Does this sound right?

1992 FB with 37k miles. We are the second owners. The drivers door started scraping on the ground effects shortly after repair of a minor rear end collision. It does not seem to have the typical sag where you can pick up on the door and feel it move. However, it does seem to be getting worse since now (~1 year later) it is rubbing in two spots.

For comparison my 2nd gen was over 20 years AND over 150k miles before the door sag was really noticeable.

Thanks

 

Check your fender lower rear mounts to see if there is signs of a jack placed just behind the tire. The bolts should be parallel with the ground. That's usually the first thing some REAL PRO'S do when they jack up a third gen.

 

I was under there early in the summer putting POR15 on some surface rust on the rockers and I didn't notice anything. (The car has hardly ever seen salt, but has lots of condensation rust from an unheated garage.)

I'll check again, but I would expect jacking there would cause an immediate problem not something that is getting worse with time.

 

mile-wise, your car's still a baby, but time-wise no so much. If the bushings look ok and not worn out, it may just be the weight of the doors causing the hinges to tweak a bit. top-down solutions has a tool to help readjust this if I remember correctly

 

Thanks Dan,
If that's the case I'm just looking at a straight door adjustment--no parts to replace (yet).

I just thought sitting closed most of the time (not being opening and closed) with so few miles, the latch pin would be holding the weigh, so why would anything else stretch or wear?

 

Matt, that's what I was thinking when I saw the miles. Could there be debris between the mounting flange and the rocker molding holding it up? Maybe some rust growing there? I've seen that a few times but usually on cars with more miles. If it was hit in the rear hard enough to push the quarters into the doors, then that impact could have busted the bushings but the door would drag on the striker and not shut well. Does the door need raising at the rear? Maybe moving the striker up a little will help. Good luck, let us know what you find.

 

Yeah, the car is just plain getting older. And 37k isn't any indication of anything. You don't REALLY know what happened during those 10 years or whatever before you bought the car. If the guy getting out of it was leaning on the door that would certainly cause problems. Also, a "minor" collision might have been enough to shift things. This is a unibody or unit-body construction vehicle.

Speculating is a waste of time. You need to find out if your hinges are bad, or the bushings or both.

Mathius

 

Just remembered this morning. Old age! Your car has the urethane ground effects. They warp over time. If I remember right there are screws down the door jamb that hold that thing down. When they warped we would remove those screws and run some glue, usually windshield urethane between the moulding and the bracket. I believe you could then shut the door and wedge some paint paddles between the moulding and door till it set up. 3M makes a panel bond that would probably work better just be a PITA to remove again later so better get it right the first time.

 

An 18 year old car with low mileage I typically relate with it having the doors opened ALOT because it was only driven on short trips.

 

Ok. I finally got a chance to double-check under the car. No signs of some moron trying to jack it up from the rocker panel. Everything is nice and straight under there. Also, the door is now starting to rub the paint on the body shell at the very back corner of the rocker, not just the ground effects--so it is getting worse.

However, when I lift up on the door with it open there is no feeling of movement--the car body still seems connected solidly. On my 2nd gen I can feel the bad bushings--the door will shift up a bit before the body starts to move (but it is 40 years old, and I already have the hinge repair kit).

Someone mentioned that they can just sag? I've noticed several things in the car recently that tell me the original build quality was worse than that of the 70's cars, but I still find it difficult to believe the metal was that weak. If it is, can I just open the door and use a floor jack and board to push it back or will I break something? I don't want to start adjusting the hinges to compensate, but I guess that would also work.
Any advice would be appreciated.

 

No popping or squeaking previously or lately??
Interested in the cause!!!
What are the gaps like around booth doors??

 

Do not jack the door up hoping to bend it back into place. You will end up never being able to get it aligned right, ever. There are a few different ways you can go about fixing it without jerry rigging.

1. Put a jack under the door and take loose the hinges at the body frame. Then raise the jack a hair and tighten them. You may have to repeat this multiple times to get it right.

2. Take it to a professional

And of course if your hinges are no good it will never be right, so replacing the hinge bushings should be first on your list.

 

Pictures would be nice... to help us all understand the problem. I too was wondering about the gaps around the door. There has to be something other than rubbing showing up.

 

I just remembered some GM strikers had plastic bushings on them. If the bushing falls off the striker is smaller in diameter letting the door drop in the latch. The repair shop may have removed this piece if it was cracked or damaged not realizing the results. The hole for the striker has very little adjustment and doesn't need much. You may want to check to see if someone has added adjustment to make up for body misalignment. If you try to remove striker be sure and remove vent above striker to reach in and hold the tap plate as it's not attached. Like someone else said, I'd have it checked out. Preferably with puter measuring system with printout. Repair shop should be able to do this if they are any size at all.