TheSamba.com :: View topic - Took out my floor.. now door won't close right.. what'd I do

Sat Mar 20, 2010 10:16 pm

SO, sorry to post yet another thread. BUT, cant find it, cant figure it out.

PASSenger Door on my bug (convertible 77) seems to have moved toward the front a tiny bit.

I have the bug on ramps at the front wheels and jackstands under the jack posts.

Heater channels and frame are solid as a rock. No rust or cracks.

Front "tongue" that holds the body on in front of the door is slightly rusty at the end (hole in the box) but seems solid.

I took the 2 bolts out in the front outside corner of the floor pan area the frame to body bolts i believe).

I took out the floor on the passenger side.

I had the door open while I worked..

The passenger door is slightly too far forward (toward headlights) and barely closes now. Its not obviously sagging .. gaps look good. Just barely reaches now.

Please help me put this right..
thanks.

Sun Mar 21, 2010 1:49 am

You need to weld a brace from drivers side across to passenger side as well as a brace from door to door both sides other wise it will flex ,bend and you be screwed, if remove the pan .

Sun Mar 21, 2010 1:53 am

hmm nothin in my books or vids about that.

I saw that you had to be careful when ya took off the body as to flexing.
But.. not with the body fully on. Which is what I've done

The pan has that much to do with it eh? well I'll support it better for the other side.

Mean while..
any fixin ideas?

EDIT: think its good... knock on wood.
SO.. I moved my jack stands.
By this time.. the door couldn't even be opened.

I put the jack stands under the main framey thing instead of under the body jack points.

It was immediately quite a bit better. Door rubbed.. but not as bad as before and definitely better than 5 min ago.

It was still not perfect tho.. SO.. I jacked the bumper (supported weight.. didn't lift). THAT put it perfect.

THe back end was drooping under its own weight. Something that welding a bar across the bottom wouldn't help.. Unless I was welding it between the doors and the body.. which is done on rotisseries etc with convertibles... but not in my driveway.

My problem in diagnosing "fixing" was that I really was blaming the front of the car for the sagging... when it was the back all along. it was pivoting over the jack points I guess. Note to all.. don't use the jack points on a convertible.. well.. mostly if you have no floor.

I looked around for somewhere to try to bolt or strap the body to up top. To give it proper support. Can't find anything... The top is hooked to the windshield. I guess its not enough.

Sun Mar 21, 2010 2:14 am

You need to weld a brace from drivers side across to passenger side as well as a brace from door to door both sides other wise it will flex ,bend and you'll be screwed, if remove the pan .

Sun Mar 21, 2010 2:26 am

The pan is most of the support. Even if if you remove part of it it will weaken the body for sure.

Sun Mar 21, 2010 2:39 am

I wonder why they don't bother pointing that out in any of the DIY's out there. I'd like to know this stuff ahead of time. Ya know?

They talk ad nauseam about trimming the front and back of the pan.. but nothing about supporting the body properly. I've heard people say.. if you take the body off your convertible you can't open the doors.. or else.. but that's it.

The bugme vid even does it on a convertible super. Right? I don't think they even support the body special when they take it off.
Granted.. for this problem. Any support under the axle locations on a bare body would probably keep it cool.

I think I know what you mean.. Across the top of the doors and from side to side in the middle.
Yea.. that would work.. and require some good body work and a repaint afters... and removal of glass and seals.. right? Sounds like an A body rocker replacement .. not a frame on bug. Meh.. careful support and doing one at a time should work, now that I know to be careful.

Sun Mar 21, 2010 2:53 am

broken2010 wrote: The pan is most of the support. Even if if you remove part of it it will weaken the body for sure.

Yea.. I just went through every post that mentions convertible and floor pan I could find. Most people weren't even ALL that worried about support when the body was off. I think if its on its wheels.. it'd be all but fine. and the jack points are a bad idea.