Drivers Door dropped - hinge?

[the dodger]

Hi All. Car in for service and general fettle this week. One niggle is that the drivers door has up/down play when open suggesting some form of hinge problem. Does anybody know how to get to the hinge pins to check this out? Are they individual or just one long pin? Couldn't find anything in the bible (which is in the boot now).

If anybody can shed any light or has done this please advise before the garage start ripping out the wrong bits! Thanks.

[the dodger]

BTT for the morning rush!

[V8 Archie]

I don't know how to get to them if you can't see them. There should be clear thread visible at the top and bottom (I've got about half an inch).

[shpub]

REmove the door card and check to see if the inner mounting bolts have come loose. These clamp the door to the hinge. You might be able to reach through the speaker hole but it will be tight.

[the dodger]

Steve, the movement appears to be between the bracket from the door and the hinge bracket on the A post. I only saw this on the upper assembly as the lower is impossible to see. Are they separate hinges or is it one long hinge pin? Thanks.

Any info gratefully received.

[the dodger]

Any more for any more?
HELP!

[mongoose]

i believe there are two seperate hinges,and have been told by a specialist that the hinges fitted to chims/griffs up to '98-99(i think)wear very easily.the same specialist adjusted my door to compensate and allow it to shut nicely again.they also advised to replace with the later more durable type when the time comes.hope this is of some help-cheers,mongoose.

[Big Al.]

mongoose said:

i believe there are two seperate hinges,and have been told by a specialist that the hinges fitted to chims/griffs up to '98-99(i think)wear very easily.the same specialist adjusted my door to compensate and allow it to shut nicely again.they also advised to replace with the later more durable type when the time comes.hope this is of some help-cheers,mongoose.

You can tell us who the specialist is!

You are allowed to name, just not shame!

[mattrsv]

Might be rubish, but I was told my 'play' in the doors was caused by broken nylon type bushes in the door. Need to fic for next service so any 'yes' or ' rubbish' answers appreciated.

Cheers,

MAtt

[the dodger]

mongoose - my car is not at a specialist. Does this mean they won't be able to fix it? Who/whereabouts is the specialist you mention?

Thanks.

[shpub]

I think it is a dual hinge mechanism. The easiest solution may be to make the adjustment using the internal nuts/bolts providing the play is minimal.

To get to it means removing the door from the hinge IIRC

[the dodger]

On closer inspection it looks loke the door is moving just vertically (up and down) on the hinges. Is this just a 'shim' requirement? How do you fit them?

[craigalsop]

Hi Roger,

I'll try & take a pic of the bolts/shims tonight & email it to you.
From your description, I don't think that these are your problem.

Can you give more detail as to what moves & what stays static?

cheers,
Craig

[the dodger]

Craig - no email yet? I will send one to you with the following info.

With the door ajar, sitting in looking at the upper hinge with hand under the door near the hinge end. I can lift door about 1 - 2 mm. The hinge on door post with the hole in it doesn't move. The bracket from the door is not flexing but moves up and down with the door. I can see a pin in the hinge hole moving with the door.

It appears to me that it would benifit from packing shims under the lower hinge somewhere to raise the door?

[rbfisher]

On my 99 Chim the hinge has a single pin through both hinges which is removed by unscrewing the bottom nut. The top nut is welded to the hinge.

You need to open the door fully and tighten the bottom nut.

Cheers,

Richard

[the dodger]

Richard, as yet I haven't looked at the lower hinge (it means lying on the ground!). Earlier post suggests 99 cars have different hinge? - Can you actually get to the nut then?

[CraigAlsop]

the dodger said:

It appears to me that it would benifit from packing shims under the lower hinge somewhere to raise the door?

Hopefully you have received the pics I sent you - the shims are there to allow the door to be mounted flush to the body - any up/down movement should be removed by tightening the nuts inside the door I would imagine. Then, once this is done, sort out the height of the rear of the door by loosening off the mounting bolts & adjusting (you will need a buddy to hold the door while playing with this)

Note - the above is mostly guesswork

[the dodger]

Craig, just replied to your e-mail. No pics received yet. So are shims only used to adjust the horizontal angle of the door? Behind the upper or lower bracket? Maybe I need to actually move the lower door brkt up?. Are they in slots on the door then?

Hope the pics explain better than I can!

[CraigAlsop]

the dodger said:

Craig, just replied to your e-mail. No pics received yet. So are shims only used to adjust the horizontal angle of the door? Behind the upper or lower bracket? Maybe I need to actually move the lower door brkt up?. Are they in slots on the door then? Hope the pics explain better than I can!

OK Roger - I've put them on my website - here's four pictures:
TopMount+shims
BottomMount
TopMountInnerAndOuter
TopMount
Hope you can access these OK

[rbfisher]

Yes the bottom nut is accessible. I had both doors taken off when I bought my car for a total respray. Pics don't look exactly the same as mine so it is probably different on pre 98/99 chims.

Cheers,

Richard