1976 door problem
Race Director
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 19,294
Likes: 2,753
From: Charlotte NC
More than likely you have worn out door hinge busings. Re-adjusting the door so it won't sag when you open it is possible...but it will not correct your problem correctly.
If you open up your door...and only have it open a few inches...AND NOT FULLY OPEN...grasp the back bottom egde of the door with your hand and pick up on the door...if you feel play or movement...then it is your door hinge busings. And chances are the striker bolt...that your door latches onto is also worn out...and the ring that is made into the striker bolt is also probably worn out and now spins....due to the rubber in it is gone or badly worn..that is...if it is still factory correct striker bolt design.
If you let your door go on in this state of condition...( if it is determiend that it is the bushings are worn out) you can allow the busings to get completely worn and allow the hinge pin....which is hard steel...to actually start eating/wearing away at the hole that holds your bushing in correctly. Once the hinge pin has eaten into your hinge....it would be wise to replace the hinge completely...(which can be a pain)...due to the bushing would loose some of the metal reinforcemant that is needed to give it strength and longevity...due to holding up the door. Without having a good hole in the hinge to secure and give good backing to your bronze hinge bushing...the bushing can fail sooner than expected.
The hinge can be welded on and re-drilled...but for a do-it-yourselfer....without proper equipment to make sure that the pin will be straight when completed...I would advise against that....eventhough I have in the past. But then again...I have proper equipment to do this type of work....and I am usually modifying the hinges to prevent hyper-extension which can cause you to take a chunk of fiberglass out of your door edge by the upper door hinge area if the door is allowed to open up all the way with force.
"DUB"
If you open up your door...and only have it open a few inches...AND NOT FULLY OPEN...grasp the back bottom egde of the door with your hand and pick up on the door...if you feel play or movement...then it is your door hinge busings. And chances are the striker bolt...that your door latches onto is also worn out...and the ring that is made into the striker bolt is also probably worn out and now spins....due to the rubber in it is gone or badly worn..that is...if it is still factory correct striker bolt design.
If you let your door go on in this state of condition...( if it is determiend that it is the bushings are worn out) you can allow the busings to get completely worn and allow the hinge pin....which is hard steel...to actually start eating/wearing away at the hole that holds your bushing in correctly. Once the hinge pin has eaten into your hinge....it would be wise to replace the hinge completely...(which can be a pain)...due to the bushing would loose some of the metal reinforcemant that is needed to give it strength and longevity...due to holding up the door. Without having a good hole in the hinge to secure and give good backing to your bronze hinge bushing...the bushing can fail sooner than expected.
The hinge can be welded on and re-drilled...but for a do-it-yourselfer....without proper equipment to make sure that the pin will be straight when completed...I would advise against that....eventhough I have in the past. But then again...I have proper equipment to do this type of work....and I am usually modifying the hinges to prevent hyper-extension which can cause you to take a chunk of fiberglass out of your door edge by the upper door hinge area if the door is allowed to open up all the way with force.
"DUB"
