Aligning Doors

[AustinTom]

Whats the best way to do this? I'm havin some trouble gettin the doors not to sag when i put them back on

[hardtailjohn]

Sounds like you need some new bushings...that's definately the first step, then I just get the attach points snug enough to hold up the door, then GENTLY move it towards the latch and align as you go, then snug up the attach and ease it shut a few times...... that's the way I do it.... but I'm sure you'll find other ways...
JH

[AustinTom]

Well they didnt sag when i took them off last week I'm just having trouble getting them back on like they were

[fordman]

did you take the hinges loose from the door or from the cab? if you did it from the door get in and close the door and loosen and retighten the bolts to see if that help relieve the pressure. if you took it loose fromt he cab put a jack and block of wood under the door to support the door loosen the bolts raise the jack a sligth and retighten the bolts.

those seem like the best solutions i can come up with.

[AustinTom]

I tooke them of at the cab. I've been lookin at it for a little while and think that I need to take the hinges out of the doors, put them in the truck and then put the door on then. That way I'll be able to get them perfectly alligned. I've been workin with a spare set of doors today to see if I can get them mounted correctly. I want to be able to do it right when I finish painting the good doors.

[SmokeyBear]

Use the doors you will have on your truck for good. Align them where you want them and drill alignment holes in the hinge through the door plate so that when you put them back on, you can use an awl or other small tool to align them perfectly and bolt them up.

[jor]

put a jack and block of wood under the door to support the door loosen the bolts raise the jack a sligth and retighten the bolts.

Yea, that's the way I do it too. Use a 2X4 about 12 to 18" in length. Put it on your floor jack, line it up just slightly toward the back of the door and jack it up just enough to put a slight amount of pressure on the door. Then push and pull the door until you have it right. Close it. Do it again and so on. Good luck.

[Dropped 68]

I've always struggled w/ this as well, so I bought a book and did some reading on body panel alignment. And This hold true w/ doors, trunks, hoods etc. The first step is to remove the striker. Then get the bolts to where they're barely snug. You can then gently close the door position it where it needs to be. Slowly open up the door and tighten the bolts. Re-close the door and check that has not moved. Once that's done put the striker back in place and put a small amount of white grease on the latch.
Barely close the door so that the latch begins to touch the striker. Open the door and look to see where the grease mark is on the striker, use this as a reference to see if the striker needs to go up or down. Hope that helps

[AustinTom]

That ought to help quite a bit. Also where can i get new bushings for the hinges?

[fordman]

if the aftermarket places don't have them you may just have to get used hinges that have good bushings in them

[foghorn]

If you were going back with the same doors. I would say take a awl and scratch a line around the hinge on both end and you have you line up marks. Also could use a sharpie felt pen.

foggy

[Dropped 68]

Alvinator told me a while back that it was help section part #38402 and the worked perfect except that the were a little too long. A little Fabrication w/ the cutoff saw and they were perfect. Be fore warned If your old pins are anything like mine were they are a PIA to get out I had to drill one of them. Also LMC sells the pins and bushings that are correct length and size, just another option. Chances are any used hinges you find will likely be worn.