model T toruing front passeger door won't close

[Guest Bob Nance]

have a 1920 model T touring that i picked up a month ago and can't get the front passenger door to close

looks like its too big for the opening, If I push real hard It will close,, tried re working the hinge ,,, no luck. ???

 

[F&J]

It sounds like the chassis frame is sagged in the middle? 

 

T frame is straight rails, so maybe get the car on flat perfect floor, then measure up to the rails at front back and middle, but very accurately.

 

Yes the car might sit raked, but use common sense in the measures, like:

 

20" at front ,       19" midpoint          ,  22" at rear   Equals a sag

 

20                         21                          22                Not sagged

[Paul Dobbin]

I don't think the chassis will sag,at least it shouldn't.  The sub frame of the body that sits on the chassis was wood in our 15 Touring.  It, like most wood framed bodies needed shims in the center to align the body for door fitment.  Try some shims under the body section between the doors.

Edited May 15, 2017 by Paul Dobbin (see edit history)

[46 woodie]

Bob, I think Paul has the best suggestion. First I would check and make sure all the body mounting bolts and nuts are intact. Loosen the side that you are having an issue with and  move the body up at the attachment points near the door and see what happens. It sounds like the body "closed up" near the door. Keep us posted.

[F&J]

6 hours ago, Paul Dobbin said:

I don't think the chassis will sag,at least it shouldn't.

 

 

I misspoke, Paul... What I meant was BENT.  Ford A has a crappy weak frame, and many are bent right at the cowl.  T's are even crappier in the size of the rail cross-section.   Some of these old cars were damaged in many ways.

 

I should have taken pics of a 29 A roadster I tried to do final assembly on, for an estate.... I quickly found out why it was not finished.  The frame was bent at cowl, and the front part of frame bent off to one side.  It had a 2" gap on the rear vertical hood side, and the hood top was heading uphill to the radiator.  Fords were dirt cheap, and then abused for decades as they were mechanically very good to do so.  Some are bound to be bent.

 

I fixed it with chaining it to garage posts, putting tension with a huge come-along, then bashing on an oak 4x4 in the right spots with a sledgehammer..

[46 woodie]

True, Model A frames are notorious for a "sag" just behind the rear motor mounts for about 19" until the center crossmember, all it is in that area is "C" channel. The "sag" is usually greater on the drivers side. The weight of the engine, the weight of the driver and the battery is located there also, all contribute to this. Combine that with about 85 years of use, including the earlier years when the roads were bad, and it all adds up. I just took about a 1/2" sag from a '29 frame. Model T frames have the same issue.