Aligning Doors

[85_Ranger4x4]

Any good how-tos?

Mine are a pain to shut and open, they always have been.

I have tried adjusting the hinges in and out, tried getting the gaps even, tried adjusting the striker... not sure I have really gained any ground.

 

[rusty ol ranger]

Any good how-tos?

Mine are a pain to shut and open, they always have been.

I have tried adjusting the hinges in and out, tried getting the gaps even, tried adjusting the striker... not sure I have really gained any ground.

My drivers door was like that. I ended up having to shim the striker bolt out with a washer. Not sure why but it was a latch ditch effort after screwing with everything else for 3 hours.

Now it opens and shuts like new. I think the latch was just barely nipping the fat end on the striker bolt

 

[dvdswan]

Have you tried replacing the brass bushings in the hinge? Dorman offers them for my Nissan D21. They might have them for the Ranger too.

 

[RobbieD]

Have you tried replacing the brass bushings in the hinge? Dorman offers them for my Nissan D21. They might have them for the Ranger too.

They do. Dorman 703-270 is what fit my '94 Explorer; you'd have to confirm the application for a Ranger, and year range.

The new bushings made for a great repair of taking the sag out of the door, which made it latch better, too.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

The hinges seem tight, I tried pulling up on the doors and I can't get any up and down movement.

 

[Robertmangrum.rm]

When we line them back up in the busses we use some 1/4" foam, tape it around the doorseal. Then shut the door for a few minutes. Then we can see where it's hitting or dragging so we can adjust it to fit right. I've never tried it on any vehicles except busses. But maybe it will help you get an idea of what's happening.

 

[scotts90ranger]

On my '97 once shut the body lines are right so I knew it wasn't in the adjustment although I moved the striker a little to fix the body lines... I ended up having to take a floor jack to the bottom of the door (with a wood spacer so I didn't dent the door) with it just opened to pry the door up some so it didn't drag on the striker when shut, need to adjust this way again as it's dragging again... But my '97 was in a ditch before I got it and I didn't get it with the original drivers door... I've learned a lot of body work is just figuring out the right way to make metal do what you want, not always about finesse and adjusting bolts, sometimes it involves a 2x4 and a 4 pound sledge or a floor jack and chunk of wood or a come along and chain... I'm pretty sure my '97 has been totalled 3 times but has a clean title since I've fixed it twice and it's been repainted before I got it since it's a '98+ shade of red and has XLT badges on a base model extended cab 4 cylinder manual...