Help on door alignment!

[loucks10]

I have a '52 chevy that I can't seem to get the doors fitting properly. I've tried horsing them into alignment, but it won't work. What's going on is the bottom of the door protrudes from the cab, and the top hits the cab. I do not seem to have any more wiggle room with the hinge holes. Any tips? The hinges are brand new fyi.

[Dan in Pasadena]

Originally Posted by loucks10

... The hinges are brand new fyi.

Repop hinges.....likely your problem. The door shape and the door opening shape DIDN'T change since it was built.

Compare the repop to the factory hinge hole locations and see if you can tell where the difference may be.

[msaintg]

I had the EXACT same problem with my brand new hinges!! I even had to raise the doors 1/2"! Send them back! I ordered my hinges from Classic parts and they were VERY helpful. They replaced the hinges with hinges from another vendor (Dynacorn) and they worked a lot better. Still have to do some extra slotting and the door side of the hinges, but they are now flush with the cab.

[loucks10]

I bought the hinges from Chevs of the 40's. They were helpful, but said these had been the best hinges they have supplied. They said that the Dynacorn hinges were returned in large amounts and they had many more problems with them. I can send them back for a refund, but they say that what I have are the best they can get. Damn.

[dicer]

You may have to heat the hinge and bend it some. I don't really know the AD trucks that well though.

[FarmerSid]

What about rebuilding your old ones?

[msaintg]

see if you can move the doors up a little, that will actually change the protrusion at the top and bottom. I did have to modify my door hinges a little by bending them (you do not need to heat them up or take them apart to do it). It is hard to explain how, and I don't have any pics. But basically, chuck the flat part up in a vice as close to the sharp bend as possible (with the hinge pin facing you). Grab the large curved portion with a large pipe wrench. Bend it toward you if you want to pull the door in and away from you if you want to push the door out. ONLY bend it a little (like 1/8"). It makes a huge difference. I will try to get some pics.

[dwcsr]

I see you did some pillar work on the lower hinge area and wheel house. That could greatly affect the alignment. I might pull all the hinges off completely and prop the door in place to make sure it does actually fit. If it all looks good find some rebuildable used hinges.

[pgf545]

I cheated on ours. I welded one side of the slot and then milled the slots on a mill. Could probably do the same thing with a die grinder and a carbide burr. our drivers side had been hit real bad and even with the original hinges and trying my best to get everything aligned I had the same problem. The door gaps are not really that great anyway since these trucks were work trucks. I think the only way to make them perfect is to do alot of cutting and rework something that I wasn't going to do....lol. I thought I had some picture but guess I never took any.

Bernie

[loucks10]

Originally Posted by pgf545

I cheated on ours. I welded one side of the slot and then milled the slots on a mill. Could probably do the same thing with a die grinder and a carbide burr. our drivers side had been hit real bad and even with the original hinges and trying my best to get everything aligned I had the same problem. The door gaps are not really that great anyway since these trucks were work trucks. I think the only way to make them perfect is to do alot of cutting and rework something that I wasn't going to do....lol. I thought I had some picture but guess I never took any.

Bernie

This was what I was thinking of doing...

[loucks10]

Originally Posted by FarmerSid

What about rebuilding your old ones?

Too poor of condition...

[oldcouple]

Not sure on these years, but is it possible to put them on upside down? Like maybe left for right, the holes could look the same but be offset a little bit.


great howto vid here.


http://youtu.be/aEoBFw8kaTE

[loucks10]

Originally Posted by oldcouple

Not sure on these years, but is it possible to put them on upside down? Like maybe left for right, the holes could look the same but be offset a little bit.


great howto vid here.


http://youtu.be/aEoBFw8kaTE

Can't put them upside down because the bolt holes are in a triangle pattern.

[parkwood]

Just a couple questions to see if i can get a handle on what's going on.. Did you replace the cowl panel on the drivers side? does the door stick out at the rear like the front? The way it shows in the pictures are body lines lining up?

[loucks10]

Originally Posted by parkwood

Just a couple questions to see if i can get a handle on what's going on.. Did you replace the cowl panel on the drivers side? does the door stick out at the rear like the front? The way it shows in the pictures are body lines lining up?

Yes, the cowl panels on both sides were replaced. The actual cab pillar where the hinges mount to were not altered, though. The body lines are good on it. Yes, the door sticks out on the rear like the front. I really think it's just the way the hinges were reproduced.

[parkwood]

could you post a picture of the door open showing the hinges and maybe one from the back. the more angles the better..

[msaintg]

chuck the flat part up in a vice as close to the sharp bend as possible (with the hinge pin facing you). Grab the large curved portion with a large pipe wrench. Bend it toward you if you want to pull the door in and away from you if you want to push the door out. ONLY bend it a little (like 1/8"). It makes a huge difference.

I found some pics for you. The first pics shows how to move the door IN and the second pic shows how to move the door OUT

[loucks10]

I will try to get some better pics posted this wknd

[OrrieG]

msaintg, thanks for the pics, we will know in a few hours if it solves my door problem.

[FarmerSid]

Bringing this back up. I think I have to bend my hinge a bit. The belt line matches up fine at the back of the door but is sunk about a 1/4" at the belt line at the front of the door at the cowl.

How'd this work out for you OrrieG?

[MARTINSR]

These doors always fit a little odd down there, but yours is crazy off, you can't bring the door in there that much because it will throw OUT the upper rear corner. Has that cowl panel been replaced, it looks new.

Brian

[55dude]

these doors never fit very well. my uncle has 52' 2T with 17K original in 1990 and as a kid i was taught never to lean against the door! this of course was AFTER i fell out going down the road. cab mounts will affect them.

[MARTINSR]

I didn't realize this was so old when I commented. The original poster has hopefully gotten this straightened out.

As for you Farmer Sid, post some photos. Before you go bending the hinges let's make sure that is REALLY what is needed.

Brian

[FarmerSid]

Here's a few pictures Brian.

The gap is fine. It's just that the door is pushed in about 1/4".





The rear of the door lines up good with the belt line.

[OrrieG]

I got mine aligned, but since it was 8 months ago cannot remember how much was bending the hinge, or other adjustments. I do remember having the upper hinge in the vice and tweaking it a little bit. But like Martin saws pushing one corner out pulls the opposite one in, the other diagonal corners act like a fulcrum.