E-body/B-body Door Adjustment

[71vert340]

 I've adjusted e-body doors many times and my 74 Charger is the same and has me scratching my head. The car has always had a problem with the drivers door rear edge being inset from the rear quarter panel about 1/8". See photo. The car has not been in any accidents to cause damage other than a couple of small dents in the 30+ years I've owned it. I removed the fenders to replace the door hinges one at a time with seals and striker bolts installed. Hood and doors have not been removed and the fenders to doors and fenders to hood gaps are really good. Doors to rocker gaps are good. Doors to rear quarters gaps are good.. I replaced the striker bolts with new ones even though the original ones measured the same as new. The door is still inset. Looking down into the quarter panel, the striker bolt plate is all the way to the outer side in the capture bracket. See photo. Has anyone ever bent one of the capture bracket ears out of the way, ground some metal off one side of  the striker plate for more adjustment, reinstalled plate and re-bend  the bracket ear to re-capture the bolt plate? Or should I just live with it? Also the FSM states to adjust the striker bolt to contact the latch and slightly lift the door. Seem like it would wear the latch hard. Any ideas? Thanks.
Terry

[JS29]

I could be the captured nut was not were it should have been when the assembly line worker spot welded it in place. measure from the lip were the rear trim panel go's out to the striker and see what that gives you. 

[JS29]

I agree on the latch riding up the striker. and that has nothing to do with the quarter sticking out.

[blown motor]

These cars were never perfect from new. I know we like the gaps and lines to be perfect but I wouldn't worry about it. It's all part of the character.

[71vert340]

  I did take some measurements and the inner panel to outer skin is the same from passenger side to driver side. The striker bolt is out towards the outer skin 1/16" more on the passenger side making it flush. I've lived with it 30+ years until now. What's another few years, right. I was just wondering if anyone had encountered this before and if they had removed the captured striker plate to grind and correct it. It's a tight place to get in to. Thanks.
Terry

[anlauto]

YES....I've had to break that cage right off to get the full adjustment out of the striker....I kept thinking the striker was at the edge of the hole...so I stuck a regular bolt it and it wouldn't go all the way to the edge of the hole...it was robbing me almost 3/16" of adjustment. Pried the cage off and that fixed my issue.

[71vert340]

 So Alan, did you weld the cage back on to capture the plate to keep it from turning? Is it possible to pry one ear up to slip the plate out and then slip it back in after grinding it?
Terry

[anlauto]

So Alan, did you weld the cage back on to capture the plate to keep it from turning? Is it possible to pry one ear up to slip the plate out and then slip it back in after grinding it?
Terry

Yes, I didn't take the cage entirely off just enough to get the full adjustment I needed. Once you start cranking down the plate didn't spin...

[71vert340]

 Thanks for the information.  I loosened the striker bolt and using a screwdriver,  bent the capture bracket ear out of the way closest to the quarter panel skin and it allowed me to slide the captured striker bolt plate out another 1/8". Tightened and the door now closes flush. Looks great. Thanks. One last question. Should the door be adjusted so the striker bolt raises the door slightly when closed?
Terry

[anlauto]

No, when you close the door with NO striker the body lines should all be nice and lined up, then once the striker is in place the door should close with ease and the body lines should be in the same location. The striker shouldn't be relied upon for the door alignment. 

[JS29]

This is why farmed out body work can come back to haunt you. If the body shop dose not take the time to do that with the job, what other aspects of the process are they taking short cut on.   

[71vert340]

 Thank you. The reason I asked about the striker slightly lifting the door is the last sentence in the sentence "Striker and Rotor " in my last photo above from the Factory Service Manual. I had not done that before to line up a door.
Terry

[JS29]

As i stated before, you want the latch and striker to line up evenly. And by leaving the quarter panel sticking out it will chip or get sandblasted over time, and can cause a whistle or a draft.   

[anlauto]

After all the fine tuning....drive it about 1000miles and see if things start to settle...you'd be surprised how much things can move around.

[blown motor]

After all the fine tuning....drive it about 1000miles and see if things start to settle...you'd be surprised how much things can move around.

And then the next weekend......