Door alignment issues

[Niolin]

I'm working on a 98 to 92 interior swap, and rather than swapping the door panels I'm swapping the doors from the 98 (they're in far better shape anyhow). However, I've run into a snag:

New video by Will

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The door is rubbing the fender very, very badly at both the middle and bottom. I'm assuming this is adjustable at the fender side, because the hinges are welded in place on both the door and the truck.

The door also sits a good 3/8 of an inch or better further out than the old door did/fender does:

New item by Will

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I really had thought a GMT door was a GMT door, but I'm starting to wonder, now. That's not a small amount of difference.

Any suggestions on making this better?

 

[east302]

Got a picture of the hinges? Are the bushings good?

 

[Niolin]

Got a picture of the hinges? Are the bushings good?

I don't, but I can snag one tomorrow. The pins/bushings/etc were replaced last year and I had no trouble at all with the 3500HD doors after doing the pins/bushings.

 

[Frank Enstein]

I hope my 94 Sub doors fit Frank!

 

[Niolin]

4 new items by Will

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[TechNova]

the door will always hit the fender if the door is out further than the fender.
Anytime you put a new part on and it doesn't fit, you pretty much know the new part is wrong.
When you go from working to not working, ask yourself "what has changed?".
lay the new and old door side by side face down on a bench and start taking some measurements.
Center of the lower hinge pin hole to the outer skin should be easy to measure.
Look for any bends, or different angles to the hinge when comparing them.

 

[someotherguy]

I'm working on a 98 to 92 interior swap, and rather than swapping the door panels I'm swapping the doors from the 98 (they're in far better shape anyhow). However, I've run into a snag:

New video by Will

photos.app.goo.gl

The door is rubbing the fender very, very badly at both the middle and bottom. I'm assuming this is adjustable at the fender side, because the hinges are welded in place on both the door and the truck.

The door also sits a good 3/8 of an inch or better further out than the old door did/fender does:

New item by Will

photos.app.goo.gl

I really had thought a GMT door was a GMT door, but I'm starting to wonder, now. That's not a small amount of difference.

Any suggestions on making this better?

This is where I just about always chime in about using doors from donor trucks as close to same year as possible. I have run into fitment issues more than once trying to use doors that are far apart in production timeline.

Richard

 

[Hipster]

Welded hinges. A door from one truck doesn't always fit on another truck. I don't know what the factory set up procedure is but they're all not exact. Gm used to sell bolt on door side hinges for replacement doors. I don't know if it's still available. You can drill the spot welds out(4 per hinge) with a half-inch bit, make a reinforcement plate with (4)3/8 inch holes for inside the door, bolt the hinge back on with 3/8 hardware, and it will give you some wiggle room to adjust the door. That's all the bolt on hinge kit is: a hinge, a reinforcement plate, 4 bolts, and 4 nuts tacked to the reinf. plate.

If I remember right an OEM replacement door didn't come with the door side hinges. You had to order upper and lower door side hinge kits. Also did quite a few hinge kits when Insurance Co.'s would spec out a used door. Sometimes you get lucky. Most times there are fitment issues and the solution is to drill the hinge(s) off and move it before you get to bending, tweaking, and damage trying to get the door to fit. The pins and bushings need to be serviceable condition as mentioned by others.

 

[someotherguy]

Welded hinges. A door from one truck doesn't always fit on another truck. I don't know what the factory set up procedure is but they're all not exact. Gm used to sell bolt on door side hinges for replacement doors. I don't know if it's still available. You can drill the spot welds out(4 per hinge) with a half-inch bit, make a reinforcement plate with (4)3/8 inch holes for inside the door, bolt the hinge back on with 3/8 hardware, and it will give you some wiggle room to adjust the door. That's all the bolt on hinge kit is: a hinge, a reinforcement plate, 4 bolts, nuts, and washers.

If I remember right an OEM replacement door didn't come with the door side hinges. You had to order upper and lower door side hinge kits. Also did quite a few hinge kits when Insurance Co.'s would spec out a used door. Sometimes you get lucky. Most times there are fitment issues and the solution is to drill the hinge(s) off and move it before you get to bending, tweaking, and damage trying to get the door to fit. The pins and bushings need to be serviceable condition as mentioned by others.

Yep GM's still offering hinge kits, at roughly $100/hinge half, some higher, some lower, but in the end you spend around $400 per door plus your labor - and that's drilling out 4 spot welds on each hinge half, so 8 per hinge assembly, 16 per door.

Their parts listing will fool you because they call it a hinge assembly. Then you notice it's for driver side, upper, door side. Driver side, upper, body side. Driver side, lower, door side, etc...

Richard

 

[Hipster]

Yep GM's still offering hinge kits, at roughly $100/hinge half, some higher, some lower, but in the end you spend around $400 per door plus your labor - and that's drilling out 4 spot welds on each hinge half, so 8 per hinge assembly, 16 per door.

Their parts listing will fool you because they call it a hinge assembly. Then you notice it's for driver side, upper, door side. Driver side, upper, body side. Driver side, lower, door side, etc...

Richard

Yeah, crazy. I know they're about a c-note a piece and that they're sold door side/body side separately. I haven't used one since working at the dealership body shop where they push parts. I remember $70-80 invoiced but that was 25 years ago. I have replaced both door and bodyside side hinges when the A-pillar was damaged but with no damage to the bodyside I've got away with doing just the door side for a door replacement. I can cut up 2 pieces of plate, weld on a few nuts, and procure some hardware for $195 less than 2 door side hinge kits. lol

Drilling the factory hinge off is no joke. It's about a half-inch diameter weld that is the thickness of the hinge itself, the inner door frame, another layer of metal maybe, and onto a reinforcement plate that is already in the door. I find the bolts unsightly and so do customers but I've seen plenty of guys fail trying weld them on.