Im at my wits end here with door alignment.

[lyrikz]

Im really at my end here. This door is goign to be the damn DEATH of me...

I can NOT get it to align. The top upper left corner touches and the upper right where it curves down is sitting about 3/4 of an inch to low.

My questions are this.
Can that door frame be bent? Can i remove the spot welds at the bottom right corner of the post and pull the post up a bit and reweld it???

ANY tips to getting the door to align would be appreciated.. here is another pic... Also, the hinges were pretty bad so i replaced them. Nice and firm now.

[Richard8971]

Just a thought... add a couple of washers under the upper door hinge where the door bolts too and try lifting the whole door a bit... You can also slide the upper part of the door out at the same time.

These things are tricky to align... I had to use a washer or two to get mine to align... also raising my hinges helped alot...even if it is a little bit.

You might be suprised what raising or lowering the hinges can do to alignment...

Don

[56fleetside]

Yes alot of times it takes cutting and welding to make doors and cabs line up. that looks to be your only alternative in this case.

[71 super]

Couple of questions. Has the hinge on the top been rebuilt? If you lift on the rear of the door do you feel slack/loose? If yes to question 2 the hinge is your problem. The pins have only a nylon bushing to support them and these after 30+ years give up and cause all types of problems. Is the door GM or aftermarket? If aftermarket many of them do not fit the hole very well and require adjustments to the window frame to fit the hole correctly- i.e. removing spot welds and adjusting. Is the door original to the truck? Some doors just don't fit other trucks very well. Last one have the rockers been replaced? Were the door opening braced when the rockers were cut out? If not the opening could have shifted and caused the problems you are having. I hope that the problem is the hinge as it is a $6 fix and relatively easy.

[LockDoc]

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It looks to me like the truck might have been wrecked at one time. With the wide door gap at the bottom of the wing window and the gap at the back top corner I don't think you will be able to adjust it out.... I would say that the top of the a pillar is pushed back. How does the other side look?

LockDoc

[eightbanger]

Have you tried a different door? if you can strip and old door off a junker or something and have a look to see how it fits...as this might just be an out of shape door prob and not as big as a cab prob. If it's the same bad fit take the glass out of your door and cut and weld your door around the window frame to fit the opening rather than the other way round. Won't be to much of a change in shape to affect the glass and wing window going back in hopefully.

[68C15]

looks factory correct to me. this is why my Dad always complained about GM's fit and finish.
the curved area gap is due to the drip rail being off. re-work the rial if you want ti to fit good. the gap at the bottom of the wing window area will take a bunch more work though. how does the cowl-door-A pillar-fender corner look? can you post some pics of that?

[70GMCer]

That looks better than a lot I've seen.

[lyrikz]

Originally Posted by 71 super

Couple of questions. Has the hinge on the top been rebuilt? If you lift on the rear of the door do you feel slack/loose? If yes to question 2 the hinge is your problem. The pins have only a nylon bushing to support them and these after 30+ years give up and cause all types of problems. Is the door GM or aftermarket? If aftermarket many of them do not fit the hole very well and require adjustments to the window frame to fit the hole correctly- i.e. removing spot welds and adjusting. Is the door original to the truck? Some doors just don't fit other trucks very well. Last one have the rockers been replaced? Were the door opening braced when the rockers were cut out? If not the opening could have shifted and caused the problems you are having. I hope that the problem is the hinge as it is a $6 fix and relatively easy.

Top hinge is solid, i rebuilt the bottom hinge because it was sloppy... There is no play in the door when its bolted in. The door is a 72 GM door. Kinda rusty. The door is NOT original to the truck, its a junkyard door. And if you look at the top of the door frame, it kinda bows up in the middle as if someone lifted it from there and bent the frame upward causing the back to come in some. The door openings were not braced when the rocker and cab support was cut out.

Originally Posted by 56fleetside

Yes alot of times it takes cutting and welding to make doors and cabs line up. that looks to be your only alternative in this case.

I might go that route. Doesnt seem that hard to do..

