Adusting Door Alignment
12-28-2008, 09:05 PM
#1
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: 02-04-2008
Location: Akron, Ohio
Posts: 61
Adusting Door Alignment
Hi,
This morning in NE Ohio we had some very high winds, and the driver door of our LT was pulled out of my wife's hands.
There does not appear to be any bent sheetmetal (thankfully) but the door now rubs against the front quarter panel when opening/closing.
I measured the gap between the non-hinge end of the door and the body (by the latch) and where there is a .2" gap on the passenger side - there is now a .3" gap on the driver side.
I am guessing that the door hinges slid .1" forward when the wind caught the door.
There appears to be four bolts holding the door on - two on the lower hinge, and two on the upper.
Does anyone know if frame under the hinges is slotted?
I am hoping I can just loosen the bolts slightly and gently pry the door back .1" from the quarter panel and fix things.
I'm planning on adjusting/measuring the gap at the top and bottom of the door (above and below the latch) until it is back to .2" like the other passenger side.
I am hoping I can adjust the doors slightly by loosening them up - has anyone ever needed to do this before?
Jim
This morning in NE Ohio we had some very high winds, and the driver door of our LT was pulled out of my wife's hands.
There does not appear to be any bent sheetmetal (thankfully) but the door now rubs against the front quarter panel when opening/closing.
I measured the gap between the non-hinge end of the door and the body (by the latch) and where there is a .2" gap on the passenger side - there is now a .3" gap on the driver side.
I am guessing that the door hinges slid .1" forward when the wind caught the door.
There appears to be four bolts holding the door on - two on the lower hinge, and two on the upper.
Does anyone know if frame under the hinges is slotted?
I am hoping I can just loosen the bolts slightly and gently pry the door back .1" from the quarter panel and fix things.
I'm planning on adjusting/measuring the gap at the top and bottom of the door (above and below the latch) until it is back to .2" like the other passenger side.
I am hoping I can adjust the doors slightly by loosening them up - has anyone ever needed to do this before?
Jim
12-28-2008, 09:57 PM
#2
Senior Member
Join Date: 11-20-2006
Location: Peoria, IL
Posts: 931
I don't believe they can be adjusted. I had this happen to my HHR though and the bodyshop was able to man-handle the door back into alignment. He said the hinges were not adjustable, but he was able to bend it back with no parts required.
12-28-2008, 11:26 PM
#3
Platinum Member
Join Date: 05-09-2006
Location: "Upland" Mesa, Arizona
Posts: 6,805
Hi,
This morning in NE Ohio we had some very high winds, and the driver door of our LT was pulled out of my wife's hands.
There does not appear to be any bent sheetmetal (thankfully) but the door now rubs against the front quarter panel when opening/closing.
I measured the gap between the non-hinge end of the door and the body (by the latch) and where there is a .2" gap on the passenger side - there is now a .3" gap on the driver side.
I am guessing that the door hinges slid .1" forward when the wind caught the door.
There appears to be four bolts holding the door on - two on the lower hinge, and two on the upper.
Does anyone know if frame under the hinges is slotted?
I am hoping I can just loosen the bolts slightly and gently pry the door back .1" from the quarter panel and fix things.
I'm planning on adjusting/measuring the gap at the top and bottom of the door (above and below the latch) until it is back to .2" like the other passenger side.
I am hoping I can adjust the doors slightly by loosening them up - has anyone ever needed to do this before?
Jim
This morning in NE Ohio we had some very high winds, and the driver door of our LT was pulled out of my wife's hands.
There does not appear to be any bent sheetmetal (thankfully) but the door now rubs against the front quarter panel when opening/closing.
I measured the gap between the non-hinge end of the door and the body (by the latch) and where there is a .2" gap on the passenger side - there is now a .3" gap on the driver side.
I am guessing that the door hinges slid .1" forward when the wind caught the door.
There appears to be four bolts holding the door on - two on the lower hinge, and two on the upper.
Does anyone know if frame under the hinges is slotted?
I am hoping I can just loosen the bolts slightly and gently pry the door back .1" from the quarter panel and fix things.
I'm planning on adjusting/measuring the gap at the top and bottom of the door (above and below the latch) until it is back to .2" like the other passenger side.
