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Old 08-02-2011, 09:14 PM   #11
mr48chev
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Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Toppenish, WA
Posts: 15,209
Re: 1949 chevy truck door shims

ok I missed the boat on my first answer to the question. I was thinking that you were trying to shim the hinges to move the door back in the opening.

A couple of things to check:
Are the hinge pins in good shape with no slack if you open the door and try to lift it on the back corner? I've got one door out in my collection that is smashed on the inside from the driver banging his shoulder against it to get it open because the hinge pins were worn and the latch stuck on that one. You can imagine what it took to close it.

Secondly is/are the door (s) adjusted so the gap around the doors is as close to even as you can get so that you have a better chance of adjusting the striker plate ?

Lastly, Unless it is going to be an absolutely restored to original truck get rid of those stock latches before the door flies open and someone falls out. And either way put seat belts in it. My wife fell out of the 48 33 years ago when she leaned against the door on a corner and it opened on it's own. She still carries some scars on her face and knee from that. Luckily we were only going about five mph at the time. The first week I had the truck in Texas in 1973 I turned a corner two blocks from the house and found myself hanging by the window sill with my left arm and my right foot trying to grip the floorboard while I tried to control the truck and get stopped. I went straight to the local dealer where at that time I could still buy new latches and strikers.
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