Door alignment suggestions

[5.7X28]

I don't know what happened here. The door was sagging about an inch when I got it, and the latch was battered and wouldn't catch on the striker. I've replaced the latch and hinge pins, and it's better, but far from perfect.

The front of the door is rubbing the fender and it makes the most god awful sound when being opened. There is also a gap where the top of the door meets the back of the cab.

I know the hinges on these are welded on. I was thinking about tying a ratchet strap to a tree or something to pull it out. Good idea? Bad idea? Suggestions?

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[IOWNJUNK]

The striker is adjustable, loosen and move it untill the door closes right. Should be able to shim the hinge where it bolts to the door to move it off the fender.

A ratchet strap would be my very very last resort.......
Nvm, just avoid putting a ratchet strap on it.

 

[michael hurd]

From the look of the hood kink and the door gap I would say that it has been in a collision. Good luck fixing it, the pillar is probably rolled in. You could try hogging out the striker bolt hole to move the striker more than the factory intended, but it also appears to have a twist in the door. If you replaced the latch in the door along with the striker bolt, door pins and bushings then that is as far as you can go without twisting and bending the door.

If you loosen off the bolts holding the fender on you might be able to move it far enough forward to clear the door. Hope that helps you.

 

[5.7X28]

The hood was my fault. I took off down the road and forgot to close it. Somewhere around 40 mph it flew open farther than it should have. I put the crease in it when I tried to close it. Nevertheless, i cant rule out the possibility of a collision. I have replaced all of those things you mentioned with the exception of the striker. I need to get a T50 or T55 or whatever the torx size it is to replace that.

 

[IOWNJUNK]

Didnt even notice the first pic. Could the hood opening too far while driving have pulled the fender back? Moving fender forward is much easier than adjusting the hinge. Then just move striker in a little.

 

[5.7X28]

The door was on top of the fender before I messed the hood up. I also noticed the gap at the rear of the door is about twice as large as the gap at the rear on the passenger side.

I just took my old striker off and i guess the nut isn't welded to the door. I'm assuming i can get access to it by removing the trim?

 

[michael hurd]

If you have long arms you can hold it in place to start the bolt. Take out the side pocket and grab a flashlight you should be able to find it.

 

[5.7X28]

Got it. Thanks!

 

[badazzbulldog]

also check the hinge pins and bushings that is the most common issue on the doors

 

[great white]

Try this since you've said you have already replaced the hinge pins and striker:

Take a floor jack and place it under the forward cab mount. This one:

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Use a section of 4x4 if you need to reach the bolt in the center.

Jack until it touched the bolt and then give it one pump.

Check your door gaps and how the door closes. If it fits better, give it one more pump. If it keeps getting better, keep raising. It will eventually start to fit poorly again but in the opposite direction. We're only talking and inch or two here at the most so don't go nuts.

If jacking this bolt up fixes the issue, then you either have a sagged body mount or the frame mount has rusted and the cab mount is pushing down though it.

while a more extreme example this is what happens:

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The hole the mount sits in rusts from the inside out and gets a little bit to big at one point. The mounts starts pushing it's way down through the enlarged hole. This lets that cab pillar corner sag, which pulls the door down with it. What happens is the cab structure "racks" like a house door frame will. The fix is redoing the hole to oem size:

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This is just what happened to my 89. The frame tab rusted under the cab mount, the mount dropped a bit as it pushed through the hole, the fender started rubbing the door and no amount of changing pins or adjustments would bring it back. I jacked the cab mount one day and everything went back into place. A bit of quick work with the welder and everything was good again.

A sagging cab mount is a simple replacement, a rusted frame cab bracket requires welding.

It might not be your problem, but 5 mins with a floor jack will rule it out.....