Originally Posted by Richard8971

Just a thought... add a couple of washers under the upper door hinge where the door bolts too and try lifting the whole door a bit... You can also slide the upper part of the door out at the same time.

These things are tricky to align... I had to use a washer or two to get mine to align... also raising my hinges helped alot...even if it is a little bit.

You might be suprised what raising or lowering the hinges can do to alignment...

Don

Well, i have the lines in the door aligned, and the rocker aligned and the top just doesnt fit. I like your idea though.. Alot.. Thank you.

Originally Posted by LockDoc

-
It looks to me like the truck might have been wrecked at one time. With the wide door gap at the bottom of the wing window and the gap at the back top corner I don't think you will be able to adjust it out.... I would say that the top of the a pillar is pushed back. How does the other side look?

LockDoc

Your good.. Truck was wrecked on that side... Other side aligned fine.... Im painting the top black, so that helps alot on hiding door alignment issues. Dang. I have a feeling that door opening may be bent.. IM going to just undo the spot welds and adjust that door pillar...

Originally Posted by eightbanger

Have you tried a different door? if you can strip and old door off a junker or something and have a look to see how it fits...as this might just be an out of shape door prob and not as big as a cab prob. If it's the same bad fit take the glass out of your door and cut and weld your door around the window frame to fit the opening rather than the other way round. Won't be to much of a change in shape to affect the glass and wing window going back in hopefully.

Im going to slap in a test door to see how it fits... If its crappy, then i will adjust the door.

Originally Posted by 70GMCer

That looks better than a lot I've seen.

its even better since i tweaked on it a bit.. Still doesnt fit right in the upper right corner and the lower left ....

[mrein3]

Didn't I read here, or was it listening to my dad who worked at the St. Paul Ford plant for 42 years, that doors were aligned at the assembly plant with a 2x4? You bent the door frame by closing it on a hunk of 2x4.

I'm glad mine aligned good enough because I'd be afraid of bending them.

Now that I'm on the subject of using 2x4s on your doors, I watched in horror one day as my dad whacked the door glass track on to the window with a hunk of 2x4. He was over and I mentioned that I had a new track, a new piece of rubber to put between the track and the glass, and couldn't figure out how to put it all together. He took the glass, rubber, and track out on to the grass in the lawn, lined up the rubber and track, and whacked the $#!+ out of the bottom of the track to get it on the window.

[c10addict]

I cut mine at the top where the A pillar meets the roof and took 1/4 inch out... I am running 1 piece windows so I did not have to worry about the vent window fitting back in properly...

[d10s69c10]

Originally Posted by mrein3

with a 2x4?

they are kinda like duct-tape

[lyrikz]

Originally Posted by c10addict

I cut mine at the top where the A pillar meets the roof and took 1/4 inch out... I am running 1 piece windows so I did not have to worry about the vent window fitting back in properly...

My plan is to remove the spot welds at the rear of the window track and move it UP 1/4 of an inch. Reweld it in and if i dont like how it looks i will do what you said and take some out of the top of the a pillar area....

[c10addict]

Originally Posted by lyrikz

My plan is to remove the spot welds at the rear of the window track and move it UP 1/4 of an inch. Reweld it in and if i dont like how it looks i will do what you said and take some out of the top of the a pillar area....

Just looking at it I think that the door will hit the cab in that front corner.... Looks tight now and if you raise the back that will move forward... unless you cut it where I cut mine to allow that gap to open up so just the top move up then reweld it.. Never the less... Good luck!

[lyrikz]

Originally Posted by c10addict

Just looking at it I think that the door will hit the cab in that front corner.... Looks tight now and if you raise the back that will move forward... unless you cut it where I cut mine to allow that gap to open up so just the top move up then reweld it.. Never the less... Good luck!

Can you take my picture and use MS Paint and draw where you cut, or what you think i should do, i would appreciate it.

[c10addict]

The yellow line is where I cut mine and pulled it tighter together allowing more clearance /making the gap even.... In blue is where I think you are talking about cutting yours and I feel it would make it hit where the blue arrows are.. I feel like John Madden...... Boom!

