Passenger door pops open

[PWCO70crusier]

So here is the deal, my passenger door keeps popping open. It doesn't matter if its locked or not. I think I've determined its the pin or perhaps the strike plate. It seems as when I drive, the latch pin that is supposed to keep the door shut, slides over to the left until the door pops open. I've tried a couple of different handles and both do it. I thought maybe it was because the lock mechanism was loose on both handles, but I tightened them and it still happened. I also thought I could be the strike plate, but after looking at it, it appears there is a good overlap, although not as good as the driver side. But when I drive and watch the door handle, you can watch the latch pin slide left. (details...1970 FJ40, old style door handle). Any thoughts or suggestions? Shim didn't seem to help either on the strike plate.

 

[wngrog]

Following. Mine does it from time to time too.

 

[65swb45]

Try putting a flat washer as a spacer between the striker and the tub to increase the overlap.

If it works, you can make a more formal plate so there is no air gap.

 

[JohnnyC]

Mine is pretty far in on the striker...

IF yours is in far and door is still popping open you have a great deal of flex aka cowl is rotting away ?

Pics of the overlap?

 

[middlecalf]

Info here Door Striker Repair

I JB welded a brass plate on my driver’s side striker. Holding and working well.

 

[bikersmurf]

I've recently been looking into aluminum 'brazing' rod. I'm figuring it could be a good way to rebuild worn away aluminum.

I'd agree with others that your cowl (A pillar) is moving relative to the B pillar. I'd take some measurements and see what's out of whack. I've had my soft half doors come open, but never my hard doors.

 

[wngrog]

Rotting away? My truck? Never lol

 

[65swb45]

In the case of my ‘68, it’s spent so much of its life on the trail I seriously doubt I could get a hardtop on it any more. I was crawling the wall on the Little Sluice box back in ‘91 or ‘92 and when the truck slipped. The impact was hard enough to split the seam where the passenger rocker meets the A pillar.

Now My passenger door not only has washers behind the striker, but I took the catch out of the latch mechanism and lengthened it a little bit.

And during the interim between the crash and the ‘fix’, there was this one time, probably around ‘94, that my wife just kind of disappeared out the passenger door on the ‘Con. :

We can laugh about it now.

 

[pbgbottle]

Is the door closing all the way pretty sure the mechanism is a two stage system for lack of better words. I Close my door gently it clicks and closes or catches ,push it again hard it clicks again and closes tighter. Now I just slam it
And lock it and it stays. If mine doesn’t complete shut it will rattle and pop open even if locked.
As long as I slam my doors I’m good to go. Later doors.

 

[bikersmurf]

Is the door closing all the way pretty sure the mechanism is a two stage system for lack of better words. I Close my door gently it clicks and closes or catches ,push it again hard it clicks again and closes tighter. Now I just slam it
And lock it and it stays. If mine doesn’t complete shut it will rattle and pop open even if locked.
As long as I slam my doors I’m good to go. Later doors.

‘70 (pre 75) is a single stage... over glorified ‘sliding bar’

 

[wngrog]

The only reason why this is interesting to me is that I have full overlap with my latch.

Mine has something to do with full body flex for sure.

I have a box of fresh Energy body bushings ready to go when I work up
The energy (no pun intended) to do the project

 

[65swb45]

I honestly never thought about it until @Downey brought up the fact that the entire cowl of the 40 floats on the rockers; there is no direct tub support to the frame forward of the running board stays.