Door hinges buggered, got door closed now it won't open

[Mysteriphys]

Long story short I bought the truck in the middle of winter and it was hanging open so I knew the hinges were bent but with the rain snow and ice we've been getting here I decided to try to do what I could to close it properly, got it closed, went back to work. On it a week later and now it won't budge, I know the handle is working because I hear the mech sliding in the door for the latch, it just doesn't seem to want to unhook from the latch bar. I haven't tried to kick it out just yet I figured if anyone else had this issue and knew a less destructive way I'd try that first.

 

[Purefection]

Try and get some kind of pry bar behind the door from the outside and get it started. Put a thick piece of fabric behind the bar so you don't scratch nothing. Don't go too hard or you will bend something visible Lol. Maybe pry on the bottom at the rockers?

 

[Mysteriphys]

Just so happens I bought a pry bar set for work the other day and completely forgot about it the bottom of the door is already bent to beans from PO's attempts to *fix* the door I assume, and the interior panel is busted to pieces, but the rest of the door is good lol so trying to save that much at least. I'll let you all know how it goes. At least I can still get In pass. Side.

 

[great white]

How old is the truck and is it very rusty?

If it is a bit of a rust bucket, its possible your front cab mount has rusted through the frame bracket and allowed that corner of the cab to drop. This racks the cab and misaligns the door.

Its a little counter intuitive, but the effect of the front door pillar post racking is the rear of the door drops. My 89 did this very thing. Drove me nuts trying changing hinge pins and measuring the hinges.

If you suspect this might be what has happened, take a floor jack and a short piece of 4x4 wood, slip it up against the bottom of the cab mount and jack it up slightly.

If your door now opens, you've found your problem.

When I jacked my front cab mount up a little bit, the door just swung open on its own easy as pie.

Mmmmmm, pie. I like pie.......oops, mind wandered off there.

 

[Mysteriphys]

Now that you meantion it, that's probably exactly what it is, that cab mount is on the top of my fix it list once I get the truck to my shop, I really should have thought of that.. But that's why I use forums, better to have someone point out the obvious, than fix something that wasn't broken only to fix it again because it wasn't actually broken!

 

[Mysteriphys]

Just realized.. I posted this in the wrong sub forum >.< or it seems that way, so in lue of that fact, I guess I'll start taking suggestions for upgrading my door panels, I've got power nothing right now and I'm thinking of swapping some power doors from a donor truck, but the panels are in almost as bad of shape and don't match the maroon interior, it's a Scottsdale cab, any ideas?

 

[michael hurd]

You are joking.... ? Would you put new windows in a condemned house?

A house is built upon a foundation... same as a vehicle. Worrying about what air freshener to use doesn't fix a STRUCTURAL issue. Fix the cab first, but check over the rest of the truck to see if it's even worth it. If you have to start changing front end parts, doing brakes all the way around, plus fix exhaust and the body, it's probably not worth it.

 

[Mysteriphys]

apologies, should specify, all new brakes all around, frame work has been done, could use bushings but ball joints and such are ok, motor will run once the gas tank is installed, and I'm getting some used tires until I can afford better, truck was only parked less than 2 years ago, and the only reason it was parked is that he came into some money and got something newer, that corner of the cab came down due to neglect, and a larger than average person manning the wheel, I have sheet metal, a welder, knowledge and a go-to attitude. I expected to have to do some work for 200 bucks nd a lawn tractor engine as payment.

I hope that answers your question...