The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Paint and Body Shop Doors Door adjustments

49 chevy 3600
I'm trying to correct and adjust a drivers side door. The opening is a bit wide and I'd like to close the gap on the rear in order to get the latchs to line up. This will leave a more than desired gap in the front but that's where I feel it will look the best.

My question is. How do you gain more aft movement when the adjustment is maxed?

Thanks Don

Have you done repairs to the cowl/hinge pillar area? Have you already painted the truck?
To fix that type of problem, you need to do some metal work at the cowl/hinge pillar to close the door gap.

No the Truck is new to me 7 days ago. Not going to do anything to the body except small cosmetics and buff.

I'll just put some 1/8" shims behind the hinges.

It would be easier to oval out the hinge straps to allow the door to slide back.
BTW, is the beltline of the door lined up with the beltline of the cab?
The reason I ask is that the door is slightly wedge shaped top to bottom. Moving the door upwards will close your gap some.

Right. I wallered out the straps too. I also raised the door too get the latches lined up. But I'm out of room to move up anymore. The former just hung the door and placed 2 thick washers behind each of the 4 screws on the latch plate on the cab. The top part of the door was bent in and there was no way I was going to get a seal on it without correcting that too.

It's all pretty simple when you give it some thought and take a few measurements. Gee it only took about 3 hours to get it ...better than it was. 😉

Don

Dude, I can take off a perfectly fitting door off of a truck, then spend 6 hours putting it back on and line it back up. It ain't easy.
Do your self a favor. Once you ever get it lined it up, drill pilot holes through the door/hinge straps and save the bits to line it up in the future.

Great idea. I've resigned the door alignment as good enough for now. I believe the former did some body work and didn't get the opening correct. It's wider than it should be.

Thanks to everyone for their posts.

Don

I hope I'm ok to follow this thread with a similar, but opposite problem. The drivers-side door (1949) measures the same dimension as the passenger, but the drivers-side door opening in the cab is smaller. Therefore, the door does not have the ability to be adjusted, front to back, like the passenger side. I've ovaled out the hinge straps to increase adjustment, but to no avail. Not enough door opening, so the door does not close all the way.

"does not close all the way." This is not definitive.
So what is holding it from closing all the way? Sometimes it's new rubber. Sometimes it's latch/catch. So examine carefully and state your problem exactly. When push comes to shove, a person must take off the hinges, all the rubber, take off the latch and catch and see if the door physically fits in the opening, period. Regardless of alignment with anything. That helps make a big decision. Measuring will not get it. You can't measure two odd ball shapes to see if they mate with a tape..
There are lots of doors that don't close all the way. There are many reasons. Sometimes the reason is that due to a collision or some shoddy repair work, they will never close. That is on the low end of possibilities. But possible. Doors can be trimmed somewhat. I don't think you are there yet.

I see you are into Mt. Bilking.........me too. I hate riding "bikes", would rather bilk.

I've had the truck ten years, so rubber on both doors was one of the first things to be replaced back then. I have removed and rebuilt the hinges recently. I did replace the rubber on the drivers door again recently and that only exacerbates the problem, but even without any rubber the door does not fit like the passenger side. Nice gap all around on passenger side and door fits nicely. To adjust driver door either way, forward or backward causes it to almost touch either side. Really no room for gap. The door is also adjusted all the way up into the cab opening as far as it will go. There doesn't seem to be any history of damage to the cab? I figured it came from the factory wrong. So, is it possible another year of door would fit?
Ha! Ha! Mt. Biking! Not "bilking".

You can cheat by making the leading edge of the door proud of the cowl by 1/8" or a smidge more. This will allow you to move the door forward to give you a little more room at the rear.
Carl

Well we need to know what the beef is. Either I am slow, or you are skirting the question.

1. Will not close, no way?
2. Used to close before you did the work?
3. Closes but don't like the gap?
4. Latches but not flush to body?
5. What gaps are OK, if any. Top, bottom, front, back?????
6. Only thing wrong is it's not the same as passenger side?
7. Too picky? Tighten up the passenger side
8. Carl's idea is not only a good one, it is what the factory did and what some manuals say.

The factory gaps have huge acceptable tolerances. There were no wrong fits from the factory. If it's just a gap problem, that's a cosmetic issue.
The gap in the front can be pretty slim and still open and close. So put that gap tight and see how you like the rest. The front fender can be moved to accommodate some issues. Doors can be "trimmed" by an expert. Don't know if you are there yet. I don't get a feel, at all, of your problem yet.

Bartamos, the fenders on a '49 don't come up to the door like on your '58 or '60.

Oops. Thanks Mark. I need to be more careful. Crossed it out.