I need help aligning my door hinges on my 1980 chevy c10

[1980c10]

I need help aligning my door hinges on my 1980 chevy c10. Any suggestions?

 

[robert8096]

Need a little more info on what the problem is: Is the doors not shutting correctly? Are the door gaps not looking good? Can you pickup on the door and it has upward movement?

 

[1980c10]

Well the hinges were worn out so I bought new ones and now when I go to put the door back on I cant even get it close enough to have the hinge close without the door clipping the front fender and doing damage to my door. It looks like I would be able to get it if I could take the front fender off, but I dont want to take the fender off. I hear that getting the panels to line up on this body style are a pain in the rear.

 

[robert8096]

I understand not wanting to take the fenders off but to do it correctly they need to come off. The procedure is to algin the doors to the cab and then the fender to the door. You need to work with both sets of bolts on the hinges in order to get the door aligned correctly. Bad cab and radiator support bushings can make getting the doors fitted correctly a bear. I am going thru this right now. The PO put black doors on the truck and the hinges needed to be rebuilt so I rebuilt the hinges and repainting the door jams and door.

I try to set all the hinge bolts in the center postion of their adjustment range. Then alternate between the ones on the cab side and the door side to get the updown placement (body gap) of the door in the frame. Once I get it close then I use the bolts on the door to set the in/out (flush with the cab) placement. Having the door stricker in place or assistance from a friend is very helpful. Once the door is where you want it and it opens and closes correctly then move on the the fender.

Place the fender on the truck and set the gap between the door and the fender. Loosely place the top and bottom bolts in the fender near the cab side. Place a few bolts in the fender at the core support make sure they are loose. Go back the the top bolt on fender on the cab side and place some shims under it to get the hight of the fender to the door. You want the body lines from the fender and door to match. Snug that bolt. Go to the bottom bolt in the fender on the cab side and place shims in there to get the bottom of the fender flush with the door. Now have a friend pull the fender forward to set the final gap between the door and fender or you can use the wooden wedges that are used to install home doors. Snug the core support bolts and the CAREFULLY open the door and make sure it does not contact the fender.
If all is well then then put the bolt in that is hidden when the door is closed. You may need to add some shims under that one also.

The above way is how I like to do it and I am sure if you do a google seach you will find a lot more ways. In a nut shell remove the fenders and take your time and it will all fall in place. Sometimes they go right back in place and other times I have spent hours adjusting the doors and fenders.

Good Luck

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[AlecHawk]

It will be better to stitch this all in a specific manner and then arrange a outline to perform your task.
I think a proper planing is very necessary to put our best effort and then to have a good output also..
Must consult a sketch to have a better result.

 

[Tyger13us]

Well the hinges were worn out so I bought new ones and now when I go to put the door back on I cant even get it close enough to have the hinge close without the door clipping the front fender and doing damage to my door. It looks like I would be able to get it if I could take the front fender off, but I dont want to take the fender off. I hear that getting the panels to line up on this body style are a pain in the rear.

paint stur sticks for the gaps and a floor jack and a block of wood to hold the door up a lil bit...

removing the striker post from the jam will help out alot,, just be sure to catch the backup plate with your other hand so it dont fall to the bottom of the cab corner.........

start with the bottom hinge first get it close,, then work on the top hinge,, then adjust the bottom one and then again the top till your satisfied..

then reinstall the striker and plate so the door closes smooth and easy,, ya want to get it centered in the latch,, ya can feel it if its to high or to low,it will move the door up or down if not centered, ya can see it also.......

i have never been able to get a door to fit perfect on any of these trucks,, ya can only get close enough....

 

[chengny]

Here is what the US Military has to say about door and hinge maintenance. Don't ask me if the info is any good - I avoid body work unless it's absolutely necessary: