Door adjustments

[Jsand73440]

Just got my car back from the painter. I asked them to put weight in the doors when they installed them. It doesn't appear that they weighted down the doors. I'm guessing once i install the glass and tracks it will likely sag. What's the best method for getting the doors adjusted for the sag, can i do it without removing the front fenders?

[jimynick]

Doing any door adjustments on a finish painted car is an invitation to disaster. How do the doors fit currently? A sag is often repairable by loosening the lower hinge at the body and lifting, BUT if the door fender gap is already set and close, you may have to split the movement between the upr and lwr hinges and while that's not the end of the world, doing it w/o marking either the fndr or door or both is an exercise in careful control. Personally, I'd load the door with it's guts and carefully see how it closes. If it's close I'd lay a short piece of 2X4 under the rear horizontal frame of the door and use a longer chunk under that and over the protected rocker and nearly closing the door, lift up gently and then see if you got what you needed. Several application may be req'd and keep an eye on the fndr/door edges to avoid scuffing them into each other. Helluva way to run a railroad, but there you are. Good luck 

[MoparLeo]

From the Service Manual.
file:///C:/Users/Leo%20Tafoya/Downloads/door-hinge-installation-e-body%20(2)%20(1).pdf

[torredcuda]

It`s not easy but you should be able to get to the bolts with the fenders on. I would first assemble the doors with glass and then re-check alignment.

[moparroy]

Mine was painted without weight / windows - did not notice anything moved at all when I installed the glass and regulators. If everything is solid - those doors are pretty heavy empty - I would not expect anything to move measurably

[Jsand73440]

Thanks for the info and ideas. I wont get to concerned until i get everything assembled, and see what i really have.

[gzig5]

Is anyone adjusting the door and then pulling the hinge pin for removal?  I think I've seen that done on other brands. Looks like there would be an interference on the E-body though.  I know when I was playing with door and fender adjustment before I blew the car apart for sheet metal replacement, I told myself that I was not going to enjoy the process on a painted car. My passenger door wouldn't line correctly due to accident damage.  Now that it is repaired, I'm hoping it will drop in, but I'm a realist as well.

[Jocigar]

If I may; is it 100 pounds per door ?  that's what i saw in an old post.  more than i would have thought.  thx

[Dmod1974]

52lbs IIRC....  I know damn well that my painter did not do this during assembly even though I did during mockup in primer, but it didn't seem to affect anything.  My doors shut perfectly fully loaded. 

[Jsand73440]

I weighed the glass and the parts before i shipped the car off for paint and i came up with less than 40 lbs. but that didnt include the inside door panel or armrest.

[rhamson]

After loading the doors with the windows and other hardware adjusting the door begins where it meets the quarterpanel and then the fender which can affect the hood. On a painted car I will loosen the fender fasteners and move them away from the door and lightly tighten the fender fastners temporarily while leaving the hood open. Once you have the door to quarterpanel where you want it cinch down the door hinges and work the fender gap to it and repeat the quarterpanel adjustment to a happy medium. Then adjust the hood to fit the gaps as best as you can get them. It takes some patience and time but not impossible.

[Jsand73440]

Have the passenger side glass and hardware installed. It appears that my door is down in the front and in the back an equal amount. It is so little, but enough you can see the body line off a hair or two. Enough that it bugs me. do you think i would be able to get inside, loosen bolts a bit and then use a block and a bar to lift the front and back from under the door between it and rocker?

[B5fourspeed]

I made sure to rebuild my hinges.After the car was painted I assembled the door hardware and the door did not drop.If you decide to adjust the doors have about 2 or 3 friends available to help.One wrong move and a door or fender or both will be back in the paint booth.

[Jsand73440]

Can i get to the hinge bolts to the pillar without removing fender?

[B5fourspeed]

I think you can reach inside the fender with the tire off and get to some of the hinge bolts