1994 GMC driver door not closing all the way

[murguia]

Hey everyone,

Picked up a beautiful one owner 1994 GMC Sierra extended cab and I have been noticing my driver door rattles going over bumps, and tonight I saw that it sticks open just a little.

I replaced the striker but that didn’t help. Any ideas on what I need to do?

[1976gmc20]

Probably the hinges are sagging.

What I did to mine was jack up the open door carefully until it aligns properly and will close tight.

[Just call me Sean]

Change the hinge pins and bushings.

[Palf70Step]

First I would check to see how much drop/slop the door has. Picked up on the door to see if it has a lot of play. If it does have a good bit, change out the pins and bushing.

If is seems pretty tight, then do the jack and wood thing so it will bend the steel back to a semi-normal position. These doors are welded on so no adjustments persay like older trucks. They were know to do that, especially when people would hnad on the door or lean out the window when the door was open.

[1976gmc20]

Originally Posted by Just call me Sean

Change the hinge pins and bushings.

Yeah, I forgot all about the fact that I had already changed the pins and bushings and it didn't help much if any.

I was about ready to scrap the pickup because there was so much wrong with it, so I took a chance and jacked up the door. Once I got that working well then I started fixing other stuff like ball joints and CV axles. I just got the pitman/idler replaced this week. Next thing is getting the oil gauge working.

The door fix was a few years ago and I almost forgot that it was such a problem

[Just call me Sean]

Sometimes when they're bad for a long time the holes get worn also. If the bushing falls in the hole instead of pressing it in then the hole is worn.

[murguia]

Lifted on the door and it doesn’t really have any play. Tried jacking it up a bit but the movement is still there. Any other ideas?

[1976gmc20]

Originally Posted by murguia

Lifted on the door and it doesn’t really have any play. Tried jacking it up a bit but the movement is still there. Any other ideas?

Does the door line up with the cab when (mostly) closed?

When jacking up the door, the whole side of the truck will lift some before you actually bend the hinges up any. It worked great with mine; before it would rattle and clunk on the gravel and the wind noise from the gap on the highway was totally annoying.

[murguia]

It lines up pretty well. Where are you lifting your door up from? I didn’t do the thing lip at the bottom, I did the flat part right behind that. Just a little tough to get a good grip since it isn’t completely Flat

Actually, I just saw the message you sent me. I’ll try jacking it up again tomorrow and see how it goes

[1976gmc20]

Originally Posted by murguia

It lines up pretty well. Where are you lifting your door up from? I didn’t do the thing lip at the bottom, I did the flat part right behind that. Just a little tough to get a good grip since it isn’t completely Flat

Actually, I just saw the message you sent me. I’ll try jacking it up again tomorrow and see how it goes

Well if it's not sagging then that may not be the problem. Mine was obvious: gap at the top, tight at the bottom, and a jog at the line of the two tone paint. The lower front edge was even catching the back edge of the fender and making a loud noise when it popped over. After I changed the pins and bushings and that didn't help, I actually adjusted the fender forward just a little.

I don't think there is any adjustment on the striker bolt. If the door latch itself isn't working right then I have no idea - maybe it needs to be replaced?

[Just call me Sean]

Originally Posted by murguia

Lifted on the door and it doesn’t really have any play. Tried jacking it up a bit but the movement is still there. Any other ideas?

What does "doesn't really have any play" mean? Some play is still play. Maybe check the passenger side and see how it compares.

[Palf70Step]

Other than the door not closing right, how do the body lines match up? If the lines are on, then you just might need to adjust it in more.

Also, is the gap the whole door or just the top half?

[1976gmc20]

I just noticed mine this morning - even though it is closing okay now the two-tone paint lines still don't quite match at the rear of the door, so it's still sagging slightly.

So I guess it has to get fairly bad before it doesn't close.

[Just call me Sean]

My door hits the cab at the top and still closes all the way.

[Snarl95]

Can you adjust the latching mechanism?