Door alignment?

[ericem]

Ok, well, over many many many many many years since i got the car as a matter a fact, the driver door was never lined up, it sits out very far, and needs to be pulled closer to the rear door, because it rubs againt the fender. Any ideas how to fix this? Thanks.

[fnlyfnd]

Didn't you have a whole bunch of body work done just recently. IIRC, you did, and I would take it back to the shop and have them fix it.

[ericem]

Didn't you have a whole bunch of body work done just recently. IIRC, you did, and I would take it back to the shop and have them fix it.

 

lol, im not bringing it to another dam shop guy. ANd that idiot forgot to tighten my rear nuts on the wheels, lol, i could have taken off most off the bolts with my hand, stupid dumass, he could have gotten me or my mom in a accident. Now that the bolts are tightened properly, there isnt any vibration when holding a steady speed. But yes, i did get body work done. Do u have any suggestions how to fix it though, what is involved?

[ionic]

Body work is always really tricky to do well. I've seen a lot of cars that have had body work done, and I have NEVER seen a single one with everything lined up exactly like it was from the factory. A good shop can get things really close, but I think it's virtually impossible to get it 100 percent perfect. I'm sure the door wasn't this way when the car was brand new. There must have been some accident (maybe minor) along the way to knock it out of alignment.

 

After my Impreza got hit on the driver's door and the car was repaired at a very good body shop (best paint job and color match I have ever seen...still matches the rest of the car exactly 7 years later, and no chips at all) I had a similar problem to you. I eventually fixed it myself, but it took a lot of little fiddling over time to find the perfect set of adjustments.

 

It's hard to tell exactly from your description what the problem is. Does the problem change depending on whether the window is up or down? Sometimes the window in the up position can put too much outward pressure on the door and cause the door not to shut tightly. If this is the case, adjust the window regulator and/or stops.

 

Most of the bolts on the metal door shell have slotted holes to allow for adjustment, so if the window isn't the problem, I would suggest adjusting them one at a time to see if you can improve the fit. Your door latch is the first place I'd try adjusting since it's the easiest. The strike plate on the door jamb will definitely have an adjustment up/down and in/out. Sometimes the strike can come loose or misadjusted over time. The latch in the door may be adjustable as well. If that doesn't work, try the door hinges. The fender might be back a smidge too far.

 

The bottom line is that it takes a lot of trial and error and patience to adjust it just right. Sometimes, you just can't possibly make it physically fit quite right because the car is old and slightly distorted from age or accident. The door or the fender might have had a dent repaired that distorted the geometry just enough to cause the problem. Sometimes Bondo body filler near the edges of body panels can cause a rubbing problem. It may just be a bit of quirky character that is part of owning any older car. If you want perfect fit and finish, buy a brand new 2007, but don't let minor problems like this drive you crazy on a 1993! :-)

 

Good luck!

[ericem]

thanks for ur reply, ok, well i understand its old, but my dad said from day 1 the door was like this, but he never care for it, now we care, lol, many years later. Its also creating wind noise, on that one door. And if it closes more tight, its will shut more smooth. Now about theses adjustments. where are they, please specify. Thanks.

[fnlyfnd]

Body shops suck.

 

Aligning a door as previously mentioned is a PIA and does require a lot of patience. I tried adjusting my old jetta door, and 7/8 of the time it came out worse than it originally started as. The latch and the striker might not line up well, and cause the door not to shut all the way, or at all. You might have to lift the door to get it off/on the striker. Top and bottom lines might not line up. Windows might not line up... Etc, etc, etc.......

 

This is why I didn't even mention fixing it yourself.

[ionic]

The latch and strike should have phillips screws. Just loosen, adjust, and test. Repeat. You may need to use a ratchet with a screwdriver bit to loosen and tighten the screws correctly. This is the easiest part of the door to adjust, so try it first. A trick is to mark an outline of the strike plate at its original position so you can always return to that. Use a fine point permanent marker or a knife to lightly score the paint.

 

There are a myriad of adjustments for the window. The window is a real bear to adjust because you have to get the right combination, and the wrong settings will cause the door not to shut, let in wind, or cause the window to roll up at odd angles or not go high enough. There are adjustments for in/out tilt, forward/back tilt, front/rear height. It's basically trial and error, again.

 

The door hinges have hex head bolts. If you loosen these, remember you have to support the door to keep it from sagging. Again, loosen, adjust, and test. Again, outline the original positions so you know where to return.

 

If the main problem is wind noise, you can probably work with just the gaskets. There have been several other posts on this forum about wind noise and gasket fixes.

 

If you're determined to fix it, just start experimenting.