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View Full Version : Model A door alignment?...and a lesson learned.


Greezy
08-08-2004, 09:05 PM
Im having a hell of a time getting the doors to align with the body lines. Ive been playing with shims trying to tweak the body. I have the drivers side door pretty close but the latch still wont engage in the pocket. Now the passenger side is a different story there is a good 1/4" difference in the body line. Ive shimmed it at the B pillar on that side so much I have a 2" gap between the subs and the frame rail on that side. Ive added even more shims but cant get to line up. Im to the point now if I can just get the friggin doors to latch Ill be happy.

The gap at the front of the door is so minimal I wont be able to manipulate the hinges to tweak the door in the direction it needs to go. The only other thing I can come up with is a pretty drastic measure and that is to cut out all the sub structure and start over. The body was channeled when I got it and dont really know how square it was when welded back together. That and In my euphoric state of seeing Visors chopped and channeled duece one night I decided to chop it too.

Heres where the lesson learned comes into play. All you guys out there who've built cars in the past already know this but Ill pass it along to the first time or novice builders such as myself.

Before you go making major body mods do yourself a favor and mount it solidly on your frame and make sure everything is aligned to begin with. I know it should be a no brainer, but sometimes (like myself) we can get over zealous and want to get things done before we are actually ready to do it. I have learned alot while building this car, and mistakes have been made that if I live through this build without giving myself a nervous breakdown, I damn sure wont make again. Thanks for letting me bend your ear...oh yeah any other ideas on getting these doors aligned would be much appreciated.

Heres the driver side

Greezy
08-08-2004, 09:06 PM
Passener side http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif

36-3window
08-08-2004, 09:11 PM
on model A's you sometimes have to bend the hinges...both on the door and door post....just make sure they all line up whem done to avoid binding

Revhead
08-09-2004, 12:02 AM
Hmmmm.

Muttley
08-09-2004, 12:14 AM
I have exactly the same problem with my '30, the driver door is waaayyyy out of wack! I'm kind of scared to find out what it's going to take to fix it. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

Greezy
08-09-2004, 12:25 AM
I can see it now Root and I will be going down the track and both our doors will flapping in the breeze. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

choprods
08-09-2004, 12:35 AM
get it bolted down solid on the "bad" side http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif-then with front and rear of door opening shimmed about equal amounts.......... http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif
Take a 3 ton porta power and a couple blocks of hardwood-place the blocks in th lower front and upper rear corners of your door JAMB.....
then VERY SLOWLY AND CAUTIOUSLY....tweak the door opening up at the upper rear corner -watching for signs of buckling or crushing- till it moves a little.
Let the pressure off and then re check fit.
repeat as much as needd or till you get worried about damage! http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif
This could solve your dilemma.
the door opening is"RACKED"forwards and "out of square" with the subrails.

Greezy
08-09-2004, 12:43 AM
Thanks Kenny, Im already afraid of tweaking itany more but Ill see if Ican get ahold of a porta power and try it.

DrJ
08-09-2004, 12:56 AM
Don't know what the top gap looks like but if it's too tight at the back but the back of the door is parallel with the jamb I'd say you need to shim the whole back of the body higher on the frame, and the passenger side more than the driver's side.

QQMOON
08-09-2004, 01:15 AM
AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH SHIT I remember the pain in ass reag good at the bottom of the cowl between the rail and the body you need to pack it as far back or as close to the door pillar as posible then at the front of the cowl behind the firewall wind a bolt into the frame now this will pull the front of the cowl down and in turn lift the door up but you knew that already
or visa versa
JR

atch
08-09-2004, 01:30 AM
as for porta powers; i've never had one or used one. i bet they are great. howsumever, when doing this exact procedure on the back of clarence before the top chop, the only thing i had handy to use was a 12 ton bottle jack and a 4x4. we cut the 4x4 to a good length and used the jack and board to do the same thing. stretch; check; stretch; check; stretch; check; etc., going just a hair each time 'til the doors aligned again.

prolly not as convenient as a porta power, but effective.

Greezy
08-09-2004, 01:31 AM
Shit QQ thanks for that. Yeah Ive been completely ignoring the cowl area. Dr J the gaps are real close at the top of the door to the B pillar. I know what the door needs to do but I cant get it manipulated to go that way. Thanks guys.

choprods
08-09-2004, 06:50 AM
They're right -most- will respond to the normal shimming at cowl and quarter/cab corner...but this ones been previously tweaked/allowed to slip out of square [while cut apart] so it will take a little more severe procedure to correct it.there is no"right" way but fixed is fixed! http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

kustombuilder
08-09-2004, 07:00 PM
[ QUOTE ]
on model A's you sometimes have to bend the hinges...both on the door and door post....just make sure they all line up whem done to avoid binding

[/ QUOTE ]


sheeoot! we still do that on brand new cars at GM. just grab the door and yank it in the appropriate direction. no kidding. ofcourse i never saw one that was a 1/4" off either.