Need help adjusting a door

[b-body-bob]

Last time we had the gTx out and got home, the passenger door wouldn't close. I tried the old standard lift up on the door thing, but no go.

I was just looking, and I think I've figured out how the latch works, but I'm going nuts moving it around trying to get the door to latch.

Can somebody give me a quick tip on how to get the thing lined up quickly?

I'm also wondering why this happened all at once, but I'll worry with that after I can open and shut the door again.

Thanks,

Bob

 

[Da-ho]

First things first, crouch beside the car and eyeball how well the body lines match up. If they look OK, adjust the latch assembly to match up. If not, grab the end of the door and lift to test the hinges for slop. If they are tight and dont line up correctly you have just experienced the typical B-body eltorquo twisto syndrome andf heaven help you then.

 

[restoman]

The fastest way is to first remove the striker pin - the "bolt thingy on the door post". Take it off completely.
Slowly close the door so it is positioned in the same place it would be if actually closed.
Check to make sure the body lines of the door and quarter are lined up and that the edge gaps are even. If not, you'll have to make them so.
Thread the sriker pin back in place - by hand. Tighten hand tight only, in roughly the same place as it was before. Tight as you can get it, but only by hand.
Close the door gently, letting the door itself line up the pin in the correct position. Make sure the latch goes through the primary latch position and then into the secondary (closed) position.
Gently open the door and tighten the striker pin with a ratchet.
Test to make sure it's right. You may have to do this several times before your satisfied.
Make sure the striker pin has the steel or urethane bushing still installed between the head and the washer. If it's not there, there will be too much play in the latch when closed.
To me, it sounds like maybe you have a problem with the latch itself. Is it lubed up properly? Any problems with it before?

Mike

 

[69.5CUDA]

is it hitting the body or the pin?..or has the spring catch/hold poped into a bad position?

 

[b-body-bob]

The door post doesn't have a pin, it's got kind of a c-shaped striker thing. 1970 B-body.

When I shut it, it hits solid. I slammed it and bent the sheetmetal behind the striker. [smilie=e:

The star-shaped spinning thing on the door spins fine one direction, and not the other. It will turn the other direction when the door handle button is pressed. So that seems OK.

The body lines look lined up, but I haven't taken anything off to be sure, had a fear of something dropping off the backside and me having to pull the backseat and rear panel to fix that. I've got time to deal with that today if I have to so I'll try that. The car shouldn't be twisted, it's got frame conns under it.

It's definitely hitting the striker - I can see it but can't see exactly what is hitting. I've tried it with the striker all the way up, all the way down, and about half way in between.

If it ain't one thing, it's two, this time it's the clutch and the door. Friggin old cars. [smilie=e:

 

[RUSTY Cuda]

This is probably off the wall, but some latches have 2 positions, maybe its not opening all the way & it's the latch itself thats hitting, maybe some chalk on all the parts & see what rubs off???? Rich.

 

[b-body-bob]

I tried gear marking compound on it to find where it's hitting but it didn't help.

Here's what I've done so far this morning -

Took the striker off, door closes fine
Put the striker on the door latch as if it were closed
Made a mark to show me where striker and latch should come together
Came inside and took a leak

Going back out now to put the striker back on, shut it until it hits, then look at the mark that will show me where I'm at.

Once I get it to close, I'm gonna get in touch with my buddy the body man and see if I can use his lift to get the car up in the air for an inspection of what could have changed to cause this.

 

[b-body-bob]

OK, I got the door to shutting again.

Between the mark I made and some yellow gear marking compound, I was able to see that the striker needed to come out about 1/8". I made a shim and the door shuts good now.

I wonder how that could have happened, but am not sure I want to know. I pulled tugged and pushed on the quarter post and door to see if it would move, and of course nothing does. The only thing I can see is that metal behind the latch is a little recessed.

 

[V8Voyager]

Did you ever see how they adjust at the factory? I don't suggest tryng this at home unless you have a major bad alignment, due to a collision, but they jam a prybar or hunk of wood (not that kind of wood Jester) between the A pillar and the hinge end of the door and slam it. I went on a tour of Dodge main back in the seventys and seen that. I also went on a tour of the trenton engine plant. You'd freak if you saw how they tested the hemi's.

 

[mopar_man]

You'd freak if you saw how they tested the hemi's.

Now you have to tell us

 

[giowest]

Did you ever see how they adjust at the factory? I don't suggest tryng this at home unless you have a major bad alignment, due to a collision, but they jam a prybar or hunk of wood (not that kind of wood brownie smuggler) between the A pillar and the hinge end of the door and slam it. I went on a tour of Dodge main back in the seventys and seen that. I also went on a tour of the trenton engine plant. You'd freak if you saw how they tested the hemi's.

I saw many a man adjust doors that way, what freaked me most of the time is it work!! [smilie=e:

 

[b-body-bob]

I saw that done on American Hot Rod when they were building the red/white 55. Heck of a way to adjust the door on a $100k show car, methinks. [smilie=e:

 

[Dr.Jass]

Wyoming Tech taught my friend to adjust the back-edge alignment of the door (to get a straight panel gap) with a floor jack. Hell, I'd been doing that to my GM F-cars for a couple years by the time his high-priced schoold taught him that trick.