Click on image for the lowdown. 
====
| | | Forums66 Topics128,035 Posts1,055,447 Members48,422 | | Most Online14,466
Apr 26th, 2026 | | AD Chevy Trucks  Over 6,000 pictures Brad Allen has an awesome collection of Chevrolet factory pictures that he has set up from film strips. Check them out!
Lots of work on Brad's part ... pure enjoyment (and references) for you!
| | THANKS!
For helping keep this great
old truck web site
on the Internet for over 30 years! and not clogged down
with Ads!  Again, thanks!
| | | | Joined: Aug 2005 Posts: 277 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Aug 2005 Posts: 277 | Doors sag (belt line off) and don't align well when closed. Taken hinges apart. Hinges and the pins are tight and not worn. Drivers door that is a replacement is the worst. There is no hinge adjustment in the direction I need.
What is the preferred way to adjust the alignment? Heat and bend the lower hinge?
Last edited by Donf; 05/28/2013 3:41 PM.
| | | | | Joined: Jun 2011 Posts: 1,901 Shop Shark | | Shop Shark Joined: Jun 2011 Posts: 1,901 | Massage the door itself or elongate a hole first. There are lots of threads on this that are well worth reading for various hints and warnings. I have yet to see them all in one place...
Give me ambiguity
or give me something else
| | | | | Joined: Aug 2005 Posts: 277 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Aug 2005 Posts: 277 | CASO,
Thanks for the reply and the ideas. Hinges are different on these older 1939 trucks . Elongating the holes will not get me the adjustment that I need and there is not much door to massage. The threads that I find on the topic relate to newer trucks and do not seem to apply to these older style hinges and doors. I'm still looking for a thread about these older style doors and hinges but have yet to find it. | | | | | Joined: Sep 2010 Posts: 1,700 back yard wrench turner | | back yard wrench turner Joined: Sep 2010 Posts: 1,700 | Don, something to consider is how the cowl is bolted to the frame. If it isn't spaced properly, it will affect how the door hangs in the opening.
If the cowl is lower than normal, the lower hinge will appear to be out of adjustment.
Wayne1938 1-Ton Farm TruckStovebolt Gallery Forums1989 Silverado 1996 Mustang GT convertible When I die, I hope she doesn't sell everything for what I told her I paid for it! | | | | | Joined: Aug 2005 Posts: 277 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Aug 2005 Posts: 277 | Wayne, good point. This puts me into a chicken and egg situation. Who knows how it will align when I set it on the frame. My cab is currently setting on a dolly. It is a typical 'Frankenstein' of doors and cab (all from different donors). I am trying to put it together and paint it off frame. That appears to be the way it was painted at the factory, bare cab with doors installed. So, I would like things to line up (close) before I paint it.
The fact that it is a 'Frankenstein' is probably the source of most of my problems. There was probably a good bit of 'not so pretty' adjustments made during factory assembly.
I suspect that alinement could be a hing issue. I have a couple of extra hinges and combinations of hinges all provide a slightly different alignment.
Last edited by Donf; 05/31/2013 12:08 PM.
| | | | | Joined: Jun 2011 Posts: 1,901 Shop Shark | | Shop Shark Joined: Jun 2011 Posts: 1,901 |
You named it a Frankenstein so I assume reconstructive not cosmetic surgery will be required to transform it into a sleeping beauty.
My point being it's less frustrating to take it apart and put it back together a few times than trying to fight/bang/massage things back together with kid gloves, your not allowed to mar, on.
FWIW, Looking for something else I did read recently in one of the pre war manuals that bending the hinge was a recommended solution.
Give me ambiguity
or give me something else
| | | | | Joined: Sep 2010 Posts: 1,700 back yard wrench turner | | back yard wrench turner Joined: Sep 2010 Posts: 1,700 | I would mount it to the frame with new mounting blocks before trying any adjustments.
Wayne1938 1-Ton Farm TruckStovebolt Gallery Forums1989 Silverado 1996 Mustang GT convertible When I die, I hope she doesn't sell everything for what I told her I paid for it! | | | | | Joined: Aug 2005 Posts: 277 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Aug 2005 Posts: 277 | CASO,
You got it! It was in one of the pre-war manuals. I had to go back two years but same hinges. It was in:
1937 Chevrolet News Bulletin
Commercial Bodies, Door Alignment
It says:
"Check vertical spacing of doors on hinge side" "If spacing is not correct, the hinges should be removed and bent to correct vertical alignment."
Big thanks for the lead. | | |
|
|
