The Stovebolt Site Forums The Parking Lot Big Bolts Wow! Door adjustment on a COE?

I'm hanging the doors on my '51 Chev (finally!) and have been working on the passenger door all day w/ my son, trying to get it to fit the opening correctly. I have a couple of problems: the door drops when you release it from latching, and the bottom of the door is out an inch or so from the bottom jamb when the door is shut. I tried bringing the top of the door out, but that just made it drop even further when shut.

The worst part is, I'm a carpenter by trade, and have hung hundreds, if not thousands, of doors in structures in my 34 years. These doors don't act right, and it's frustrating me!

Any ideas? I checked my shop manual and cab adjustment booklet, but they're very vague about such things, especially as it pertains to a COE...like it's expected that the doors will just somehow drop in! Maybe at the factory, they did...

Would appreciate any directions.

~Bruce

sounds like the door hinges are bad

I usually have a good answer on COE questions, but a problem like this taught me not to remove COE doors, if I didn't have too. I've owned over 25 COE's through the years, & removed the doors on at least four of them. Had one heck of a time getting them lined up properly, on everyone of them. I finally noticed that just tightening the doors snug, then closing them, & adjusting the gaps, as needed, then with a helper, or two, try to open them, without moving them much, so you can get your final torque, on the hinge bolts. Good hinges, are definitely, a must.

I'm thinking the hinges are at least part of the problem. The bottom hinges on a COE also don't seem to have any in/out adjustment. I shimmed them up on each side and the doors latch better, but they still just don't fit the body the way I'd like them to. I'll start looking for a decent NOS pair and see if I can make them better.

For now, they're on, and the new weatherstrip is compressing a little. They look better ... or I'm becoming less discriminating all of a sudden!

~Bruce

I am assuming that the doors on a COE are similar to the regular cab. First you need hinges that don't have a lot of slop. In out adjustments are done by bending the hing strap. In the end the door fit will be a compromise for the "best fit".