to relax and conform.....

The best route is to buy a good used OE seal. Good ones are still available and they can be cleaned up....you can buy the clips separately...

Don
@Moparparts
Will probably be able to hook you up...he will chime in
 
I had friggin nightmares when I installed new lattice door seals and find the new seals I had were oversized. For my era, Ply '63, after hunting all over couldn't locate better sized seals. Had to slam the doors to get them closed tightly and left them on for a few weeks undisturbed. Zero improvement. The sizing was just way over-spec from OE. Off they went and put my old ones back on still salvageable. Hopefully later Mopars have more sources for seals. One guy mentioned he bent the track a bit and got a little improvement. Wasn't gonna start doing that..
 
Ahhhhh,the drama goes on, went through this with a 73 Dart 18 yrs, ago Sof-Seal. Doors still super tight when I sold it.
 
Thanks for the feedback everyone, seems this is a common issue! I’ll look for an OEM option or how I could modify the soft seals to work.
 
Just a thought warm up the seal with a blow dryer. Then shut the door leave it this way for a couple of days see what happens
 
bearman said:
Just a thought warm up the seal with a blow dryer. Then shut the door leave it this way for a couple of days see what happens
Click to expand...

Interesting twist to a thought I had, wondered about putting in the oven under compression between two pieces of angle iron - a section at a time. Will know after one section if it’s going to work or not and whether I need to try the other seal
Mentioned above.
 
I always wanted to know how the factory got it so good with all new seals.
 
Cranky said:
IIRC, someone mentioned that the aftermarket gaskets are thicker.....?
Click to expand...
Yes the supplier had sent me a 2nd set of seals as a check of some possible production flaw and there was no difference. He said the seals come from one supplier (that's what he thought) and basically SOL. It was a stretch to put these in thinking they would conform somehow and exacerbated by my seals fitting beneath the door sill plate. He had said maybe the black lattice seal was smaller though after months getting my car back together I salvaged my old ones until such time might find seals that fit.

20170706_092333.jpg
 
Here's another photo showing difference; I had spec'd them sending this to the supplier (don't have that info handy here) and the sizing was ridiculously larger wondering how the mfg would sell these...with today's mfg capability they couldn't produce a seal matching what was made 50+ years ago...go figure.

20170706_092411.jpg
 
I just installed a set with zero issues...... I do it AFTER the striker is set with the 2 little bumpers installed......... I still have the packaging, probably in the trash; if I find it I will post it

during mock up I dont even use the latches, let alone the seals....... the sheet metal should fit on it's own


20181227_215250.jpg
 
try adjusting the top of the door out to match the bottom.... then adjust the striker to close tighter
 
Mine were for '63 and find parts available are more scarce than for later '60's.
 
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