[lyrikz]

Originally Posted by c10addict

The yellow line is where I cut mine and pulled it tighter together allowing more clearance /making the gap even.... In blue is where I think you are talking about cutting yours and I feel it would make it hit where the blue arrows are.. I feel like John Madden...... Boom!

Awesome paint skills...

the back section i wont cut, im going to remove the spot welds and lift it a tad right there... Heres my idea.. Let me know what you think...


On the right red, move that up 1/4 of an inch and reweld in place. and on the left, cut at the red line, move the top window rail down, and move the side rail IN. that will make those areas line up. .Im not worried about the wing window fitting because i have one piece windows. I think that will work.. An we are only talking about | | That much if not less that i need to remove...

[c10addict]

Originally Posted by lyrikz

Awesome paint skills...

the back section i wont cut, im going to remove the spot welds and lift it a tad right there... Heres my idea.. Let me know what you think...


On the right red, move that up 1/4 of an inch and reweld in place. and on the left, cut at the red line, move the top window rail down, and move the side rail IN. that will make those areas line up. .Im not worried about the wing window fitting because i have one piece windows. I think that will work.. An we are only talking about | | That much if not less that i need to remove...

Looks good.. I think you will find that cutting it where I cut mine to make your adjustments in the front will be easier bodywork... I considered all aspects when I did mine... Looks like some sweet rigs in the reflection!

[Palf70Step]

lyrikz

I can't see your photo from work, but sounds like what I had to do. Yes you are thinking correctly about the welds. I had to do the same thing on my passenger door (came from different truck). Check out my build thread...starts about Post #111
http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...=221437&page=5

[lyrikz]

Originally Posted by c10addict

Looks good.. I think you will find that cutting it where I cut mine to make your adjustments in the front will be easier bodywork... I considered all aspects when I did mine... Looks like some sweet rigs in the reflection!

Ya, i stared at my pic and yours would do the same thing, but easier. ahaha.. I like your way.. those rigs are my neighbors. Old buckets....

Originally Posted by Palf70Step

lyrikz

I can't see your photo from work, but sounds like what I had to do. Yes you are thinking correctly about the welds. I had to do the same thing on my passenger door (came from different truck). Check out my build thread...starts about Post #111
http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...=221437&page=5

I will check it out. Thank you.

[lyrikz]

Originally Posted by Palf70Step

lyrikz

I can't see your photo from work, but sounds like what I had to do. Yes you are thinking correctly about the welds. I had to do the same thing on my passenger door (came from different truck). Check out my build thread...starts about Post #111
http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...=221437&page=5

I checked out your post. Good info... Im going to have to lower my front apillar and then raise the rear... I will take an updated pic of what it looks like now and go from there.

[Palf70Step]

Now that I figured out the photos in here, yeah your door top looks like it got tweaked and I think C10addicts suggestion might be the best bet.

However before you cut, I think I might try placing a 2x4across the top of the door and whack it a few time to get that bow out, then release the loosen the welds on the rear of the door and see it you can get it to align better without the cut. If not, then do the adjustments with the cut suggested

[lyrikz]

Originally Posted by Palf70Step

Now that I figured out the photos in here, yeah your door top looks like it got tweaked and I think C10addicts suggestion might be the best bet.

However before you cut, I think I might try placing a 2x4across the top of the door and whack it a few time to get that bow out, then release the loosen the welds on the rear of the door and see it you can get it to align better without the cut. If not, then do the adjustments with the cut suggested

On it.. Thank you all...

More pics to come soon...

[c10addict]

The part that sucked the worst for me is both of my doors were brand new Goodmark doors! Out of the box and under the knife!

[lyrikz]

Originally Posted by c10addict

The part that sucked the worst for me is both of my doors were brand new Goodmark doors! Out of the box and under the knife!

Ouch...

I know that my top rail in the middle bows up... Im going to use the 2x4 method, beat on that middle section for a bit.. Then recheck the fitting... If that doesnt help, go with the right section first.. Hopefully i dont have to cut the apillar of the door.. that would suck. ahah...