Front Door inside hinge adjustment? (1 Viewer)

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JDNs78FJ40

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Location
Draper Utah
Both my driver and passenger front doors have lower patches from Real Steel that were welded in by my body guy, new pins and brass bushings and new weatherstrip from CityRacer, and I made and installed a 1/16" inch gasket between the door and outer hinge.

I got the driver and passenger doors attached to the body yesterday and was wondering if adjusting the 8 inside hinge bolts will fix my issues. On the drivers side when I close the door I start to get some resistance/flex when I'm about 2"-3" away from it hitting the latch. I can push it shut but its tight and when I open it, it almost pops open... I've got okay spacing around the entire door but it seems to be sticking out about 1/8 - 1/4 inch where it meets the tub and hardtop. First Picture shows where I start to get resistance, pic 2 and 3 show the gap at the tub and hardtop. Roughly the same issues with the passenger door but a little less resistance when I go to close the door but the bigger problem on the passenger side is that it is grinding at the bottom front and at one point there was enough flex on the lower hinge I cracked the damn paint:bang:. I can't adjust the outside hinges any further to push the door back or it won't clear the latch. See picture 4...

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This is what I did, which my no means is the correct way, but it worked.

I loosened all 8 inside hinge bolts, then slightly tightened one inside bolt on each hinge, tight enough to grab, but if you put pressure on the door it will still move it. Then I played with different angles when the door is full opened up. Pull up all the way on the door, tighten one bolt to hold it, try to close, rinse and repeat until it closes how you're comfortable.

You can repeat this process with the exterior bolts on the hinges as well, as that offers different adjustment.

Also, I have early doors, so my latch is different, but for the early setup there's adjustment with the striker as well.

Be patient, deep breaths.
 
This is what I did, which my no means is the correct way, but it worked.

I loosened all 8 inside hinge bolts, then slightly tightened one inside bolt on each hinge, tight enough to grab, but if you put pressure on the door it will still move it. Then I played with different angles when the door is full opened up. Pull up all the way on the door, tighten one bolt to hold it, try to close, rinse and repeat until it closes how you're comfortable.

You can repeat this process with the exterior bolts on the hinges as well, as that offers different adjustment.

Also, I have early doors, so my latch is different, but for the early setup there's adjustment with the striker as well.

Be patient, deep breaths.
Thanks. Was hoping I didn't have to do anything with the bolts in the pillars but sounds like that is the only way. :bang: Do you have any resistance when closing the doors aside from a little resistance when the weatherstrip is compressing?
 
My driver side opening is a mess, not my fault, it's how my replacement tub came and I don't want to do any major surgery.

The passenger closes nicely.

I ended up buying this wrench to help, I couldn't get my hands in there without it. Well worth the money.
 
The problem is they are an epdm rubber, which makes great weather stripping, however the doors and weather strip need designed with the EPDM characteristics in mind, these doors and weather strip were not. They will not squish like a foam rubber seal will.
I could never get the doors on my 75 to close right with those weather strips. Fought with them for over a year before I removed and replaced them with OEM stuff..that ended the fight.
The doors close tight, everything lines up and I dont have to slam the s*** out of them to get them fully closed.
 
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Its possible your A-Pillar has been bent outwards at the point the Door Check Strap is attached especially if the door has repeatedly been blown open by the wind etc.. What you're getting there is exactly what I had.

To confirm if this is your issue get inside the vehicle and have someone close the door and watch the A Pillar closely, you may see it flex a little near the Check Strap attachment point as the door closes.

To fix mine I put a block of wood between the door and the A Pillar, close to the Door Check Strap, and then forced the door towards closed a little. This bent the A-Pillar back in and the door now shuts nicely.
 
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This is what I did, which my no means is the correct way, but it worked.

I loosened all 8 inside hinge bolts, then slightly tightened one inside bolt on each hinge, tight enough to grab, but if you put pressure on the door it will still move it. Then I played with different angles when the door is full opened up. Pull up all the way on the door, tighten one bolt to hold it, try to close, rinse and repeat until it closes how you're comfortable.

You can repeat this process with the exterior bolts on the hinges as well, as that offers different adjustment.

Also, I have early doors, so my latch is different, but for the early setup there's adjustment with the striker as well.

Be patient, deep breaths.
Do the 8 inside hinge bolts allow for just up and down adjustment? Seems like it would allow me to adjust it up and down about 3/16”.
 
Its possible your A-Pillar has been bent outwards at the point the Door Check Strap is attached especially if the door has repeatedly been blown open by the wind etc.. What you're getting there is exactly what I had.

To confirm if this is your issue get inside the vehicle and have someone close the door and watch the A Pillar closely, you may see it flex a little near the Check Strap attachment point as the door closes.

To fix mine I put a block of wood between the door and the A Pillar, close to the Door Check Strap, and then forced the door towards closed a little. This bent the A-Pillar back in and the door now shuts nicely.
I’ll take a look at that.
 
I know you’ve got the weatherstrip already in place but I’ve wondered if it’s best to fit the doors first before putting the weatherstrip on?
 
The problem is they are an epdm rubber, which makes great weather stripping, however the doors and weather strip need designed with the EPDM characteristics in mind, these doors and weather strip were not. They will not squish like a foam rubber seal will.
I could never get the doors on my 75 to close right with those weather strips. Fought with them for over a year before I removed and replaced them with OEM stuff..that ended the fight.
The doors close tight, everything lines up and I dont have to slam the s*** out of them to get them fully closed.

I'm having issues getting my doors to close after buying city racer weatherstripping. Sounds like maybe I wasted my money. And that's not the worst of it. The wasted time and effort just to put the doors on and then they don't work properly is extremely annoying. Where did you get your OEM weatherstripping?
 

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