Did this cab ever suffer the horror of wind swept door, causing a major crease in the side cowl in front of the door? This will result in the hinge pillar being twisted, which needs to be corrected.
If you have too wide a gap at the top/back of the door, the cab may be “racked” where that corner needs to be pulled forward & down (diagonal) to correct the issue. When rust starts to eat away at the structure, it’s hard to say how the sheet metal settles.
Thanks, both great suggestions. I have tacked some bracing place and have the door 90% OK but am still not quite happy with the gap at the top and top/rear. I did see the the pillar was a little twisted so that the inner edge points more rearward than the passenger one. I dont knwo if there is a dimension that allows me to know the proper twist but I have a bright idea on how to a) twist it and b) make that twist adjustable. As I said, I have some bracing in place at the moment which has the door swinging shut and looking decent but now that I am in the right area I need to fine tune it. So, I am making some bracing from square tubing and thick threaded rod which will allow me to move the pillar in each axis AND twist also by simply turning nuts. This will allow me to get the pillar precisely where I need it with good incremental adjustment.
In doing all of this I am also seeing that the cab itself it slightly racked, as MPandC terms it. when I put a brace from the floor to the top of the firewall and raise it a 1/4" to 1/2" the door comes back a little at the top, closing the gap...which is what I want.
I guess what I am realizing is that the corroded floors/cowls have allowed movement and I am going to have to pull the cab around a little to get some key dimensions back to close to what the FAM says, whilst prioritizing the door fit.
Despite never having done anything like this in the past I am strangely calm about it (in shock, PTSD?). After all, it is simply a case of moving metal around and tacking it to hold it.
Paul
