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weird door alignment issue

2K views 10 replies 6 participants last post by  icebrrg3rd 
#1 ·
so last weekend i got one of my "new" doors (of the same year, 95) on the drivers side albeit temporarily. it has to come off to reweld the lower hinge.

this door opens and closes amazing! the old door clunked and oil canned everytime and never worked right, it had been open and van reversed into something at some point before i owned it tearing the upper door hinge partway off (breaking the weld) and so badly misaligned the lower hinge that it took part of the hinge out on the body side.

so i have one part of the lower hinge not there anymore but i think i can fix that. my issue is that the upper part of the door frame around the window leaks air. i looked closely at the door and the window frame sticks out of the body around 3/32" causing the leak, whereas the lowest part of the door sticks INTO the body around 3/32". the area around the door handle is flush with the body.

now this is way better than the old door and i'll take it, i can likely modify the weatherstrip to take up the slack up top but is there a way to fix this that i can do? the only thing i can think of is that the lower hinge part of the van body itself got pushed in 3/32 in the "incident". if the hinge was a bolt in i would add some washers inbetweent he hinge and body and i am sure that would aligne the door near perfect.

i cant see how to pull that area out, my only idea is to weld the hinge pin holes shut and drill new ones, and i am not sure i can do that great of a job at that.

if i can today i'll get a better set of pics that show the alignment issue


 
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#2 ·
Sounds like the truck is bent a bit out of shape. Do the best you can with what you' ve got.

Maybe keep an eye out for a better truck, one you can drive, and use the one you have for a

donor.

Uncle Bob
 
#3 ·
P82A12011.jpg


P82A12021.jpg


you can see what i describe. i think its all in the lower hinge. its super sloppy and i need to weld it and drill new holes

i changed the door handle today and its stupid hard the first time. i drilled the hole...

P82A12051.jpg


also had to change radiator as mine blew up this morning

P82A12041.jpg
 
#8 ·
If it just needs to go in at the top, and you don't have the big tool, you can put
a block of wood at the appropriate pivot point and force the top to bend in small
increments until it's where you want it. Put the wood in between the van and the door,
most likely bout halfway down and hold the door so it won't fall out, and start forcing
the top to bend toward the roof a bit at a time. Take the wood out and close it to see
if you need to bend it more.
 
#9 ·
i welded today after work. its not perfect and i may re-explore this fix but for now the difference is amazing

P82A12081.jpg


this is the first time i have used my lincoln wire feed. its also the first time i used my hobart auto dark helmet. i love these things

the door closes factory perfect now. ok maybe not but darn close :cheers:

then i took the above advice and bent the door with a 2x4 and pushing on the top frame. it worked!!

P82A12091.jpg


it no longer screams going down the highway
 
#11 ·
Coaster said:
...then i took the above advice and bent the door with a 2x4 and pushing on the top frame. it worked!!...
I still remember going to the AMC factory in Kenosha when I was a kid and saw how they adjusted the door gaps on the cars coming off the assembly line. They would see how the door closed, and then opened the door, stick a rubber mallot in (high or low, depended on where the door was off) and slam the door. Once or twice and the door was aligned.

-Andrew
 
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