fastwayfirebird400
New Member
Does anybody have a good Flow Chart on Aligning doors?
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Good Door alignment flow chart needed.
- Thread starter fastwayfirebird400
- Start date
Remove fender.
Mount the door, and align with rear quarter. Put masking tape over the door edges. Gap should be even across door to rear quarter and along rocker. Character lines should match across door/quarter boundary.
Loosely fit fender (with masking tape on fender edge) and determine if front of door needs adjustment. At this point, the door should be engaged with the striker pin at the rear.
Adjust door as needed, mostly by twisting the door around the long axis to best match the loose fender.
Now mount the fender, and examine the gap between the door and fender. If even up and down, and if character lines match, don't fiddle with the door no more.
Adjustment of the fender can be made by shimming the bottom, on top of the apron, etc. Once fender is aligned at door, add headlight buckets and adjust fender as necessary.
Final step: add hood and check for gap between fender and hood on both sides.
Mount the door, and align with rear quarter. Put masking tape over the door edges. Gap should be even across door to rear quarter and along rocker. Character lines should match across door/quarter boundary.
Loosely fit fender (with masking tape on fender edge) and determine if front of door needs adjustment. At this point, the door should be engaged with the striker pin at the rear.
Adjust door as needed, mostly by twisting the door around the long axis to best match the loose fender.
Now mount the fender, and examine the gap between the door and fender. If even up and down, and if character lines match, don't fiddle with the door no more.
Adjustment of the fender can be made by shimming the bottom, on top of the apron, etc. Once fender is aligned at door, add headlight buckets and adjust fender as necessary.
Final step: add hood and check for gap between fender and hood on both sides.
fastwayfirebird400
New Member
Thanks, I should be more specific. I'm looking for something like if the bottom rear is too far in then loosen top body hinge and push door in. If the front bottom is out to far then adjust _______ hinge In or out up or down.
Sluggo
Active Member
I think what you're asking is a little tough to convey. It's experiment and experience that comes into play here.
If you were to supply a couple of detail and a couple overall pics of the area it would be easier to advise you.
If you were to supply a couple of detail and a couple overall pics of the area it would be easier to advise you.
Fast68back
Guest
Randy (Sluggo) is correct, I've watched him work on a fender and it makes no sense how moving ne end this way moves the other end. Its some twisted science.
Try this link. I think it might be what your looking for.
http://averagejoerestoration.com/how-to/how-to-install-and-align-a-classic-mustang-door/
http://averagejoerestoration.com/how-to/how-to-install-and-align-a-classic-mustang-door/
fastwayfirebird400
New Member
My door gars are pretty decent but I cannot get the bottom front any lower to tighten up the gap any more (needs down another 1/16) the bottom rear is good. Body hinge is all the way down. I also cannot get the bottom front to push in any further (sticks out about over rocker face about 1/8 inch) Bottom door is pushed in on the door to hings as far as I can get it. I did install the door weather strip and weight the door to replicate rear world fitment.
A
Anonymous
Guest
Damn, Ford didn't get them to fit THAT good (as in your picture).
One thing at a time. You say the body hinge is all the way down, and the door to hinge is also as far down as possible."fastwayfirebird400" said:
Have you loosed up both hinges to frame (and then tighten) and then all bolts on door to hinge? Sometimes the hinge to frame get stuck, and a good whack with a mallet on the hinges can loosen them up. There's thick metal backing plates that sometimes rust and get stuck to the A-pillar area.
To get the bottom of the door in, you'll have to push the top of the door outwards. This rotates the door around the fore-aft axis located between the top and bottom door hinges.
Sluggo
Active Member
"Midlife" said:
That's how I'd handle it.
You can roll the top front of the door out on the upper (door side) hinge. get it where you want it and if the upper rear is out and the lower rear is in, you're going to have to grab the rear of the door in such a way that you can twist the door in at the top while twisting out at the bottom. Make sense?
It'll sound kinda scary but it's quite effective and now's the time to do all that kind of manipulating while it's bare.
You're gonna want to get the cowl top and fenders in on the action pretty soon to set the top front of the door. You don't want a monster gap between the cowl and fender.
mustangstofear
Active Member
It's real easy to tell if your fender is off, On aftermarket doors they hit the hinge and won't let the door go in all the way. If that is the case simply grind the edge of the hinge down to get it to go in.