TheSamba.com :: View topic - Door gap on the non-hinge side

Wed Jul 12, 2023 11:21 am

Hey everyone, so I'm going to try a different approach to my question since no one apparently reads my restoration thread :lol: !

My issue is the gap from top to bottom is off. The top of the door is sunken into the door opening while the bottom of the door is flush to sticking out a little depending on how hard I shut the door. I've adjusted the hinges, top hinge pushed out and bottom hinge pushed in. I've also adjusted the door striker every way I can think of. It gets a little better with the door striker adjustment but it is far from perfect (like, not even close!).
The only thing I can think of is bending the top of the door outwards somehow but that doesn't seem feasible since something will have to give and I could end up with a dent or buckle in the door somewhere. I have tried two different doors too with the same result.
Any advice or suggestions?

Wed Jul 12, 2023 4:51 pm

those are pretty far off. Have you tried adjusting/changing the pad thickness over the rear suspension?

Wed Jul 12, 2023 8:31 pm

No, I thought adjusting the body back there was to close a V shaped gap from the bottom of the door to the top. Mine is not a vertical gap problem but a sitting in the door frame problem. Kind of like the door is tipped in at the top.

Wed Jul 12, 2023 10:08 pm

Hum, that is strange as the bottom looks quite fitting. Did you check if both profiles are the same (meaning it requires to be adjusted) or if the quarter panel has a different profil than the door (meaning metal work is required for both to get the same profile)?

Thu Jul 13, 2023 6:24 pm

TRS63 wrote: Hum, that is strange as the bottom looks quite fitting. Did you check if both profiles are the same (meaning it requires to be adjusted) or if the quarter panel has a different profil than the door (meaning metal work is required for both to get the same profile)?

I think I know what you mean. In order to make the top of the door sit flush I would have to cut the quarter panel (since I can't exactly widen the door) and sink it in to match the door profile. Not sure I'm going to do that since that would require some very extensive cutting, welding and fabricating to make it have the illusion that it is sitting in the door frame correctly.

Not sure what to do here...

Thu Jul 13, 2023 7:08 pm

Open the door, brace the lower edge against the side of your shin, & pull the top edge of the door towards your hip.

It will take some force, it’s brutal to watch, & it ain’t for the faint of heart, but it gets the shit done.

Getting all of the seals, stoppers, & latch shit installed & fitted will also help.

Thu Jul 13, 2023 9:27 pm

TDCTDI wrote: Open the door, brace the lower edge against the side of your shin, & pull the top edge of the door towards your hip.

It will take some force, it’s brutal to watch, & it ain’t for the faint of heart, but it gets the shit done.

Getting all of the seals, stoppers, & latch shit installed & fitted will also help.

I'll try anything. I already kind of thought about that and tried putting a piece of wood against the upper part of the door and pushing it against the door frame but it didn't work. Probably because I couldn't put enough force against it.

Fri Jul 14, 2023 2:25 am

TDCTDI wrote: Open the door, brace the lower edge against the side of your shin, & pull the top edge of the door towards your hip.

It will take some force, it’s brutal to watch, & it ain’t for the faint of heart, but it gets the shit done.

Getting all of the seals, stoppers, & latch shit installed & fitted will also help.

That would also be my way to go !

Also check how much bondo is on the quarter panel..maybe some of the difference is just bondo over bondo...

Antoine

Fri Jul 14, 2023 6:59 pm

You guys are geniuses! The old hold it against your shin and reef on it trick worked! I was curious so I went out to the garage and with a quick couple of yanks on the door it pretty much is sitting in the frame just right. I want to tweak it a bit more and I’ll show you all the results.
By the way there is no bondo on either the door or the quarter panel. If you look at the pictures at the beginning of this thread you will notice that it is sanded down to the original paint.