Door gap adjustment-1947

[RalphM]

What is the correct procedure for adjusting the door gap?
The doors are too far forward, almost no clearance.
The rear of the door has a larger gap.
It almost looks like the bottom hinge has to be bent to adjust it.
Thanks,
Ralph

[petehoovie]

Originally Posted by RalphM

What is the correct procedure for adjusting the door gap?
The doors are too far forward, almost no clearance.
The rear of the door has a larger gap.
It almost looks like the bottom hinge has to be bent to adjust it.
Thanks,
Ralph

[Zeke3]

I have heard of some fairly crude techniques used by the assembly plants and body shops to correct issues similar to yours, such as closing the door on a block of wood to adjust it. I have never tried it, so let’s see if someone with some expertise can help you.

[Drbrown]

I too remember instructions for adjusting door by using a block of wood and think I saw that in a Ford Manual. Search some other Forums. I do not see any other way to do it.

[Karl Wescott]

It looks like your lower hinge leaves may be too far apart.


First, check the obvious... Are mount screws tight and the mounting structure of the body and door sound? If not fix it as attempting to adjust the hinge might break something.


Adjusting the hinge by bending is the way its done.
If you need to close the hinge gap, with the doors closed clamp the leaves of the hinge together, then open the door.
You can open the gap with a block placed in between the leaves of the hinge and closing the door. If you use a block of wood use hardwood, pine will just crush. A knurled handle from a socket wrench works well (or a really crusty rusted socket). I used to have a tool which had two different sizes of knurled rounds which was marketed as a door adjustment tool.

[Bruce_MO]

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I had the same issue with both doors on my ‘46 Mercury sedan coupe. The leading edge of the doors rubbed on the cowl post in two places… above and below the belt line. I tried the wood block technique and it only seemed to flex the cowl post a bit, and not the hinge. So I decided that’s had to move the whole door rearward maybe a 1/16”. So I made some shims for the lower hinge with thin aluminum stock I had. For the upper hinge, I tried multiple attempts to use the available slotted movement where the inner door panel bolts to the hinge, but when I retightened the two bolts/star washers, it always went back to its original position in the slot. So I removed the upper hinges and ground about 1/16” off of the face of the hinges where they screw to the door post/cowl. When reinstalled, the hinges are now 1/16” toward the rear of the car. The alignment is now excellent, but it was a lot of work and a large number of fitment attempts taking the doors on and off the car. Good luck, and PM me if you need more clarity via a phone call

[RalphM]

Thank you,
So I did the wood in the hinge trick and it pulled it a bit closer to where it should be
Not perfect, but it will get by for now.
The front of the door was actually binding on the A pillar.
Now it’s not.

[petehoovie]

Originally Posted by RalphM

Thank you,
So I did the wood in the hinge trick and it pulled it a bit closer to where it should be
Not perfect, but it will get by for now.
The front of the door was actually binding on the A pillar.
Now it’s not.