Door latch

[XYZ]

My driver's side door latch is continually catching or not allowing me to totally close my door without slamming it. I have adjusted, readjusted, re-readjusted this f*&%ing thing (strike plate on car body jamb) and tightened it as tight as I possibly can and it still moves.

I've been using a large phillips screwdriver and a vicegrip on the handle to get extra leverage while leaning or pulling as hard as possible on the screwdriver once I think I have the strike plate aligned.

I can get it adjusted for maybe 5 good, clean closes and then all bets are off. Sometimes it seems like if the window is rolled up it will work but if the window is down it won't work. What's up? Any suggestions other than readjust the strike plate would be great. I'm kind of at a lose.

Thanks

[2ManyZs]

Have you got any play or looseness in the door hinges? If the door hinges are getting sloppy that would make a lot of difference, the door isn't making the same arc everytime and is putting excess pressure on the striker plate to latch.

That's my first guess. :cross-eye

Have you tried a different striker plate? Do you have the star washers on the mounting bolts? Are the shims in place?

Lots of questions, no real good answers there are there?

Just a few of the things to check.

[Ivan]

I have the same problem, spent ages trying to get it right but couldn't. I rang the local z parts / restorer guy about it and before I finish saying my "door doesn't shut properly dispite my efforts" he said it's screwed (gave me the impression this problem is not uncommon).

He ordered me a new door mechanisum, the links and new door handle (couldn't just order a door mechanisum) $350NZD ($170USD).

[2ManyZs]

Ivan just gave me another idea. You could try to pull the door panel off, and try small adjustments to the upright linkage that goes to the door latch from the door handle. It is possible the linkage is not allowing the door latch to fully engage.

They are small plactic sleeves on the ends of the rods and have been known to crack, lossen, and sometimes fall of completely. They are a major PITA to get your hand into with the window glass in the way. The lower horizontal one is much easier to access than the upright vertical ones at the rear of the door.

If you can get your hand in there to them, you could try small adjustments first in one direction and then the other to see if it makes any difference.

This would be the last item to check after all the others like the hinges etc since these are such a pain to get to. Forgot all about the adjustments possible on them until Ivan mentioned them. Been a long time since I did go in there, and if you do have to go in, you will see why. The door edges are usually very sharp, and the area is very hard to access unless you tiny little hands that bend in three different directions at once.:disappoin

[XYZ]

Thanks guys for the responses:

1. Strike plate is original have not tried another

2. Shims are in place and I have not actually pulled the mounting bolts all the way out. I've just loosened them enough to slide the plate around. Move it to where I think it should be tighten and close a few times until it closed right, tighten real good sit in the car and the adjustment is lost.

3. I opened the door and tried to move it up and down ie... check for any slop in the hinges. Pretty hard to tell. Lifting up moves the car. When I did just try closing it again I had to push down on the door to get it to close. I've also had minimal luck lowering the actual latch slightly and then close the door quickly. Sometimes that gets it to close. This seems to be my little grimlin. Could be alot worse.:cheeky:

I'll try messing with it a little more I guess.