Adjusting the door

Bjorn Nilson

Bjorn Nilson

True Classic
The door on the driver side on my 1984 X sits a little bit low at the rear end when in almost closed position. The slider lifts it up to latch it in correct position, but I must slam the door to close completely. There is no wear or play in the hinges, so this is a matter of adjustment. Are there adjusting screws/bolts/nuts inside the door, or do I need a shim between lower hinge and body? I rather not tear down the door if I don't need to.
 
There is no adjustment in the attachment of the door to it's hinge leaf. The body mount uses a captured nut plate so the hinge mounting bolts can move up and down and in and out but those adjustments won't help your situation. I would try shims.
 
I spent about an hour playing with the door latches on the frame, and was finally able to get the door to close all the way with a gentle push. Move the top left, the bottom right, the bottom up, the top right - you get the idea. I was amazed that worked....
 
Bjorn, look at the overall body lines. Is the top and bottom of the door parallel with the whole body? Or is the door sagging down at the rear; the front is level but the rear is low? If that's the case then you will likely need to shim the hinges to correct the alignment. Although sometimes if it is only a slight amount off then you can actually bend it back up by lifting the rear with a jack. Otherwise if the door is straight and level, then it is more likely the latch mechanism. But that is rarely the case, they tend to sag over time. Sometimes from hinge pin wear (you will feel that when moving the rear of the door up and down, which you said is not the case), and sometimes from the weight bending everything toward the rear. That's why sometimes it works to just bend it back up. But in my opinion shims is a longer lasting repair. The hinge mounting bolts can be a real pain to break loose, with the possibility of damage to the bolt head resulting.
 
tvmaster said:
I spent about an hour playing with the door latches on the frame, and was finally able to get the door to close all the way with a gentle push. Move the top left, the bottom right, the bottom up, the top right - you get the idea. I was amazed that worked....
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Yes, moving sliders and latches would probably make it close easier but in wrong position.
 
Speaking of the door sagging. The drivers door is always a bigger problem with this. Mostly because a lot of drivers (especially "heavier" ones) tend to use the door as a 'prop' to help getting out if the the car. This is like with the shifter selector; the weight of leaving your hand sitting on the knob actually adds to the wear inside the trans. Driver's habits can really make a big difference over time, and these cars have a LOT of time on them.
 
Great video! I like how the two guys acted when "adjusting" the hood. First (around 55 seconds into it) when the one with the "mullet" hair pushes his foot against the radiator support as he pulls against the hood (to move the hood), he sees that he bent the radiator support with his foot. So he quickly looks over his shoulder to find out of anyone saw it before yanking it back out. Second (around 3 minutes in) when the "mustache" guy tried to adjust the hood three times and it still won't close properly, he just waves his hand ("F it") and walks away. :D
 
Despite that video, the method of "bending" the door back up actually works pretty good if it isn't too bad to start with. Using a block of wood and a jack under the rear end of the door, with it closed as much as possible, will move the front door posts (where the hinges mount) back where they were before they became bent down over time. Basically reversing the natural sag that slowly migrates.
 
Bjorn Nilson said:
The door on the driver side on my 1984 X sits a little bit low at the rear end when in almost closed position. The slider lifts it up to latch it in correct position, but I must slam the door to close completely. There is no wear or play in the hinges, so this is a matter of adjustment. Are there adjusting screws/bolts/nuts inside the door, or do I need a shim between lower hinge and body? I rather not tear down the door if I don't need to.
Click to expand...

I have the same issue with the replacement door I added back when I did the Dallara bod. In my case, the top rear of the door sticks out a touch, and the bottom is pushed it, while the front edge is properly aligned top to bottom vertically and longitudinally - so in my case, the used door was obviously tweaked in an accident at some point in it's life. There was another car at the Carlisle meet with the same issue.

No amount of adjusting will fix mine :(

Dr.Jeff said:
Despite that video, the method of "bending" the door back up actually works pretty good if it isn't too bad to start with. Using a block of wood and a jack under the rear end of the door, with it closed as much as possible, will move the front door posts (where the hinges mount) back where they were before they became bent down over time. Basically reversing the natural sag that slowly migrates.
Click to expand...

The problem with that technique, is that you will roll the bottom lip of the door - the Fiat door isn't that strong along the seam fold. I tried it.
 
I would vote shims, loosen it at the pillar and place the shim under the hinge. Simple enough.

Getting the screws loose is fun, use an impact driver, preferably the type you smack with a 2lb hammer

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kmead said:
I would vote shims, loosen it at the pillar and place the shim under the hinge. Simple enough.

Getting the screws loose is fun, use an impact driver, preferably the type you smack with a 2lb hammer
Click to expand...

I may have to try this also - the problem for me is my door gap is perfect as is - shimming will increase the lower gap - but maybe not enough to be a concern

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Dr.Jeff said:
Despite that video, the method of "bending" the door back up actually works pretty good if it isn't too bad to start with. Using a block of wood and a jack under the rear end of the door, with it closed as much as possible, will move the front door posts (where the hinges mount) back where they were before they became bent down over time. Basically reversing the natural sag that slowly migrates.
Click to expand...
Do you know of any YouTube videos, etc., showing this procedure?
 
I lived with this very issue on my ‘85 for 20 years before dealing with it. I had to lift up slightly on the outside handle or the armrest to get it to close properly. It turned out to be a simple fix with a shim under the bottom hinge. I made it from some brass shim stock I had purchased years ago from McMaster Carr. I cut it slightly smaller than the shape of the hinge and drilled holes for the screws. Removed the screws, slid in the shim and now the door fits perfectly and closed easily.


Bjorn Nilson said:
The door on the driver side on my 1984 X sits a little bit low at the rear end when in almost closed position. The slider lifts it up to latch it in correct position, but I must slam the door to close completely. There is no wear or play in the hinges, so this is a matter of adjustment. Are there adjusting screws/bolts/nuts inside the door, or do I need a shim between lower hinge and body? I rather not tear down the door if I don't need to.
Click to expand...
 
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