Door alignment

[buglovin]

I have a 59 ragtop that I am about to replace the heater channels in. When the doors are closed, the door gaps are perfect all around. When I open the doors, they immediately drop half an inch. When closing the doors, it is the striker that brings them back up to alignment. Is this normal for a beetle?

[MMW]

No not normal. It may be as simple as a door alignment or worn hinge but it could be also be a structural rust issue. You need to study it to see where the movement is coming from, in other words what is letting it drop down. Since it is a ragtop & needs heater channels I'm betting it is a rust issue.
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Mic
1959 356 coupe
Missing the original engine 72488
Update - third pc. found!
Now just need the case halves.
1965 fenderless beetle

[panicman]

Ditto the above. The only car I had with doors that flopped like that was rusted at the point where the A pillar meets the heater channel.
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[buglovin]

Thank you for the info. I pulled the body and it is now on a dolly. After inspecting the heater channels, the drivers side only needs the bottom plate replaced from the B pillar back. The passenger side channel has rust from the B pillar back and will get a complete replacement. Both A pillars are solid where they meet the channels. Hinges don't move at all where they are screwed into the A pillar. Passenger bottom hinge moves slightly where it is riveted to the door.

[fabricator john]

PostPosted: Wed Feb 23, 2011 7:39 pm Post subject: nobody ever does this Reply with quote Edit/Delete this post
TO ADJUST THE DOOR DROP>>.take out your door striker (in the jamb) take the pan bolts loose down that side of the car,,,place a jack under the front post (under the pan on a block of wood about where the heater channel bends) and jack the car up till the door shuts nice ( without the striker) look at the bodyline you now want the door about a 1/4" high (according to the bodyline)(to preload) now tighten the pan bolts with the car jacked up in position....let the car down and check your gap.... if satisified ,,,re install the striker and adjust for a perfect "CLICK"..........done it alot its easy ,nobody ever remembers this old trick was taught to me 20yrs ago when i was bangin tin at a big vw shop.....fabricator john

[pig-pen]

[67ctbug]

I'm going to bring back this thread for a question about using the jack. When I do this, do I put the Jack with the block of wood under the heater channel, or do I open the door and put it at the front of the door. I'm having the same problem as the OP. I open it and it just drops, but closed the doors look good.
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'67 Beetle L41
'74 Westfalia
'69 Plymouth "Adam-12"
'63 Ragtop
'73 914
'72 Dodge Wrecker
Go Cubs!
World Series Champions 2016

[67ctbug]

Anyone?
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'67 Beetle L41
'74 Westfalia
'69 Plymouth "Adam-12"
'63 Ragtop
'73 914
'72 Dodge Wrecker
Go Cubs!
World Series Champions 2016

[67ctbug]

Somebody?
_________________
'67 Beetle L41
'74 Westfalia
'69 Plymouth "Adam-12"
'63 Ragtop
'73 914
'72 Dodge Wrecker
Go Cubs!
World Series Champions 2016

[wcfvw69]

[67ctbug]

I've done a little investigating. Currently there is no heater channel, but when it was there, it still did this. I don't remember if the hinge is loose, but the a pillar isn't cracked where it mets the channel. I'll look more tomorrow.
_________________
'67 Beetle L41
'74 Westfalia
'69 Plymouth "Adam-12"
'63 Ragtop
'73 914
'72 Dodge Wrecker
Go Cubs!
World Series Champions 2016

[67ctbug]

Just went out and checked. Hinges definitely don't feel loose. Just trying to move the door up and down a little shakes the whole body. Here's a picture of the gap if it helps.

_________________
'67 Beetle L41
'74 Westfalia
'69 Plymouth "Adam-12"
'63 Ragtop
'73 914
'72 Dodge Wrecker
Go Cubs!
World Series Champions 2016

[Mike Fisher]

Lift on that low end of the door w/floor jack and 2X4 & see how much you can close up the gap.
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https://imgur.com/user/FisherSquareback/posts
69 FI/AT square Daily Driver
66 sunroof,67,70,71,71,71AT,72,72AT,73 Parts
two 57 oval ragtops sold
'68 Karmann Ghia sold

Society is like stew. If you don't keep it stirred up you end up with a lot of scum on the top! - Russ_Wolfe/Edward Abbey

[67ctbug]

Alright thanks for telling me where to put the jack! I'll do that when it's back on the pan. Currently the body is resting on some 2x8s and logs.
_________________
'67 Beetle L41
'74 Westfalia
'69 Plymouth "Adam-12"
'63 Ragtop
'73 914
'72 Dodge Wrecker
Go Cubs!
World Series Champions 2016

[wcfvw69]

You need to cut and fit your replacement heater channel and put it in place BEFORE you start setting the gaps and welding on it. It would of been idea to weld in some braces prior to removing the original heater channel.

Once you fit the heater channel and have it in place, you need to tack weld in place in a few spots and then use jacks and come alongs to set all the gaps.
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[67ctbug]

I did weld in braces before I removed the channel. I'm going to put in the floors, then the channels, then I will set the door gaps.
_________________
'67 Beetle L41
'74 Westfalia
'69 Plymouth "Adam-12"
'63 Ragtop
'73 914
'72 Dodge Wrecker
Go Cubs!
World Series Champions 2016