Door replacement hinge adjustment
- Thread starter modville
- Start date
As far as I know, the doors from an 82 will fit a 79 if everything is straight, solid, and unbent. If I’m mistaken someone who is more familiar with those years will be delighted to correct me 
and you should listen to them not me.
Often the problem is not the hinges but the receiver thingie the latch engages, and adjusting that is much easier so try that first.
Also check the weatherstripping at the bottom, see if something is fouling when you close the door.
If the door is sagging so that it drags at the bottom, you can try shimming a hinge, check the hinges for play, and if all else fails people have reported success with a jack under the end of a open door to force the thing back into alignment.
and you should listen to them not me.Often the problem is not the hinges but the receiver thingie the latch engages, and adjusting that is much easier so try that first.
Also check the weatherstripping at the bottom, see if something is fouling when you close the door.
If the door is sagging so that it drags at the bottom, you can try shimming a hinge, check the hinges for play, and if all else fails people have reported success with a jack under the end of a open door to force the thing back into alignment.
carl
True Classic
The screws that secure the door hinge to the body thread into a plate that has some movement so you can adjust the door to fit the opening. If the door is properly located in the opening then as Erich notes, the latch receiver in the door jamb is also adjustable and further you can add or delete shims behind the receiver to adjust how far it extends away from the jamb.
The doors on my car are on their fourth car and took some of fiddling of all the adjustments noted above to close very nicely.
The doors on my car are on their fourth car and took some of fiddling of all the adjustments noted above to close very nicely.
Dan Sarandrea (Phila)
Waitin' On Parts...
I haven't done this but I think it might work.
Start with the car on an even level surface and the top fixed in place. Think of it as putting the chassis in a baseline/neutral position.
First, remove the strike plate (the receiver part on the rear door jamb) completely.
Second, for the benefit of those who haven't loosened the door hinge screws yet, do so VERY carefully, noting that these screws have a big assed phillips/cross point head because they are dealing with a lot more torque than your average phillips head screw, and that you will need a big assed screwdriver to match the head so you don't strip out the mating surface of the screwhead. IIRC Eurosport UK carries replacement screws with an allen head, probably a superior overall solution.
Third, loosen the door hinge fixing screws to the point where the hinges are clamped in place just so they can be grudgingly moved by exerting pressure on the door. Not sure exactly what that would be---I'm sure lots of trial and error would be involved in dialing this in just right.
I do know from personal experience that you do NOT want to try to adjust your door by loosening just one hinge. Doing this puts the hinges on separate axes and the result can be a maddening metallic groan from one hinge pin that no amount of lube will fix.
Fourth, now carefully close the door and see where it lands. Without the strike plate in play, the door will land where it wants to rather than where the strike plate wants to lever it.
Fifth, adjust and adjust and adjust until the door lands as best in can in the door opening. Even up your front and rear gaps, and see if you can get the bottom gap even with the sill. If you can, get the door skin and the front and rear fenders sitting flush, too. As mentioned by EricH, to correct a big "droop" you may need thin shims between one or both hinges and the front jamb.
Tighten the door hinge screws just a tad and check again. x 2 or 3 until they're good and tight.
Now roll up the window and carefully shut the door to see what that looks like. Hopefully the door glass and opening seal meet nicely.
Next, put the strike plate back, snug it up a bit, and let the closing of the door establish the strike plate in its place. Open the door, snug up the strike plate some more, close and check fit. When done, tighten the strike plate screws to spec.
Start with the car on an even level surface and the top fixed in place. Think of it as putting the chassis in a baseline/neutral position.
First, remove the strike plate (the receiver part on the rear door jamb) completely.
Second, for the benefit of those who haven't loosened the door hinge screws yet, do so VERY carefully, noting that these screws have a big assed phillips/cross point head because they are dealing with a lot more torque than your average phillips head screw, and that you will need a big assed screwdriver to match the head so you don't strip out the mating surface of the screwhead. IIRC Eurosport UK carries replacement screws with an allen head, probably a superior overall solution.
Third, loosen the door hinge fixing screws to the point where the hinges are clamped in place just so they can be grudgingly moved by exerting pressure on the door. Not sure exactly what that would be---I'm sure lots of trial and error would be involved in dialing this in just right.
I do know from personal experience that you do NOT want to try to adjust your door by loosening just one hinge. Doing this puts the hinges on separate axes and the result can be a maddening metallic groan from one hinge pin that no amount of lube will fix.
Fourth, now carefully close the door and see where it lands. Without the strike plate in play, the door will land where it wants to rather than where the strike plate wants to lever it.
Fifth, adjust and adjust and adjust until the door lands as best in can in the door opening. Even up your front and rear gaps, and see if you can get the bottom gap even with the sill. If you can, get the door skin and the front and rear fenders sitting flush, too. As mentioned by EricH, to correct a big "droop" you may need thin shims between one or both hinges and the front jamb.
Tighten the door hinge screws just a tad and check again. x 2 or 3 until they're good and tight.
Now roll up the window and carefully shut the door to see what that looks like. Hopefully the door glass and opening seal meet nicely.
Next, put the strike plate back, snug it up a bit, and let the closing of the door establish the strike plate in its place. Open the door, snug up the strike plate some more, close and check fit. When done, tighten the strike plate screws to spec.
tvmaster
True Classic
Our driver’s door needs to be pressed juuuust the right way to fully close, and usually won’t if the window is rolled all the way up and the roof is in place. Which would you suggest tackling first, the hinge location, or the strike plate?
Dan Sarandrea (Phila)
Waitin' On Parts...
While the door is closed securely, put a horizontal strip of masking or painters tape across the trailing edge door gap say halfway up the vertical. Use a razor blade to cut the tape at the door gap.
Now have an assistant open the door in super-slo-mo to see if you can discern any up or down movement as the door comes away from the strike plate. Knowing if there is up or down movement will tell us if the strike plate is levering the door up or down when the door hits home. Also looking at the tape when the door is fully closed, does it seem like the trailing edge door surface is at the same depth as the body?
Now have an assistant open the door in super-slo-mo to see if you can discern any up or down movement as the door comes away from the strike plate. Knowing if there is up or down movement will tell us if the strike plate is levering the door up or down when the door hits home. Also looking at the tape when the door is fully closed, does it seem like the trailing edge door surface is at the same depth as the body?
Dr.Jeff
True Classic
As was noted by others already, also check all of the weatherseal around the door and glass to see if it might be causing too tight a fit. If the seal is new it may need to "crush" with time. If it is old it may have torn, folded, come away from the pinch-weld, or other issues that interfere with the door. Any problems with the seal can make it difficult to close the door all the way.
tvmaster
True Classic
Do you mean ONLY if the window is closed?
Dr.Jeff
True Classic
No, either up or down, depending on where the rubber is getting in the way. But more likely on the door so the window position shouldn't matter as much.