Why is there a gap between my passenger front door and passenger fender

[Gary DuBois]

Do you think my passenger front door was replaced from this photo and everything seems tight on my passenger front fender so im thinking the passenger front door is maybe not original ? My Dad has also noticed the gap in between the passenger front door and passenger fender. Should i take a picture and post it at some time on this post for everyone to look at.

 

[Curious Hound]

I believe your replies on this thread will be very similar to the thread asking about the color being slightly off on that door. Its all just evidence that it may have been replaced some time in the past. If it opens and shuts properly, doesn't rattle or squeak excessively and the window works, just be happy with it and drive.

 

[djfllmn]

I believe your replies on this thread will be very similar to the thread asking about the color being slightly off on that door. Its all just evidence that it may have been replaced some time in the past. If it opens and shuts properly, doesn't rattle or squeak excessively and the window works, just be happy with it and drive.

x2.

Also vehicles leave the factory with misaligned panels all the time. Its not unheard of for a door to need some minor adjustment, ford door hinges you can move from here to kansas because of all the adjustment in the hinges

 

[djfllmn]

gary,

Some things to look at if you are suspicious the door was off the truck at one point and time. Only reason i know these things is because I worked in a body shop for a few years and that's what i went to college for

- is the paint worn off the bolts / are there witness marks from a socket / wrench being on them

- is the gap consistent from top to bottom

- does it drop when you open it? (This could also indicate a worn hinge)

- pull the door panel off, is the inside of the door behind the panel the same color?

 

[Curious Hound]

Also vehicles leave the factory with misaligned panels all the time. Its not unheard of for a door to need some minor adjustment,

This right here is one of many reasons why some brands of vehicles cost more than others. It is easy and cheap for the manufacturer to have an employee on the assembly line place a door in position with a rough alignment jig and drive the bolts home with a calibrated pneumatic or electric torque gun. But it takes more employees and more time in the process to have another station later on where the alignment of doors, hood, hatches, tailgate, and other body panels are checked and adjusted to finer tolerances once they are all in place. That increases cost. Hence, Rolls Royce costs a lot more than BMW or Mercedes which cost more than Ford or Chevy which cost more than Hyundai...

And panel alignment is just the tip of the iceberg when talking about quality and "fit and finish".

 

[djfllmn]

This right here is one of many reasons why some brands of vehicles cost more than others. It is easy and cheap for the manufacturer to have an employee on the assembly line place a door in position with a rough alignment jig and drive the bolts home with a calibrated pneumatic or electric torque gun. But it takes more employees and more time in the process to have another station later on where the alignment of doors, hood, hatches, tailgate, and other body panels are checked and adjusted to finer tolerances once they are all in place. That increases cost. Hence, Rolls Royce costs a lot more than BMW or Mercedes which cost more than Ford or Chevy which cost more than Hyundai...

And panel alignment is just the tip of the iceberg when talking about quality and "fit and finish".

you aren't kidding. don't get me started on the plastic fantastic interiors either


The one thing that the ranger was never intended to be a luxury pickup. It was a cheap (relatively speaking) truck for someone who didn't want / need a fullsize and the cost to go along with them. That's why the vast majority of the later rangers 01-11 were bare bones work trucks or fleet trucks. By 04-05, they really were becoming long in the tooth and ford put all their eggs in the F150 basket

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

gary,

Some things to look at if you are suspicious the door was off the truck at one point and time. Only reason i know these things is because I worked in a body shop for a few years and that's what i went to college for

- is the paint worn off the bolts / are there witness marks from a socket / wrench being on them

- is the gap consistent from top to bottom

- does it drop when you open it? (This could also indicate a worn hinge)

- pull the door panel off, is the inside of the door behind the panel the same color?

This…

Also, run your fingers along the edge of the panels. It should be smooth. A lot of cheap body shops will leave a tape edge about sharp enough to cut you so be careful.

I should make a video of this stuff sometime…

 

[Lefty]

This…

Also, run your fingers along the edge of the panels. It should be smooth. A lot of cheap body shops will leave a tape edge about sharp enough to cut you so be careful.

I should make a video of this stuff sometime…

Yes, there are a few YouTubes which show how to fix this, provided that alignment is the only problem

 

[Lefty]

Yes, there are a few YouTubes which show how to fix this, provided that alignment is the only problem

This looks like a very nice truck, well worth fixing these kinds of minor problems, and which, with just a little effort could look brand new again