The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Paint and Body Shop Doors Door must be slammed to close. Help?

New seals everywhere. Door fits opening as best factory build tolerances will allow. But, no adjusting do strike will let the door close without a very hard slam. Sometimes a couple tries to get the door to latch. Both doors the same and one original latch and one repop. What is the secret?

Also noticed that after all glass was installed, the doors were even harder to close...air pressure. So, it seems seals are doing their job, but dang. Will time with doors closed cure the problem?

Any suggestions are welcomed.

....this may not be for everyone but I've told a couple bolters about it and they have told me it worked for them.


My passenger door on my panel was doing just what you describe. Latch and striker looked good but no matter what I did it was just as you describe. I was ordering some parts one day and decided that for a couple bucks I'd try that little "clip" that you snap over the door latch that catches on the striker.
I put it on and on the first try the door shut solid. I simple couldn't believe it and did a Cherokee Indian dance around the shop. After a year it still works good.
You may want to try it??????

DP128...now cost $2.75 Door Latch Repair Spring 1947-63

http://www.oldchevytrucks.com/cart/index.asp?cat2=9752&path=1947+%2D+Early+1955+Truck+Parts%2FDoor+%26+Components%2FDoor+Latches%2C+Striker+Plates%2C+Etc%2E

Move the latch plates out a little to ease closing while still sealing for a while until the new rubber takes on a squish. After a few weeks or so the new rubber will squish allowing you to move the latch plates back where they belong, and you won't have to slam them anymore.

I have one of those repair clips as the passenger latch was worn. I vaguely remember the door closing easier, but the repair clip would fall off every now and then I decided to purchase a new latch for that side.

I have the strikes adjusted all the way out and still the same problem. I am going to leave the doors closed while I work on exterior items and see if it gets better. I am wondering if new strikes would help.

After replacing all the rubbers on my doors I had the same problem, maybe not as bad as you, but bad. I moved the stikes in just a bit, slammed the doors real good to get them to close and left them closed for a couple days. This was in the summer and my truck sits outside so everything got nice and hot. After the couple days I opened the doors and adjusted the strikes back out and now my doors shut tight with little effort.

Good plan, thanks. Just have to wait for warm weather. But, the doors now remain closed instead of open while I was in and out of the interior everyday while trying to complete the interior...I jus could not bear to slam them so hard a couple times per day. having the glass in makes it better as the rattles are now gone.