Need some suggestions on how to correct this gap.

Evening all, Been working on my door gaps on my 1956 2 door wagon. The bottom of the door fits very nice and were the door latch is. But you can see from the pictures below the top is giving me a little trouble. Its about 3/16' of an inch off. When I clamp it (again as seen in pictures) I can get it looking very nice. My question is whats the best way to pursuade the top of the door to stay there. I did try a nice size block and hammer, I did not have much luck with that. Should I cut it and weld it back, heat? I wanted some suggestions before I really messed up a good door. Thanks for any help.

 

Block of wood and muscle,,basically just try to warp it in place. HRP

 

After looking at the photo again,,is the door the part with red on it? HRP

 

Yes HRP, The door is in the red.

 

Hi 1BADBAKER
looks like maybe weld a piece of 1/8 rod at top of door to fill gap
cheers Ken

 

Be nice if you could jack the top of the door frame out with a porta power. HRP

 

Not quite sure what the problem is. Did you replace the hinge pins and bushings? With the door barely open a couple of inches, try to lift up the back of the door. If you can lift up and down the hinges are worn.

Adjustment should be made with the latch pin removed. Hang the door so you have a nice gap then adjust in or out to fit even all around. Ignore the front fender, you may have to adjust it later. The rule is fit the door to the body then the fender to the door.

 

Looks as though the door "moulding" or "beaded" section is too a bit out. You could to fix the top is to slice along and re-skin a small section to fill the gap up top. As long as the "lip" of the inside section of the door is covered.

Is the door the original or is it a repro...then again has the section meeting up with the door been repaired in the past?? That could be out as well with the beaded section. Just some thoughts.

Mtw fdu.

 

No disrespect to HRP, (he'll beat me up) but before sucumbbing to the "gorilla syndrome", I'd remove the door and re-hang it. Shims and small adjustments will get 'er there. It's not a small task, but afterward, you'll be proud, and you haven't ruined the door. Personally, if I had to fudge a little on any of the gaps, it'd be at the bottom...at the rockers. But I think with some time and work, you could get 'em all pretty even. Now, this is all assuming that the body itself isn't tweaked. I'd do a crap-load of measuring first, to determine any inconsistancies with the door openings. Good luck.

 

Take out the vent window
and put a porto power from
one corner to the other
be careful to not press to much

abow the vent window you have
some evidense of violence that
put the door out of shape

 

Once the door is off the hinges, you can prop the door in the opening using wooden shims...paint mixer sticks and such...and determine just how inconsistant or not the door is in relationship to the opening.

 

looks like the window opening is tweaked a bit , roll down window remove the vent window, take a porta power or small jack place it from the bottom of the front to the top of the rear and jack very slowly, it will push the back out but don't over do it. Jack alittle then check it you may have to go alittle past what you need but it will get there, Ive done this a lot on the cars and trucks I build , Hope this helps RED

 

If it was due to hinge pins, the door would droop lower in the back. But it looks like it's actually tipped forward. By clamping as you have, you're simply flexing the structure of the door/hinge pillar/hinges. You can accomplish the same thing by re-hanging.

 

Slicing the body or the door and reshaping is the last option...sometimes necessary, but rarely.

 

Thanks RED, Thats what the issue is, The door fits almost perfect everywhere else but the window opening. I don't own a porta power so I'l see what I can do with a jack. Thanks for the suggetion

 

Maybe I'm reading this all wrong,,is the door too far in at the top? HRP

 

A little more info, both doors (drivers side which fits nice) are from a different wagon. They are original doors but not to this wagon. No patches or rust, and the door hinges are in good shape and no movement. Also I have a build thread on this wagon, I have had this thing cut in many pieces to replace the floors and rockers. When I clamp the window opening it just moves the opening.

 

I'd throw a straight edge on the driver door and check and see if the jamb/window frame are straight then check the door you're working on to see if it's off! That'll tell you what the issue is. It looks like it needs to just be pushed to the rear of the car!

 

No HRP, I did not explain clearly, sorry. The pass side door window opening is flexed forward. All other parts of the door fit nice. It may appear in the pictures that the door is in to far, when I have the stoppers in the body it fits nice. I removed them to try to tweak the opening.

 

"I have had this thing cut in many pieces to replace the floors and rockers. When I clamp the window opening it just moves the opening."

Ahah! Maybe the body has moved just a tiddly tad. Measure up, down, in, out, left, right, diagonally, etc...until you start getting a handle on what's what...and where. Draw pictures, and add dimensions so you can refer back.<!-- / message -->

 

This is what I'm seeing too. However you shouldn't need a portapower. You should be able to open the door slightly and fit a spoon or wide prybar between the a pillar and window frame at the top and move it back. You might be able put a small block between the a pillar and window frame with the door partially open. Then press on the door to force the window frame back.

 

Ok,Have you tried inserting a flat washer or two between the top hinge and the door opening,,this will space the door back. HRP

 

but that would throw the gap at the handle off, he said the rest of the door fits nicely.

 

In my experience a single very thin washers can be almost negligible but can make a big difference in the gap. HRP

 

Not unusual for the doors to fit this way. Sometimes a body shim will help change the door opening a bit. I would make the door jam look nice and move on. One plant used parts from one supplier and adjusted the body opening on the side frame jigs to fit their supplier.

 

you may need to shim the body mounts on the frame to reshape the door opening. Looks to me like the cowl is low at front, which pulls the top of the door hinge pillar forward creating the gap. Worth checking onto before you go slicing and dicing.



Ray

 

Did you look at the body rubber mounts and body mounts them self. Rusted or worn out. Maybe they needing to be shimmed. Loosen the bolts and try putting a jack by the mounts and give it a little lift and see what happens.

 

This is the way I'd try it first. Probably do it.

 

Lots of good advice already given.........gap is the problem ....identifying why is the key to the solution which lies in in tweaking door and/or body flex. Ok.... I believe first you must check the underside of the car for any and all floor braces and mounts...hmm...was the windshield cracked before removing? I also would check the door with another for a measurement across top....perhaps the lip in manufacturing was rolled over a bit off? If underside is in good structural shape and mounts are good and since you are creating the gap with a clamp the fix will come from as said tweaking the door at top with pressure. Nothing new said by me other than my point would be to work through the procedure of identifying why.

 

These car are known for tight joints at the windshield post, either that or the door will be out at the top front corner. Typically anything at the rear is going to be addressed with shimming the body mounts, but yours does appear to be "tweaked". After checking all of the above mentioned, here is a thread on the last resort:


http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?p=7714172


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