TheSamba.com :: View topic - Passenger door sag

Sun Jul 05, 2020 1:43 pm

Gents-

Put the new running board on drivers side, then shifted to passenger side.

I have noticed a slight sag in aliment during resto project, but now looking at it closely while trying to put running board on. Not enough clearance.

The door hinges look fine; it doesn't appear the PO did anything out of order the best I can tell. The hinge bolts are all seated well.

Any ideas how to correct?

Thank you
-Mark

Sun Jul 05, 2020 2:46 pm

Try loosening the bottom hinge and placing a thin washer between the hinge and the body see if that helps bring the door up some (more if needed) , thats where i would start. And check the rest of the gap around door as you doing it.

Sun Jul 05, 2020 2:48 pm

Check your A-pillar. It looks really crusty on the bottom. Maybe it’s getting ready to and is flexing

Sun Jul 05, 2020 2:54 pm

That body has been pieced-together, so anything is possible as far as the door opening in the body being out of spec. The A-pillar has been welded poorly at the bottom probably because of a rust repair, so the A pillar may have sagged (forward) making the door sag.

I agree. Try to shim the bottom hinge outward (rearward) with shims or washers. That weld repair is pretty poor though by the P.O.

Sun Jul 05, 2020 2:57 pm

Looks like someone welding in a repair section or a complete heater channel. If they did not align the A & B pillars correctly, then you get what you are dealing with.

2 methods to repair, if the heater channel is in good shape. Cut the welds at the channels, bottom of pillars and back rear quarter panel, at the channel. Push, pull and pry the pillars into correct position, then weld them back into place.

The other one is a sloppy fix. Seen it a few times and it hardly works out. Modify the door, by shimming the hinges and modifying the seal channel.

I would cut the welds!

Sun Jul 05, 2020 2:59 pm

The A pillar is surprisingly fine. Some light surface rust.

I'm going to try the washers.

Thank you

Sun Jul 05, 2020 3:01 pm

Jimbo... i was dreading a reply like that ha-ha.

Well, the heater channels are in great shape. I suspect the PO (or someone prior) put them in.

I'm going to try the washer "shim" trick initially. If that doesn't work, I'll need to go deeper.

Thanks !!!

Sun Jul 05, 2020 3:01 pm

Before breaking out the saws and torches, I'd want to know if the hinge pins are worn and if the door sits in the sagged position with the latch removed from the B pillar.

Sun Jul 05, 2020 3:12 pm

Well mukluk.... good point. Just started to remove the bottom two bolts. Well, the PO looks to have stripped one that I just noticed. I will need to apply a little heat to back it out. I may have a spare thankfully.

Sun Jul 05, 2020 4:34 pm

markeaton wrote: Jimbo... i was dreading a reply like that ha-ha.

Well, the heater channels are in great shape. I suspect the PO (or someone prior) put them in.

I'm going to try the washer "shim" trick initially. If that doesn't work, I'll need to go deeper.

Thanks !!!

I know it’s not what you want to hear, but someone has to say it!

Good luck! The first 70 Bug I restored, after getting back into Bugs, in 2015, had a similar issue. Someone had welded on a entire front clip and did a nasty ass job of it! Hope yours is not like that one.

Mon Jul 06, 2020 3:12 am

Not sure if it the angle the photo is taken or an optical illusion, but that bottom hinge just does not look perpendicular to the body inset.

The other issue you sometimes come across is that some big oaf has tried to remove a door pin by hanging the door in a vice and using a bloody big hammer to whack the hinge. Sometimes doing this, the hinge support piece inside the door (which is made of about 1mm thick steel) deforms and gets the hinge out of shape. No washers or adjustments will resolve this until you get the hinges back perpendicular to the door frame.

Mon Jul 06, 2020 3:28 am

The bottom of that pillar is toast. I'd remove all the paint and filler to see what's going on. Those pigeon s**t welds are probably doing very little, I'd cut through them, then jack the pillar to adjust the door clearances and then re-weld it properly.

Mon Jul 06, 2020 4:44 am

Thanks for all the advice and tips. I could just not get the hinge bolts out.

I am taking to a guy I know that is much more equipped and knowledgeable than I to help me resolve.

I'll post back here once resolved.

Thanks,
Mark

Mon Jul 06, 2020 8:48 am

markeaton wrote: The A pillar is surprisingly fine. Some light surface rust.

I don't think your A pillar is fine. Somebody has blob-welded it and you can see body filler mud to the left of the lower hinge in the photo. Who knows what's hiding under that body filler.

You can probably get the door to work OK by shimming it if that's what your goal is.

Mon Jul 06, 2020 8:54 am

scdevon wrote: markeaton wrote: The A pillar is surprisingly fine. Some light surface rust.

I don't think your A pillar is fine. Somebody has blob-welded it and you can see body filler mud to the left of the lower hinge in the photo. Who knows what's hiding under that body filler.

You can probably get the door to work OK by shimming it if that's what your goal is.

I did look at it closer last night and I am getting someone with more knowledge and tools to look at it.

I recently hired a guy I know that is a welder to address a seat riser issue, and I've spent a lot of $$ correcting the PO's "cheaping" out on many other things.

Mon Jul 06, 2020 3:37 pm

markeaton wrote: The A pillar is surprisingly fine. Some light surface rust.

For my eyes everything looks very badly fucked up.
Even the hole for the third hinge screw is gone. :evil:

Someone did a "Great Job" there...

Mon Jul 06, 2020 5:47 pm

Years ago I saw a guy remove the door latch so the door didn't lock closed, then he loosened all the pan to body bolts on one side and jacked up under the A pillar until the door was about a quarter inch low. Then he tightened the pan bolts and let the jack down. The door was then aligned.

That was a long time ago, but I think I'm remembering correctly. Not saying this fix will work on the OP's issue, but it's a technique to add to your bag of tricks.