[DeTomaso] Door adjustment

MikeLDrew at aol.com MikeLDrew at aol.com
Mon May 28 20:19:53 EDT 2012


In a message dated 5/28/12 9 50 50, threemacs at aol.com writes:


> Again after a recent paint job my door is out of adjustment.  It appears 
> that the bottom of the door needs to come in maybe an eighth of an inch.  
> Also my locks don't want to work. How can I adjust the door and get the 
> locks to work again?
> 

It really sounds like your body shop hosed you (unless you agreed to do the 
final assembly yourself?)   

If you paid good money to have your car painted and expected to get it back 
good-to-go, you should take it back and demand satisfaction.

If you are in DIY mode, changing the angle of the door is, like the 
headlights, both easy and difficult.   The holes in the door hinges are slotted, 
which allows the door to move fore and aft much more than necessary.   It's 
easy to put it too far forward and scratch the paint, and also easy to have 
your problem.   

First thing to do is mask all the surfaces where paint could contact 
(leading and trailing edge of the door, trailing edge of the front fender, leading 
edge of the rear fender).

Then, evaluate how the door is sitting now.   Chances are the line between 
the back of the front fender and the front of the door is out of whack.   Is 
it too close at the bottom?   Or too far apart at the top?

Let's assume that it's too far apart at the top.   Then what you need to do 
is pivot the door around the bottom hinge.   Open the door up, remove the 
door panel, and position a floor jack underneath so that it is just barely 
supporting the door.   Loosen all the top hinge bolts, and all but one of the 
bottom hinge bolts.   Then loosen that last one just slightly, and raise the 
jack up just slightly.   Then tighten the bolts securely, lower the jack, 
and GENTLY try to close the door and see where you are.

It's quite possible that you need to fix more than one thing.   On my own 
car (cobbler's children and all that), my passenger door fit is far from 
optimal.   The whole door needs to go forward about 1/16th of an inch, and the 
back needs to get raise up another 1/16th of an inch.   It's a 'someday' 
project....

Mike


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