Door Hinge Alignment (worn bushing and difficult to remove doors)
Thread Starter
JK Junkie
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 2,191
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From: Boston, MA
Door Hinge Alignment (worn bushing and difficult to remove doors)
I was looking at my passenger door, I mean really giving it the eye and I noticed that it is just ever-so-slightly not quite flush with the front fender. But only near the top hinge. I'm talking about maybe 1-1.5 mm. (about 1/16th inch). That is within assembly tolerances but it explains some problems I have had.
When I first tried to go door-less, THAT door was a b!tch.
When I replaced my bushings, THAT (upper) hinge had the messed up bushing.
When I fold in the plastic window of my half-door upper, THAT door seemed (well, was) too tight to the dash for the window to lay nicely inside.
I adjusted the hinge half (on the frame pillar) to line it up. TA DA! problem(s) solved.
(Bad alignment could explain door-clunk. The latch-striker is adjustable, too)
If you're having trouble removing a door or have chewed up bushings, etc. take a good look at your door alignments. Maybe sight down through the hinge barrels next time you are door-less.
But be very careful if you do decide to adjust. It takes a good eye for 3-D and you can mess it up easily.
When I first tried to go door-less, THAT door was a b!tch.
When I replaced my bushings, THAT (upper) hinge had the messed up bushing.
When I fold in the plastic window of my half-door upper, THAT door seemed (well, was) too tight to the dash for the window to lay nicely inside.
I adjusted the hinge half (on the frame pillar) to line it up. TA DA! problem(s) solved.
(Bad alignment could explain door-clunk. The latch-striker is adjustable, too)
If you're having trouble removing a door or have chewed up bushings, etc. take a good look at your door alignments. Maybe sight down through the hinge barrels next time you are door-less.
But be very careful if you do decide to adjust. It takes a good eye for 3-D and you can mess it up easily.
