How do I line up the door ??
- Thread starter 99ss
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66_B_Body4ever
Well-Known Member
There have been many replies to this topic, using the 'search' engine on this site works good. Here is some advice I copied and pasted here from a post I replied to quite awhile ago...
If your hinges are in good condition life is much easier for a start. Also, it would be easier to accomplish this with the front fender off the car, I am not sure what state your car is in. Keep in mind we are aligning the door to the rocker/quarter panel, not the fender.
There are a few ways to go about this depending if the striker has been removed or adjusted out of position. If it has not been adjusted, you can latch the door closed and then loosen off the hinges at the A pillar and position the door for height and length and snug up the hinges. Now the correct order here would be to loosen the two inner upper and lower fasteners and leave them loose enough to move but so they will not allow the hinge to pull away from the A pillar during adjustment. The outer A pillar hinge bolt(s) is the one we will use for adjustment. Now I am assuming the fender is off or the splash shield is out of the way to gain access to the forward hinge bolt. Don't worry about the in/out adjustment yet, that's the last step. I use plastic fibre sticks that auto glass installers use for initial gap spacing, the are 3/16" or 5 mm in thickness which is a little tight for our MoPars but its a good starting point. Close (latch) the door, loosen off the upper and lower hinge pillar bolts and carefully insert the fibersticks at the front of the rocker and the rear close to the 1/4 panel. Now look at the door to the 1/4 pnl gap. Does it match the rocker gap? Don't be too worried about the overall height, that can be adjusted later. slide the door forward/rearward as required, then snug up the two front outer hinge bolts. Now try the door, it will probably drop a little as you open it, no worries, all you have to do is have an extra pair of hands lift slightly up on the door (while slightly open) and loosen the lower hinge outer bolt to allow the hinge to move slightly rearward. Tighten and try to close, make adjustments as necessary. Ideally at this time you should remove the striker, this will allow you to do the final adjustments without having the striker influence the fit. At this time the door should be square in the opening (rocker/1/4 pnl) but requires lateral/vertical adjustment. before proceeding, tighten the inner A pillar hinge bolts upper/lower.
Have a look at those beautiful body lines...does the door need to go up or down? Height is first here, in/out 2nd. If height adjustment is required, then all 5 (3)upper and (2)lower hinge to door bolts are loosened and adjust for height. Always use the uppermost bolt on the upper hinge as the first to be tightened, then the lower. Once height is good, loosen off only the lower hinge and swing the door into alignment with the rocker/lower body line on the 1/4, leave the lower 2 bolts on the upper hinge loose during this adjustment...once the door is aligned to the lower, snug one of the lower door hinge bolts and proceed to adjusting the upper hinge into alignment with the top of the 1/4 panel/upper body line. Of course when everything fits...tighten her all up, sit back and have a beer...This is a difficult task to accomplish and takes patience, it can take an experienced guy a fair bit of time...let me know how it goes or if I can be of more assistance.
If your hinges are in good condition life is much easier for a start. Also, it would be easier to accomplish this with the front fender off the car, I am not sure what state your car is in. Keep in mind we are aligning the door to the rocker/quarter panel, not the fender.
There are a few ways to go about this depending if the striker has been removed or adjusted out of position. If it has not been adjusted, you can latch the door closed and then loosen off the hinges at the A pillar and position the door for height and length and snug up the hinges. Now the correct order here would be to loosen the two inner upper and lower fasteners and leave them loose enough to move but so they will not allow the hinge to pull away from the A pillar during adjustment. The outer A pillar hinge bolt(s) is the one we will use for adjustment. Now I am assuming the fender is off or the splash shield is out of the way to gain access to the forward hinge bolt. Don't worry about the in/out adjustment yet, that's the last step. I use plastic fibre sticks that auto glass installers use for initial gap spacing, the are 3/16" or 5 mm in thickness which is a little tight for our MoPars but its a good starting point. Close (latch) the door, loosen off the upper and lower hinge pillar bolts and carefully insert the fibersticks at the front of the rocker and the rear close to the 1/4 panel. Now look at the door to the 1/4 pnl gap. Does it match the rocker gap? Don't be too worried about the overall height, that can be adjusted later. slide the door forward/rearward as required, then snug up the two front outer hinge bolts. Now try the door, it will probably drop a little as you open it, no worries, all you have to do is have an extra pair of hands lift slightly up on the door (while slightly open) and loosen the lower hinge outer bolt to allow the hinge to move slightly rearward. Tighten and try to close, make adjustments as necessary. Ideally at this time you should remove the striker, this will allow you to do the final adjustments without having the striker influence the fit. At this time the door should be square in the opening (rocker/1/4 pnl) but requires lateral/vertical adjustment. before proceeding, tighten the inner A pillar hinge bolts upper/lower.
