door alignment

J

jake197000

Senior Member
ive got a real nice 39 coupe that the drivers door doesn't shut quite right I don't see any way to adjust it.do you have to shim the body?.if so where do you put the shims.or is it trial and error.is there a procedure? that printed somewhere?thanks in advance.
 
Depends on how the door fits. Sometimes replacing the hinge pins will help. You might post a picture and let us see the fit.
 
My guess is worn hinge pins are letting the door sag at the back and the worn dovetails are not able to align it enough to latch properly. Worn out door latches themselves also can play into this.
 
If the door is hanging too low this is a fix that can be done without replacing hinge pins. This is done on the upper hinge. It can be done on the lower hinge also except the shim is placed on the door side of the hinge.
 

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I thought the door pins were good on my 1939 pickup until I tried to remove them. One pin was broken into 4 pieces. I placed a block of wood in the lower hinge and pushed the door to the closed position. That brought the back of the door up and into alignment.
 
Is the door twisted? Does the body line match all the way from top to bottom? I have fixed bad fitting doors with a 2x4 and blankets. Doors fit good as new. Just got to give it a twist back to shape. This is if the door is indeed twisted a bit. I do not know if that is your problem without pics.
 
For what its worth, here's what pages S-10 and S-11 of my '43-'48 Ford Shop Manual says (procedure would be similar):

"Warped Doors: First try to find cause. Either remove or lower window glass to prevent stress on same. Inspect underside to be sure all chassis-to-body pads/bolts are in-place.

Wrap piece of wood in cloth to avoid damage to paint finish. Place over the interior edge of door frame location, between door pillar and door, either top area or lower area, as needed to correct warp, then push on opposite edge of door. If door too rigid to correct warp, place the wood block as described above then using a jack and wood post between the point of desired pressure AND an adjacent workshop wall. Use the jack to slowly and gently apply pressure against the door frame in the desired location. Do not buckle the door face or frame, or the shop wall. Use a larger piece of wood at door and/or workshop wall to distribute the pressure and avoid damage to either. Use a pad of felt to protect the door.

When done, the flange of the door should have a uniform clearance top and bottom. Adjust door latch and bumpers as required. Then centralize the door in the door frame by resetting the hinges. To move the door closer to the latch, and if a hinge bending bar is not available, place a thin piece of wood in the hinge and force the door closed. To move the door closer to the hinge post, use a clamp on the protruding hinge and force the door to an open position.

Rear doors, if any, may be adjusted by loosening and adjusting the hinges and striker plates.

(adjustments of door strikers, straps and bumpers are also discussed in the manual)
 
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