Saggy Door

[Mastiff]

Man, I've been beating my head against this problem for hours! My drivers side door has been a little sloppy for a while now, so today I replaced the hinge pins and bushings. What a PITA! nice of GM to make the factory pins so they can't be hammered out from underneath. On the top the pin was also fused to the hinge even after I cut it in half in the middle.

Anyway, I eventually replaced that stuff and got the door back on, but now I can't get it not to be saggy, like it's lower in the back than in the front by quite a bit. It kind of closes, but I can't adjust the striker low enough to get a good latch every time. This was exactly the problem I was trying to solve.

I see that I can adjust things using the bolts that attach the hinge to the door, but these are not in the right dimension to go after the saggy door problem. How do I fix it?

I remember someone talking about sticking a 2x4 in there someplace and prying it back up, but that sounds pretty scary. I thought I'd ask before I start trying to bend stuff. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

/forums/images/graemlins/1zhelp.gif

 

[mud390]

Have you tryed to shim it at all? Maybe a few strategically placed washers...er...shims would do the trick for you. Just a thought.

Kris

 

[ryoken]

if your hinges are tight with no droop, you need to adjust the bolts to the pillar, not the door. the ones to the door are your "in and out". loosen all of the pillar ones except one for the bottom hinge (a pivot point). then almost close the door and jack the back corner up with some lumber on a floor jack. then tight any top hinge bolt to the pillar. open door and tighten the rest.

much easier with your fender off.. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

hope that helps some....

 

[Mastiff]

I thought about that, but those bolts look almost impossible to access, and one is coming from inside someplace (I see the threads coming through).

For now I got it closing fairly well, so I'm going to live with it for a while anyway. If I get the truck repainted sometime, I'll ask the bod shop guy to align stuff for me. /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif

 

[Lazydog]

How do you reach the bolts? Do you have to remove the fender? My passenger door drops a little in the back, I'd like to align it.

 

[ryoken]

the one on the top from the inside is in a hole in the pillar above the e-brake, pretty much straight left of your instruments. taking the cluster out is the easiest way for that one. or you can fight your way up thru the e-brake. thats the one i use to lock the top hinge in place (because you can do it with door closed. using one tight one on the bootom for a pivot.

the rest "can" be reached with the door open but can be difficult. when i go that way it usually involves 1/4 drive and a flex socket.

either the fender or wheelwell coming off makes it 1000x's easier. if you do the wheelwell, you'll need to undo the bottom of the fender too, gives a ton of room with the fender bottom out.

but this can be done with it all together. loosen 2 out of 3 on the bottom. loosen all the tops, close door on striker (if it sags a little you'll need to open and jack a little higher), tighten inside upper, open door, tighten rest..

hope that helped....