Door Alignment - tell me if I'm on the right track
 

I've got some issues with my Big Dooley Crew Cab. None of the four doors actually close comfortably. I have to tweak, lift, do some sort of contortion or just slam the dickens out of them to get them to close and stay closed. I've also noticed that the gaps between the doors and the body are all over the map.

It is a given that I will put new hinges and bushings in all the doors. But I'm not so sure that this will completely solve any and all problems. I almost wonder if the truck has been snatched out of alignment in a previous accident or something. I wonder how to verify this.

My main concern is that I feel I should get these doors as close to perfect as possible BEFORE I start rebuilding the rusted out rocker panels and floor board rust. My thinking is that I should align the doors to the body and then align the rocker panels to the doors. Is this the right way to do this?

If anyone knows of any place where I can find some tutorials or video instructions, please chime in and I thank you in advance.

Re: Door Alignment - tell me if I'm on the right track
 

I would check out YouTube for videos. I watch all types of how to videos concerning my truck. Just search Chevy truck door alignment or adjustment and you'll get plenty of videos to help you out.

Re: Door Alignment - tell me if I'm on the right track
 

Be advised that door gaps were all over the place back in the day, so what you are seeing on your truck may have been typical of the build quality.

Having said that you would want to fit the door to the existing cab pieces (A pillar, roof and B and C pillars) as you have suggested and then add the new rockers based on that.

Fender fit comes last and is based on where the doors end up.

K

Re: Door Alignment - tell me if I'm on the right track
 

That sounded like a good idea so I went to YouTube and searched just what you said. I didn't get much for Chevy trucks specifically but there are quite a few videos describing door gaps on a lot of other vehicles. The information there is pretty generic but still good info.

Your saying that door gaps were all over the place back in the day actually makes me feel a lot better. One of the videos I just watched on YouTube described actually reworking the metal on the doors to get the gaps to fit better. Somehow I thought that that might be simply hiding a problem. So, here's my plan of action:

On each side, I will use the middle body line at the pillars as a reference. I want to start at the C pillar and work forward. If I stretch some tape from the middle body line at the C pillar and then straight across the middle body line at the B pillar, I could then extend the tape onto the front fender. I will trim the tape so that I can open and close the doors.

Next, beginning with the rear door, I will work the hinges (after I replace all the bushings and pins) so the the center body lines on the door line up correctly between the C and B pillar. From there, I think I should adjust the striker plate and bolt for correct latching and unlatching.

After that, repeat the process with the front door. When it's opening/closing and the body lines are correct, I should adjust the fender.

Next, do whatever body work is required to even the gaps and finally, repair my rocker panels.

Does this sound good?

Re: Door Alignment - tell me if I'm on the right track
 

Sounds like you've got it. You'd be surprised at how easy and well your doors will close with a simple rebuild of the hinges.

Re: Door Alignment - tell me if I'm on the right track
 

Keep in mind that replacement rust repair panels i.e. cab corners/rocker panels will also need tweaking to fit properly. On a truck I'm working with the cab corners needed some grinding/contouring to fit properly as will the rocker panels. I suggest working your repairs starting with the cab corners and move forward after aligning the doors as best you can. Here are a couple before/after pics showing the LH side I did.

Re: Door Alignment - tell me if I'm on the right track
 

Before...

Re: Door Alignment - tell me if I'm on the right track
 

After...

Re: Door Alignment - tell me if I'm on the right track
 

Most of the tacking is done...

Re: Door Alignment - tell me if I'm on the right track
 

The regular cab pickup cabs were pretty highly automated, such that you could feed individual panels in one end and a completed pickup cab popped out the other. That made them fairly consistent in terms of demensional stability and gaps in general (door or otherwise).

Crew Cabs, as well as Blazer/Suburban, were much more manual in construction and used an archaic "side gate" system. That made for a lot more variation in the cab dimensions. If you follow the gap around the periphery of the door you can usually see it.

http://www.73-87.com/7387info/Assembly%20Line.htm (photo 7, specifically)

K

Re: Door Alignment - tell me if I'm on the right track
 

So THAT'S what a rust free square body looks like!! I've always wondered.

Actually Keith, those photos are GREAT and all of you guys on this thread ROCK! It's awesome that I can get answers like these and I thank all of you.

Re: Door Alignment - tell me if I'm on the right track
 

Great photos!

I always wondered what that red oxide coating was, still have a pristine coating of it on the cab.

Keith was there a predicted lifespan on these trucks and are you surprised at how long some of them have lasted?

Re: Door Alignment - tell me if I'm on the right track
 

Yes gmachinz, I meant to say thank you for those, as well.

Re: Door Alignment - tell me if I'm on the right track
 

I don't recall an official lifespan but around here during my growing up years we were getting cosmetic rust (no perforations or minor perforation) after four years.

The first trucks were pretty bad. It was fairly common to see them with fenders and box sides completely gone and the wheel opening moldings floating in space.

They got progressively better as we added galvanized metal, ELPO dip for better coverage and stopped drilling holes in them for moldings and emblems.

K

Re: Door Alignment - tell me if I'm on the right track
 

Thanks for taking time to answer my questions Keith - much appreciated.

Woodyboat you might have an interest in a thread by daddyjeep here. He replaced both Crew Cab front and rear rockers at the and had to do a lot of fitment to get things looking good. He might be able to offer up a little advice.

Re: Door Alignment - tell me if I'm on the right track
 

Front Range... YES, ASOLUTELY!! This link to the daddyjeep's thread is EXACTLY what I've been looking for!!

Thank you very much!