door adjustment

[7yr]

Hello,
I have a 73 Cuda. The driver's side door doesn't quite match up with the latch/locking mechanism. You kind of have to "lift" the door up a bit to get it to close. I looked closely and it appears that the problem is where the door latch meets the metal bar on the door frame (in other words, it isn't the door itself that is scraping).

How do you adjust the door height? Or would it be better to move the locking mechanism inside the door just a bit?

BTW, the whole thing is maybe 1/32 inch out of wack, not much!

thanks

[zerfetzen]

I haven't done this yet because my door's are fine, but I think what you need is a door hinge repair kit.

[HemiDog]

There are several adjustments for the doors and is all mainly done with the hinges.  You can adjust the height and pitch by loosening the bolts on the hinge that attach the hinge to the car.  The angle of the door is adjusted with the bolts that attach the door to the hinge.   The last piece is the striker (the metal bar you refered to).  To do it right you should loosen or remove the striker then get the door positioned correctly.  At that point you can put the stiker back in and snug it, but not too tight and close the door.  This should get the striker close to where you want it, then open the door and tighten it.  Close the door and see if it is smooth.  You can adjust it manually till you get it to where you are happy.  Do not use the striker to support the weight of the door.  It really is only to make sure the back of the door is flush with the quarter panel.

No matter what, it helps to have another person help you.  You may have to go through along the way and repeat steps too.

[torredcuda]

First check the hinge pins and hinges b/c they are probably worn and that is why your door sags when you open it.Open the door and grab the back edge and try to lift up.If the door lifts up and down your hinges are worn and you need to install a pin and bushing kit.