early ford door adjustment
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early ford door adjustment
Posted: April 28 2008 11:10 AM
Crazyhorse Rod Shop [ View ] [ Email ] [ Website ]
19708 East Highway 1188
Bluff Dale Texas 76433

Phone: 254-728-3510
 
 
i have read some pretty crazy things people do to align the doors. the truth is you don't move the door, you move the opening. doors are not adjustable. there are 3 main shim points to do it. front of cowl, a pillar , b pillar. by shimming the cowl/a pillar you rock the door up and down to align with the b pillar. by shimming the b pillar you adjust the top of the door gap. the rear door edge from top to bottom is aligned to the qrt panel flush by the old way. grab it and twist it or use the 2x4 method. on bad ones you can cut loose the lower corner brace and rewelding. anyway maybe this will help somebody .
 
 
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Posted by sellersrodshop  -  04/28/2008 11:27 AM
thats some good info that should be on the front page of every "how to" book printed! you wouldn't believe how many guys come by here looking for help that have black hinges from trying to heat & bend to fit the openings & know nothing about shimming the body. one reason everything i build gets hidden hinges is adjustability, the other is my dad manufactures them, so gotta help pops out!
sellersrodshop [ View ] [ Email ] [ Blogs ] [ Car Ads ] old hickory, Tennessee
 
Posted by 31tudor  -  04/28/2008 11:32 AM
I've never considered that the "door doesn't get adjusted". Good info Shine, I guess I'll throw away that 2x4, he he!
Eric Hibbs [ View ] [ Email ] [ Blogs ] [ Car Ads ] St. George, Utah Charter Member since January 2002
 
Posted by Crazyhorse Rod Shop  -  04/28/2008 11:54 AM
keep the 2x4 , thats how you plumb the door. you can twist a door more than you would believe. thats how they would align the top to the drip rail and plumb with the qrt skin.
dont poke the porchdog........he bites [ View ] [ Email ] [ Blogs ] [ Car Ads ] BLUFF DALE, Texas Charter Member since March 2003
 
Posted by lsmith8505  -  04/28/2008 11:57 AM
Agree good advice can you add how to properly align a trunk lid? My trunk lid fits well all the way around except for the lower left corner.
lsmith8505 [ View ] [ Email ] [ Blogs ] [ Car Ads ] San Antonio, Texas
 
Posted by blade58  -  04/28/2008 07:50 PM
what do you suggest for late 30s pick up/ i saw a article on this but curious to see how you due it
blade58 [ View ] [ Email ] [ Blogs ] [ Car Ads ] apopka, Florida
 
Posted by Willys33  -  04/28/2008 09:08 PM
Replacing the A pillars on a VW bus right now and the adjustment is an absolute nightmare. One is close and the other might as well be on a Yugo. Shine, if I send you the door opening would you adjust it?
Get off the trailer and drive [ View ] [ Email ] [ Blogs ] [ Car Ads ] Alamogordo, New Mexico
 
Posted by Red's Place Custom & Restoration  -  04/28/2008 09:23 PM
on model a and 32 it is sometimes necessary to heat and bend the hinge shims will not line up the door when the gaps are not right with the a pillar. Some people call it the hinge pillar but shimming the body is always the right way to get the gaps that will move don't add metal or take it away but be sure the door will line up on the hinge side first.
Red's Place Custom & Restoration [ View ] [ Email ] [ Blogs ] [ Car Ads ] Charlotte, North Carolina
 
Posted by 37tin  -  04/29/2008 04:11 AM
yeah! It is amazing how much a door will twist, I've used a phone book, on a upholstered car no damage to door panel.
37tin [ View ] [ Email ] [ Blogs ] [ Car Ads ] langley, Canada
 
Posted by Crazyhorse Rod Shop  -  04/29/2008 07:39 AM
trucks are the same. as for trunk lids they are tuff. most times the trunk is ok but the car has been hit. you have to align this stuff before paint.

red, how many times have you heard someone saying to weld rod to the edge of the door or grind it down and reweld it grinding the edge of a door is about the worst advise i've ever heard of.
dont poke the porchdog........he bites [ View ] [ Email ] [ Blogs ] [ Car Ads ] BLUFF DALE, Texas Charter Member since March 2003
 
Posted by Red's Place Custom & Restoration  -  04/29/2008 07:52 AM
real problem is I have seen that done shine, but todays judges at main shows know all about it so they open the door and check the amount or overlap on the edge If it is wide in some areas and narrow at others they know it is just a coverup instead of quality. I have in the past ran into a need to add metal but I always add it to the 1/4 panel by spliting the panel and moving it forward then metal finish the weld works great and noone can tell it even in bare metal. Most of this is done on later model cars that have been miss treated in the past by a local body shop that are only into production not quality. It is hard to get all the gaps to line up just right on any car, I have seen alot of the 90 day wonder cars that you always see at shows with the doors, hood and trunk open stand around and wait until after the show and look again after the doors are shut and 99 percent of the time the gaps aren't right. Glass cars are the easiest after you shim the body just shave allittle here and add alittle there, same as corvettes want to have fun jack up one corner of most street rods or corvettes and look at the gaps things do change. Got to go to work got a 65 chevelle I took out a 4 spd and installed a 5 spd got to fix the floor See ya
Red's Place Custom & Restoration [ View ] [ Email ] [ Blogs ] [ Car Ads ] Charlotte, North Carolina
 
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