The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Paint and Body Shop Doors help- door adjustment

I have a '48 with poor fitting doors. The normal adjustment is up and down; and forward or backward. My passenger door is tight from the door handle up but gapped open about an inch at the bottom. Any suggestions on how to correct this?

Loosen it up, close the door and align by shimming with paint sticks and then tighten the accessable nut or bolts to help hold it in place. Once you get it close its easier to tweek. I found the back bolt has a lot to do with the alignment your dealing with. That said mine is a 58 so I could be talking apples and oranges.

Your door may be warped. Check and make sure the door at the hinge side is even with the body both top and bottom. I had a similar situation on my door. I put my foot against the bottom on the latch side of the door, grabbed the top and gave a good tug. I was able to twist the door into alignment. Of course you will want to make sure the door really is warped before you try this, and don't overdo it.

Good luck.

Kurt

Kurt is right to have you check the door itself for tweeks but if it will close correctly when things are loose that should tell you where to focus.
I lucked out and grabbed a couple freinds who stopped by for an attitude adjustment the other day and once their attitude was fixed they helped me adjust the whole front end and THEY supplied the adjustment! I tell you that REALLY changed my attitude. Just listening to them go on about how good it was looking got me ready to start in finishing the final blocking on the doors which had been a mental block for weeks for some reason.

I've got the same problem on my '50. Can you access any or all of the 3 hinge bolts from inside the cab in order to tighten them once the adjustment is made so the door won't move?

Spotbiltxo,
I don't know from adam the 50 AD set up but on the 58 the top hinge top bolt has a loose nut that attaches from the back access via a cab side cover plate. The other three front bolts all have caged nuts. That top nut is where I started with snug. Next was the lower hinge back bolt that attaches from the fender well side. Snug. then I carefully opened the door just enough to get the others.
I saw a great home made tool over on HAMB today you might like. post 1293 (door adjustment tool)

Thanks for the comment CASO. I'll look closer at the set up this weekend when I have time to work on it. Also, couldn't find the video on the link you provided. Guess I'll have to try again and look harder.

Thanks!

Look for post 1293 on that thread. Its near the last page of the thread, not a video just a pic of a tool he made that mounts to his floor jack that holds his door.

Okay, yeah, I saw that. Nice, simple tool that I may have to make when working on my doors. Thanks for the link.

Thanks for the tips gentlemen,
I've had the door off and removed the hinges and they looked ok, but I don't have another set of hinges to compare to. My door looks straight and is aligned at the hinge points except out a little-1/8" on the bottom hinge. I suspect the problem is in the hinge but haven't gotten a replacement.
Bem

If the door leading hinge edge is not within flush spec of the cowl, the '47 to '54 manual says to bend the hinge arm in toward the cab. I'm not sure how much pressure should be applied though.