Door not hanging straight...

[Helga]

Door not hanging straight...

Hi, I have just taken the door off recently, de rusted and re painted the hinges, and put the door back on tonight... but it won't hang straight... it was always a bit of a tug to close it I admit, but it is either the same or maybe worse now, and needs a real tug up. Any reasons for this? Is there a trick to getting it to hang right? I know you can adjust the hinges slightly using the bolt holes to jiggle the door about, but I can't see how that would alter how it hangs really??

Any trick at all??

Thanks!

[dugcati]

sounds as though you may have set it to close too hard up against the rubber seal.. try loosening off the upper guide and letting the door sit out a bit at the top and then undoing the 2 bolts on the runner at the bottom and again sliding the door out there..

[Helga]

Thanks for that, that does make sense - BUT, whilst that is def part of the problem, the real problem seems to be that the lock side of the door seems to be hanging LOWER than the hinge side... is there any way of adjusting this element of the 'hang'?

[dugcati]

hmm this one allways gets me as everyone has their own deffintion of which is the lock side I suspect you mean the back (rear of van) of the door... is it an early or late van? the later ones have a roller wheel and the early ones have a sort of sliding block.. I don't know but I wonder if they can be adjusted like the door lock studs on the van itself

[VWCamperfan]

Err... What door?
Sliding, drivers, passengers, rear?
Or have I just missed it somewhere?

[Helga]

Sorry, I mean the front driver's cab door!

[VWCamperfan]

I had this with mine! Had to put a couple of spacers (washers are good!) between the frame and the hinge. Bit fiddly as you have to get the bolt through the frame, then the spacer and then into the hinge!
If the door is a bit low on the latching end and the gap running down the door where it shuts is bigger at the bottom and smaller at the top, then put the spacers in the TOP hinge. This will move the top hinge forwards and raise the door at the latching end.
If the door is square in the frame but still too low then I would suggest loosening the hinge bolts, placing a jack under the door (at hinge end) when open and gently lifting the door upwards with the jack to get the right position.

[Helga]

Brilliant - that is a great idea, thanks. One thing though, if I put spacers on, will I need slightly longer bolts to compensate? Or, will the originals be long enough - I suppose we are only talking about 2mm spacers or something arent we?

Thanks!

[dugcati]

Doug whacks head against something very hard!


Sorry - for some reason I thought you were talking about the sliding door hence my ramblings about where the lock is... I'll get my coat!

[Helga]

LOL - it was my fault for not making it clear, anyway all sorted now, using spacers and the jack trick the door is straight and shuts beautifully... except I broke the bloody socket before they were fully torqued... a trip to Halfords me thinks.

lol

Thanks for all your help everybody!

[VWCamperfan]

Yippee!