information on how to align doors

[Olddodge]

need information on how to align doors for a 1924 DB 4 passenger coupe if any one has information I sure could use it been fooling around for the last month and can't get it right can't find information anywhere someone please help

[dave38fastback]

My 38 was bit of a mission as front doors were not original. However, here is a few ideas.

Remember that they do not have to be perfect like a modern car. The car probably left the factory with doors and other parts a bit gappie. So don't chase the impossible. I decided which gaps were important for looks and which I would allow to be uneven, then concentrate on the gaps you want looking right. Now if door is warped, get it as good as you can, then wrap a block of wood in an old towel, wedge this in the gap between door and car frame and start pushing. Easy at first but I had to brace myself against the wall on one occasion. I also strapped doors hard against the towel and block and left them for several days. I am told panel beaters often do this on chassis straightening jobs, to let the tension ease out of the steel. I spent around 3 hours per door, my back ones are very good, but my front will never be perfect, but they shut and stay shut and do not rattle.

[Guest DodgeKCL]

If I may butt in and clarify what Dave has said. First make sure you roll the window down before doing the pushing. The glass is safer from the twisting down in the center of the door. And you put the block of wood under the OPPOSITE end of the door to the end that's sticking out from the car.

So if,say,the BOTTOM of the door is out from the car maybe a 1/4",then you put the block in under the TOP end of the door. Then push in on the BOTTOM and 'warp' the door back to level or atleast to a shape that matches your door opening. This same method is used to make trunk lids and engine hoods fit. Always putting the wood block under the opposite side/end of the panel and pushing the proud end down to 'level' out the steel panel.

I've actually watched GM line workers do this to 4 door Buick Regals as they went down the assembly line. Hope this helps.

[nearchoclatetown]

If this is a Fisher coupe, like I think it is, you may want to use caution. The cab is wood covered in sheetmetal, unlike a "Normal" DB. It is built JUST like a Chevrolet.I don't think you want to use the ol' 2X4 in the hinge trick. Which direction are you trying to align the doors, which gap is off?

[Olddodge]

I've tried the wood block method and it hasn't helped much. as a matter of fact I was successful in cracking a bottom hinge which had to be rewelded. It is a Fisher Body with the sheet metal wrapped around a wood frame, I was told by a guy that the body might have to be shimed between the frame and the body.I had a 30 Ford 55 B sedan and had to shim it this way in order to fit the doors but I was able to get literature on how to do it. The difference between the Ford and the Dodge is the Ford has a metal sub frame and the Dodge is wood. There are four body bolts on each side of the body to the frame (one in the front cowl area, one in the rear in the trunk and two equally placed between the front and rear bolts.) The drivers door is gapped approx 5/8 inch at the bottom and 1/4 inch at the top the gap between the roof line and the top of the door is even ,the bottom rear of the door is sprung out about 1/2 inch and the hinge side is even. As far as the passenger side the gaps are 1/2 inch at the top rear and 3/4 inch at the bottom rear the gap between the roof line and the top of the door is even but a slight bit wider then the drivers door, this door is is also sprung out at the bottom but not as bad as the drivers door and I believe that this can be corrected by sanding the wood on the bottom of the door or on the top of the wood sub frame. The hinge side on this door is also even from top to bottom. I'm a little leary of trying the 2x4 trick again due to the fact hinges are hard to come by and they are cast which makes them easier to crack then steel. I was wondering if there might be any literature out there or someone that has done this before. I've read several of nearcholatetowns postings before and found them quite useful in the past and believed that when I first got the car he was able to answer several of my question. Thanks for responding Nearchocloatetown and if you have any info on how I can solve this problem or where I can get any literature I would be indebted to you, help me and I'll give you my first born. Thank Oldodge 24

[Olddodge]

Forgot to mention that I did have a 31 Chevrolet back in 1968 this car had wood framing but I had no problem with the doors this was my first classic and my father who had several real classics(38 Lincoln Zepher, 1910 Maxwell, 1911 Cadillac, Overland Whippet roadster and a Fawick Flyer) helped me ,he's passed since and I'm still hooked on the hobby.

[nearchoclatetown]

The 2X4 BENDS the metal the hinge is attached to. It won't work here because the wood won't bend. I'm not sure that shimming the body to frame will fix your problem, sounds as though the door is already too high. I also have a Fisher coupe. My doors drag the sill on both sides. Maybe we need a carpenter?