I am hoping I can adjust the doors slightly by loosening them up - has anyone ever needed to do this before?
Jim
Jim.....
I bet, if you look very closely, you will discover sheet metal bent someplace which is causing the misalignment.......especially if the wind REALLY pulled the door from her hands.
12-28-2008, 11:38 PM
#4
Senior Member
Join Date: 11-27-2007
Location: Austin, Texas
Posts: 1,115
I have the full set of shop manuals, and the section on door replacement does not seem to indicate anything is adjustable except the door striker. In other words if you replace a door, you just bolt the hinges in place and adjust the striker. That would mean you are stuck with forcing things back into place I guess.
Last edited by c2vette; 12-29-2008 at 01:44 AM.
12-29-2008, 08:06 AM
#5
Senior Member
Join Date: 04-11-2008
Location: Eastpointe,MI.
Posts: 663
I just discovered my driver's side front door to be out of alignment this past weekend.There's a small spot on the leading edge of the door/back edge of the fender where the paint is rubbed away.The high winds didn't take it from my hands and the car wasn't bumped in a parking lot.I'm perplexed.
12-29-2008, 03:39 PM
#6
Founding Member
Join Date: 11-23-2007
Location: Texas
Posts: 8,210
A good bodyman knows how to fix this. In a nut shell they have a special sized socket that they strategically place on the hinges and then they apply pressure by slowly closing the door until it pulls back.
12-29-2008, 04:56 PM
#7
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: 02-04-2008
Location: Akron, Ohio
Posts: 61
Well,
after hearing that the hinges are non-adjustable, I decided it was out of my league and took it to my local body shop this morning.
At first, they wanted to give me a "scam the insurance company special" consisting of a total repainting of the door, fender and hood - since all three had slight paint worn spots from the rubbing.
I explained that I thought that was a bit ridiculous, and told them I didn't want to make an insurance claim.
Now they are going to fix it for about $200 - including touching up just the areas that rubbed.
I've used them before - if anyone in the Akron area needs a good body shop recommendation, I've been going to these guys for almost 20 years ;-)
Jim
after hearing that the hinges are non-adjustable, I decided it was out of my league and took it to my local body shop this morning.
At first, they wanted to give me a "scam the insurance company special" consisting of a total repainting of the door, fender and hood - since all three had slight paint worn spots from the rubbing.
I explained that I thought that was a bit ridiculous, and told them I didn't want to make an insurance claim.
Now they are going to fix it for about $200 - including touching up just the areas that rubbed.
I've used them before - if anyone in the Akron area needs a good body shop recommendation, I've been going to these guys for almost 20 years ;-)
Jim
12-29-2008, 05:26 PM
#8
Senior Member
Join Date: 01-29-2006
Location: Port Saint Lucie,Florida
Posts: 1,148
Well,
after hearing that the hinges are non-adjustable, I decided it was out of my league and took it to my local body shop this morning.
At first, they wanted to give me a "scam the insurance company special" consisting of a total repainting of the door, fender and hood - since all three had slight paint worn spots from the rubbing.
I explained that I thought that was a bit ridiculous, and told them I didn't want to make an insurance claim.
Now they are going to fix it for about $200 - including touching up just the areas that rubbed.
I've used them before - if anyone in the Akron area needs a good body shop recommendation, I've been going to these guys for almost 20 years ;-)
Jim
after hearing that the hinges are non-adjustable, I decided it was out of my league and took it to my local body shop this morning.
At first, they wanted to give me a "scam the insurance company special" consisting of a total repainting of the door, fender and hood - since all three had slight paint worn spots from the rubbing.
I explained that I thought that was a bit ridiculous, and told them I didn't want to make an insurance claim.
Now they are going to fix it for about $200 - including touching up just the areas that rubbed.
I've used them before - if anyone in the Akron area needs a good body shop recommendation, I've been going to these guys for almost 20 years ;-)
Jim
12-29-2008, 08:49 PM
#10
Senior Member
Join Date: 11-20-2006
Location: Peoria, IL
Posts: 931
Well I must have found a better shop. Granted, there was no paint to touch up, but the guy got the door to close properly in maybe 15 minutes and wouldn't accept anything for his time. It probably helped that he was the son of a co-worker but I was still pleasantly suprised.