door alignment helper

[midniteblues]

every time I've ever pulled doors it was a bear too get them lined up again so my question is has anybody drilled alignment holes in the hinge into the cab where the hinge bolts too too help realign the doors?
I really hate too pull these doors cause they are the best working doors I've ever had on any vehicle but dredfully it has too be done.

I have done this with other panels and such on other cars and it really does help but one thing I noticed is the placement of the holes sometimes can be pretty critical.

anybody have a pick of a good place where they drilled if you did this?

[Classic Heartbeat]

I don't have a pic but a shop that we use local does it all the time. Makes installing the doors a snap. Just remember... If you are replacing the hinge pins, align the doors first befor removing for paint. WES

[biggestjohn]

Tried this once. After eating up three drill bits drilling one hole, I gave up.

And no, I do not buy cheap drill bits.

You can release the hinges from the cab, or door only, which will help some.

[kaycee]

I take a sharp pencil and mark around the outer edge of hinge

[midniteblues]

Originally Posted by kaycee

I take a sharp pencil and mark around the outer edge of hinge

I thought about doing this and have done it in the past on certain items but I'm thinking with the amount of paint that goes on it just might get coverd but I'm not positive on that.

I was really asking if somebody had pics of where they drilled I just dont wanna drill the inner cage. I'm just gonna stare at it for a while and look for the spot welds that should help me out.when I did other parts with alot of adjustment it helped too keep the holes diagonally spaced for a more accuret fit

the last truck door I pulled off the bottom inner threaded plate fell rite out the bottom of the door pillar the cage was rusted away boy what a pain that was and the door didnt go back on for over a year. I dont think I'll have that problem here

biggestjohn, I seem too have a indestructable 1/8"bit. I've been whaleing on it for years. with my luck when doing this it'll give out

hey wes,thanks for the tip my hinges seem great but they'll still get pulled apart too clean them up real good before paint

[midniteblues]

Originally Posted by biggestjohn

Tried this once. After eating up three drill bits drilling one hole, I gave up.

And no, I do not buy cheap drill bits.

You can release the hinges from the cab, or door only, which will help some.

this guy jinxed me and i broke my indestructable 1/8"drill bit lucky me I had another it seemed that as soon as the bit entered the inner plate it caught on the inner cage and SNAP. I was pushing pretty good and wasnt ready for it to break through too ease up

I tried too drill the striker plate for the same reason and it laughed at my bit will try again later
I will do the same too the door part of the hinge after I do my rockers and corners that way that part will still be lined up correctly.and also when I'm done with the body I'll blow the hinges apart just for a good cleaning after all that it should be a snap too realign the doors

anyway here's a pic of How i did it for those who wanna know nothing special just some alignment holes that I can use a nail or something for reassembley

[67c10rustbuket]

I drilled mine too, didn't brake any bits though . Someone recommended tapping the hole in the hinge plate and installing a machine screw that just sticks through the backside, no need for the 3 handed install as the stud will set into the hole in the pillar and you tighten the hinge bolt wa-lah! done. I beleive it was Jim that gave that tip (user oldman3).

[midniteblues]

thats a cool tip and a good way too fill the hole when finished. i allways used a swipe of seam sealer and shoved it into the hole real good