Passenger Door Snagging - Difficult to open
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 1,760
Likes: 4
From: Broward County Florida
Passenger Door Snagging - Difficult to open
I've had doors that squeeked but this is nuts. My passenger door is hard to open and snags on something when opening. It makes a loud "snap" noise each time and I can see the front quarter panel move and stretch as the door is opening. I have no idea what is causing this or how to fix it.
I plan on checking it out tomorrow morning when the sun is out so I can clearly see if things need to be oiled. I tried pulling/pushing gently up or down as I opened the door to see if perhaps its pitch was off but this isn't it. It pops each time no matter what direction I open it.
I'm terrified I'm going to snap something or ruin a quarter panel. Has anyone ever had this happen to them? What is the solution? HELP!
I plan on checking it out tomorrow morning when the sun is out so I can clearly see if things need to be oiled. I tried pulling/pushing gently up or down as I opened the door to see if perhaps its pitch was off but this isn't it. It pops each time no matter what direction I open it.
I'm terrified I'm going to snap something or ruin a quarter panel. Has anyone ever had this happen to them? What is the solution? HELP!
Melting Slicks
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 3,146
Likes: 203
From: Edmonton Alberta, Canada
Okey, if the front quarter panel is not snagging the door then the issue is with a little wheel on the lower door hinge assembly, simple fix turn and lube wheel (believe it is to do with holding door open) many times they snap. If it is not the wheel your door could have been sprung, say the wind caught it and forced it past stop point. I have seen it done on other cars with sprung hinges (maybe someone out there can correct me if necessary). Make a shim out of cardboard and place it between hinges and close or attempt to close door by loading up tension on the inside of hinge assembly then try door if it helps a little try a little more pressure on closing door with cardboard wedge in place. Try a good quality body shop and tell them of my suggestion if you are unsure. Someone pls chime in. Rob
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 1,760
Likes: 4
From: Broward County Florida
Okey, if the front quarter panel is not snagging the door then the issue is with a little wheel on the lower door hinge assembly, simple fix turn and lube wheel (believe it is to do with holding door open) many times they snap. If it is not the wheel your door could have been sprung, say the wind caught it and forced it past stop point. I have seen it done on other cars with sprung hinges (maybe someone out there can correct me if necessary). Make a shim out of cardboard and place it between hinges and close or attempt to close door by loading up tension on the inside of hinge assembly then try door if it helps a little try a little more pressure on closing door with cardboard wedge in place. Try a good quality body shop and tell them of my suggestion if you are unsure. Someone pls chime in. Rob
Melting Slicks
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 3,146
Likes: 203
From: Edmonton Alberta, Canada
Hi, well you have to ask yourself any reason to have a service guy open the passenger door? Sounds like the hinge was sprung (by door hanging up on front fender) and it is easily done...big heavy doors. Don't know if you have any recourse other than sharing your issue with them and not dealing with them in the future. Corvettes require a soft touch! Look it over carefully and see what the hang up is. Don't believe you will do any serious damage but it is annoying and having a good body guy look at it will answer many questions. I understand your stress...I would feel the same. Believe me every Corvette owner has problems with these second rate service people, hence the "Corvettte Forum" was born. A "how to avoid dealing with these people". Wishing you good luck with a solution and have a good night sleep it is not a problem that money won't fix, lol. Greetings, Rob PS keep us posted.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 2,301
Likes: 199
From: Valencia CA
Mine did a similar thing after sitting in the sun. The door was hitting the lower part of the front fender when opening. I loosened the fender bolt on the bottom of the car, repositioned the fender slightly and problem solved.
Hope this helps.
Hope this helps.
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 5,814
Likes: 414
From: Pittsburgh suburbs Pa.
Most likely if you have a reputable body shop in your area , they won't even charge you to just look at it and tell you what the problem is. Get it looked at before it does further damage and if they don't charge you for looking at it then you can probably bet that they can be trusted to not overcharge you to make any adjustments. It is probably a minor fix.