Have a look at those beautiful body lines...does the door need to go up or down? Height is first here, in/out 2nd. If height adjustment is required, then all 5 (3)upper and (2)lower hinge to door bolts are loosened and adjust for height. Always use the uppermost bolt on the upper hinge as the first to be tightened, then the lower. Once height is good, loosen off only the lower hinge and swing the door into alignment with the rocker/lower body line on the 1/4, leave the lower 2 bolts on the upper hinge loose during this adjustment...once the door is aligned to the lower, snug one of the lower door hinge bolts and proceed to adjusting the upper hinge into alignment with the top of the 1/4 panel/upper body line. Of course when everything fits...tighten her all up, sit back and have a beer...This is a difficult task to accomplish and takes patience, it can take an experienced guy a fair bit of time...let me know how it goes or if I can be of more assistance.
72Satellite440
Well-Known Member
how do you line it up- with great difficulty- i know i had a hell of a time- best of luck
share any tips you find along the way as im sure ill have to redo mine sometime soon
share any tips you find along the way as im sure ill have to redo mine sometime soon
99ss
Well-Known Member
What I found was the new replacement hinge was not the exact same so the holes for lining things up are a little bit off. The top one is the one I am having issue with. I have the door lined up at the bottom to the rocker properly but it looks like its saggin because I cant get the top hinge to move toward the front of the car enough.. creating a space between the fender and door at the top ... the holes in the car need to be reamed a bit now as I had to with the new hinge.. then it will line up proper.. huge PIA.. I've had this door on and off 178 times already and I'm doing this by myself.... LOL
But the good news is there is less rust than expected behind the fenders and the door post is fine where some people were saying it would be bad as well.... this car isnt as bad as it looks ... just surface rust for the most part...LOL and the front floors
But the good news is there is less rust than expected behind the fenders and the door post is fine where some people were saying it would be bad as well.... this car isnt as bad as it looks ... just surface rust for the most part...LOL and the front floors
99ss
Well-Known Member
Ok now I have it lined decently up but it wont close all the way ??? It locks secure but hangs open about 1/2 inch.. it also seems to have resistance closing all the way.. do the hinges need to be shimmed out-wards ? driving me nuts !
what do you call the door latch assembly? cant find a new one anywhere, I can push it closed all the way but the latch acts like it needs another click or has too much backlash? Can I drive it without doors and just pretend like it didn't come with any?
what do you call the door latch assembly? cant find a new one anywhere, I can push it closed all the way but the latch acts like it needs another click or has too much backlash? Can I drive it without doors and just pretend like it didn't come with any?
iraqivet01
Well-Known Member
your hinges sound like are not straight up and down. if they are cocked, it will bind up putting a resistence in closing.
1/2" deal is your striker needing adjusted.
1/2" deal is your striker needing adjusted.
CARSofComfrey
Active Member
I never install new hinges with the fender on. At a minimum take the inner shield out. Remove the striker. Get a friend to help you.
Next trick is keep everything slightly loose (must install all the bolts before you tighten cause sometimes one will be off) and fit the door. Get the gaps right.
Then tighten the two top bolts and the middle lower bolt, then tighten the cowl (or vise versa). The one bolt on the bottom will hold the door in place until you open the door, take a wrench and tighten the other 2 bolts on the bottom hinge.
It should now operate freely and be in total alignment. Re set the striker in/out, up/down.
Enjoy.
Next trick is keep everything slightly loose (must install all the bolts before you tighten cause sometimes one will be off) and fit the door. Get the gaps right.
Then tighten the two top bolts and the middle lower bolt, then tighten the cowl (or vise versa). The one bolt on the bottom will hold the door in place until you open the door, take a wrench and tighten the other 2 bolts on the bottom hinge.
It should now operate freely and be in total alignment. Re set the striker in/out, up/down.
Enjoy.
greenmonsta79
Well-Known Member
You know I have taken more Mopar doors on and off and they are a pita I can't see how someone paints the doors off the car then puts them on without scratching the dickens out of them adjusting the hinges!
72Satellite440
Well-Known Member
Heres a trick I used with a double long extension from the front tire well..with fenders on-I found it helped me...
tried a few things..a 2x4's and a jack ... shimms...
I also dropped the door on my foot a few times doing this....lol...man are they heavvvy
This worked best for me because my hinges are a little worn
I left the bolts from the top and the bottom a little loose and then had a friend close the door and lift up by the handle..
then tightened the bolts on the bottom when it was closed and in place(even a 1/8" higher)a
nd when it settled it was very close...
I also adjusted the round latch itself and that helped bigtime...
hope this helps-
tried a few things..a 2x4's and a jack ... shimms...
I also dropped the door on my foot a few times doing this....lol...man are they heavvvy
This worked best for me because my hinges are a little worn
I left the bolts from the top and the bottom a little loose and then had a friend close the door and lift up by the handle..
then tightened the bolts on the bottom when it was closed and in place(even a 1/8" higher)a
nd when it settled it was very close...
I also adjusted the round latch itself and that helped bigtime...
hope this helps-
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