Just put new hinges on my door need help with alignment!

[Verk]

So I just got some new hinges because my old ones were bent and wonky. But now I need some tips and tricks for get the door positioned correctly. It opens and shuts and locks right now but the gap at the front of the door is bigger than the gap at the back so I'm trying to figure out how to push it forward with out ruining my top and bottom alignment.

[EScanlon]

Remove your kick panels, and behind there you'll find the body bolts for the hinges. Since you replaced the hinges you already know this.

Now, support the door within the opening and gently loosen the body bolts and gently slide the hinges forward, it doesn't take a lot. If you're careful you shouldn't mess up the in/out at the top or bottom of the door, nor the front to back angle, just the front/back position, but it does take some patience.

Just be careful of sliding it too far forward because when the door is fully open, if you have any type of door moulding, it may interfere with the front fender.

FWIW

E

[Verk]

Should I do this with the door open or closed?

[EScanlon]

Yikes!!

This kind of question causes trouble, I replied as I did because from your first post it, you appeared to have a good understanding of what would be required etc.

It isn't a matter of just loosen, tweak, and tighten.... although ideally that is exactly how it will go, but you need to be aware that as soon as you loosen the bolts enough to allow you to shift their position the bolts can shift along either of the x-y axis points. Which can mean your door will now be too low/high, or too far forward/back.

If the top set goes further forward than the bottom set, then your door won't align on the top edge properly, conversely if it's the bottom set.

My reply was to let you know which of the sets of bolts would need to be adjusted in order to achieve a front to back adjustment of the door. The bolts on the door for example adjust in and out and both sets (door and body) adjust up and down. It is by careful adjustment that you get the proper position you need.

Addressing the question as I would do it, is that I would open the door and support it with a floor jack and a cloth covered piece of wood long enough to support a good length of the door. Then loosen the bolts and adjust the whole door forward -CAREFULLY- you just need a bit, then check for fit, i.e. tighten bolts, lower jack, check the door in the opening and repeat ad nauseaum until you get it right.

Hope this helps.

E