Fix dragging doors. Shims

[Oldbear42]

I also just used washers - I only needed them for the RH bottom hinge once I replaced all the hinge pins and bushing. There were stacks of washers in the bottom hinges that, I assume, were there to try fixing the sagging doors.

 

[idahovette]

I guess it all in what you are used to. I'm an old alignment guy who used the "horse shoe" style shims for years. I still have an abundance of them, so that is what I use......ya gotta hold your mouth right.....lol

 

[Grit dog]

Bringin this back up for @tophat36.

 

[tophat36]

Bringin this back up for @tophat36.

Thanks @Grit dog …I actually got some shims and did this Saturday. Hopefully the horseshoe shims are okay. It seems to have helped some but now I need help getting the hinge side gap to be smaller. I can fit my finger so maybe 1/4” to 1/2” gap. I can see lots of daylight with the door closed from inside the cab, looking to the upper corner where the top of the window vent is. I had to shim the bottom hinge quite a bit (1/4” using x2 1/8” shims) not sure if there’s a max you don’t want to exceed. Are u supposed to shim all 3 bolts on the bottom hinge or just the single bolt? Each hinge has a single and a double bolt. What is the difference in what these bolts do?

Going to swap the striker once I can find the right size torx/allen. Is that a captured nut where the striker screws in? If there’s a risk that can just spin or fall out I’d rather just add pex to it.

 

[Grit dog]

1/4” is ALOT. Yes shim all 3 bolts. Goal is to pick it up barely, just enough to not drag on the striker. Guessing you shimmed it way too much.
Not understanding the need to replace the striker. If it’s super worn you could likely just spin it a bit if you loosen and use a shim or washer so it doesn’t tighten up in the same spot.
Idk if it’s captured but pretty sure you can reach the backside on a reg cab truck. Unlike a Blazer or 4 door.
These are all things that you can verify pretty easily I think.
But don’t make a project out of something unless it needs to be.

 

[Grit dog]

Also shimming out the bottom would push the top of the door forward, not outward. Shouldn’t push it out but again hard to know what the original alignment or gaps were.
If the bottom hinge moved inward when you loosened and shimmed that could make the top part stick out (daylight) at the top. Or could be old worn/missing seals?

 

[tophat36]

1/4” is ALOT. Yes shim all 3 bolts. Goal is to pick it up barely, just enough to not drag on the striker. Guessing you shimmed it way too much.
Not understanding the need to replace the striker. If it’s super worn you could likely just spin it a bit if you loosen and use a shim or washer so it doesn’t tighten up in the same spot.
Idk if it’s captured but pretty sure you can reach the backside on a reg cab truck. Unlike a Blazer or 4 door.
These are all things that you can verify pretty easily I think.
But don’t make a project out of something unless it needs to be.

I want to replace the striker so it has the plastic on it, which helps the door close better. Guess I could just get some pex, I already have the strikers and too old to return them, figured I’d make use of them .

 

[tophat36]

Also shimming out the bottom would push the top of the door forward, not outward. Shouldn’t push it out but again hard to know what the original alignment or gaps were.
If the bottom hinge moved inward when you loosened and shimmed that could make the top part stick out (daylight) at the top. Or could be old worn/missing seals?

Can you please explain what the single bolt does on each hinge versus the double. Does one move the door in or out and the other up and down or something?

 

[bucket]

Can you please explain what the single bolt does on each hinge versus the double. Does one move the door in or out and the other up and down or something?

Do you mean the amount of bolts holding the hinges to the door? GM deemed 2 bolts to be too few, but 4 bolts to be overkill. That's why there's three bolts.

 

[tophat36]

Do you mean the amount of bolts holding the hinges to the door? GM deemed 2 bolts to be too few, but 4 bolts to be overkill. That's why there's three bolts.

No, I was more curious if adjusting just the single bolt or just the two bolts does something different at the door hinge connection. Like does the single bolt adjustment do one direction and the two bolts do a different direction, etc?

 

[bucket]

No, I was more curious if adjusting just the single bolt or just the two bolts does something different at the door hinge connection. Like does the single bolt adjustment do one direction and the two bolts do a different direction, etc?

No, you have to loosen all three bolts to adjust the door fitment to the hinge.