The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Paint and Body Shop Doors Door fit and cab corner

I replaced my cab corners and am now rechecking my gaps. My right door fits like a glove. The left however doesn't quite line up as nicely. Before the corners I replaced the left cowl side where the dreaded door pinch occurred. Is it possible that the door frame is twisted? I've tried to adjust this door, hinges are quite tight with no slop, perhaps it got "out of square."
Is there a way to check the door frame for trueness?
I can get it to close but it isn't close enough for my standards.
Thanks

Where is the fitment issue?

Sorry about the delay Carl. I have issue at the top of the door near the rear up in the corner. When door is closed I can see a lot of daylight through that gap. Bear in mind the door seal has been removed but I don't think it could cover up that large of a hole. I'll try to post a photo tomorrow. It's bedtime!

Does the lower portion of the door match the contour of the cab at the rear? And at the front?

I decided to dig deeper and ripped out the hinges. The right side didn't need to be rebuilt but I did it anyway since I bought the pins. I discovered why the left side wasn't lining up very well. The bottle left pin was broken. There was so much crud in the hole that it seemed like it was tight, but the door pulled it out I guess. I need to complete the hinge rebuild and will let you know how they fit after. Thanks Carl.

I just reread my posts above, and never has anyone been more gracious to me for offering so little.
Glad I could help?
Carl

Hinges are rebuilt and the right still fits great but the left still needs to be tightened up. I'll snap some pictures tomorrow to show what I'm dealing with. Has anybody "opened up" their door frame with a hydraulic jack before? It seems like the door frame is too small for the door.

I opened mine up by bolting a piece of 1" square tubing (1/8" wall thickness), to a big c-clamp in order to utilize the big screw to do the pushing. I was able to move the opening 1/4" without buckling anything.
Carl

I tried the jack procedure and gained a bit. It still seems like something is twisted. The picture is before I gained about 3/16 where it was tight.
http://s1372.photobucket.com/user/foxj12/media/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zpsxuoemxgc.jpg.html?filters[user]=142068242&filters[recent]=1&sort=1&o=0

However, I still have this gap up in the rear corner. I reworked my hinge holes a touch, adjusted and still can't get it right. It pinches near the belt line, opens up well enough near the bottom on both sides and has a nice gap near the windshield.

If I try to lift up the back end it severely hits the windshield pillar. It will help the belt pinch but messes up everywhere else.
Any insights? Help please, I'm running out of ideas and my wife says it's not straight enough (I agree with her on this one).

Photos aren't working.

Try again
http://s1372.photobucket.com/user/foxj12/library/?view=recent&page=1

The pic is the left one.
As you can see (hopefully) the belt is pinched and the top right is open. The gaps in front are even enough and also near the bottom at the back.
Is the door frame twisted somehow?

Does the beltline at the hinge side of the door line up with the beltline on the cowl?
The beltline of the latch side of your door is too low and does not match up with the belt line of the cab.
You need to address these two issues first and foremost, as they play a huge role in the door fitting the hole, and in the proper operation of the door latch.
Hang in there. We'll get you there!
Carl

The belt line does line up in front. The gap in front is good. When I attempt to lift up back to line up back belt line the window frame hits the windshield post and binds. Then the front gaps become very uneven. It seems this is as good as it gets? I've been working at this door for a couple weeks now and I'm frustrated. I've been doing other things to keep happy! Thanks

Check your measurements here

It sounds like the opening has moved between the cowl repair and the corner repair.

Thanks Wayne. I look forward to comparing these numbers. Hopefully it's not too
far gone!

You need to take off all hinges, latches, strikers and see if door will fit into hole like you want it. If it can not be positioned satisfactorily that way , no use messing with hinges and such. Do not jack or cut until you have done this test. Use gap spacers and devise a way to hold door in place while you study what is wrong.
What is that cut on cab at lower crease of belt line? If you have screwed up the hole or the door is racked you need to know which. As you have noticed you can get one area nice and the other is off. While you are examining without hinges or latches, see if door has an even rubber seal gap all around after it's flush to outside of body, to see if it's racked or door frame is out of spec.
What kind of fit did you have on that door before repairs exactly? Obviously the answer to your problem lies in the answer to that question.
It's good to measure the geometry of a cab before you start welding, cutting, etc., and brace or use a plywood door go/no-go silhouette gage while "repairing"....or, of course, the door itself.
The dimensions that Wayne gave are super!
When the door closes, it is supposed to be "lifted" by the latch a small amount. Have you found all the door adjustment bolts? Aren't some inside front fender?

Bartamos,

In hindsight a person should have been more aware of the fit before the repairs. However, the door frame wasn't modified at all. I only did the cab corner. I suspect this truck had a small crunch at some time as the amount of bondo I've removed is significant. The "cut" you see is just the belt line. The paint has bubbled away on it and it was just that way.
I have tried the door fit without the hinges and this was as close as I got. I will try again now that I have Wayne's measurements.
Maybe it's the door. I might have to pull a parts door to find out.
Which other adjusting bolts are in the front fender? I know of the hinge adjust and the ones on the door itself. There are more?
Thanks!
We will get this problem fixed!!

I agree totally with it being hit long ago. I agree that another door would be nice to try. Sometimes you can try to "bend/unrack" a door a little. If you are going to replace it, you may try to pressure one corner and see. Set on 4x4's and use your body weight while wedging the other corner. (just brainstorming here)I read where on a 49, the adjustment for some of the door is done by taking off fender and getting at some bolts. NOT SURE.

Bart,
According to the Truck Shop Manual for 1948 to 1951,
"The bottom of the rotor housing should just clear the striker." I have seen a lot of doors "lifted" upon closing (I am currently driving one like that), but that likely means that the hinge pins are worn, or the door has been removed and not reinstalled/adjusted properly.
Also ADs fenders are no where near the hinges like on TF (best truck ever made)trucks.
While I am now in a patronizing mood, I think that your suggestion to place the door in the door hole without hinges or striker is an excellent suggestion! There are just too many adjustments to make with the hinges, lock mechanism, and striker to allow you to see if the door actually fits the hole.
Carl

Hi Carl. The 55-59 GMC MM says "position striker to start lifting door when door is 5/8 from being completely closed." The 55.2 Chevy SM says "just makes contact...without lifting door". These trucks use the same door and parts. Shows the difference in designers/engineers opinions. Seems to me if you have a little lift at closing you know it's supported from sagging because of intimate contact. TF has a ramp design, maybe AD does not.
I figured an AD guru (you are in that crowd) would confirm or deny that method. It was worth a shot. I did read that a 49 truck had bolts to adjust inside fender. But "wikiup" is many times bad info, sorry to not double check. Adjustment of TF does not include inside fender. A person needs to have a good grasp on the X, Y and Z adjustment of whatever era they have. It's kind of hard to adjust doors of any era. Gotta jack em or sling em or have three guys who won't get tired.
Fox has a good understanding of his situation and was thinking the same things I was thinking. It's going to be a bit of a battle and may require another door. The hard part of any problem is to analyze it correctly before you screw it up. (ask my wife about me taking the toaster oven apart to clean it). I think we needed a new one anyway.

Bart,
I wish there was a ramp on the AD striker. The lack of one is what causes severe damage to the latch rotor assembly once the door begins to sag with age.
Carl

Carl, in the hot rodder days. We would have thought nothing of putting a TF latch and striker on a AD if it would improve usability. (Back then I could not spell TF or AD.) Be the first to do it Carl. Be bitchin.

I retried positioning without the hinges in and I got it close. It isn't perfect and I'm still searching. I have measured numerous times and the door openings and the doors seem to have matching numbers. I'm guessing a 1/32" won't make a huge difference. Only thing I can see left is if the hinge is bent somehow.
This won't be a show truck but I don't want to be laughed at either.

If the left cowl was damaged by the door be forced to far open the hinges could have been sprung. Somewhere on this site is a guide to bending the hinges to make the door fit. Several years back ( farther than my memory) I had to do this to get the fit right. Also the door could be sprung. I have used a block and gently bent the top of the door until it fit the opening.

Deep breath, go slow, this is supposed to be fun.😉

Jim