32 Ford Tudor door alignment

[rotorwrench]

Ford was particular about fit and finish. There is a lot of water under the bridge since that era. Door replacement or hinge replacement could affect fit to a small degree but that is a fair amount of misalignment.

I would see where the rest of the door gaps are on top & bottom to see if they were affected the same amount. If they are then try the adjustment of hinges on the A pillar first to see how much it can be affected. Since there are only two hinges it's better than a three hinge door for repairs or modifications.

Hinges can be worn on the pin contact surface and the thrust surface that bears the weight of the door. If both are worn, they should be repaired to see if that will get the door back to alignment. Opening up the A pillar screw holes on the hinge half that attaches there might be possible to a certain degree but the screws may not keep it in position very long. The hinge half should be removable so that the door will not be affected by repairs whether it is cut and rewelded or holes welded up & redrilled. Make the repairs or mods needed, paint the hinge half, & reinstall with a new pin.

[john stimac]

Just as a point of interest, here's a guy on the line-check out his tools, I see a oil can, hammer, punch, and a block of wood on the running board.

[Krylon32]

See that little tool he's using in his right hand to check door gaps?

[Ronnieroadster]

I have had a similar alignment issue with Deuce doors. Since the hinge is attached permanently to the door the way i went about it was to modify the removable section of the hinge from the door jamb. I usual find the jamb side of the hinge is worn on the top causing the sage. By adding a round shim bushing to the top of the jamb hinge held in place by the pin I can now move the door upward to help the belt line alignment. If needed I remove material from the bottom of the hinge on the jamb this will allow the door to be moved upward.
Ronnieroadster

[Deucenut]

Originally Posted by Krylon32

See that little tool he's using in his right hand to check door gaps?

Ya, but I guess most things 88 years old sag a little!

[Deucenut]

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)

Originally Posted by Ronnieroadster

I have had a similar alignment issue with Deuce doors. Since the hinge is attached permanently to the door the way i went about it was to modify the removable section of the hinge from the door jamb. I usual find the jamb side of the hinge is worn on the top causing the sage. By adding a round shim bushing to the top of the jamb hinge held in place by the pin I can now move the door upward to help the belt line alignment. If needed I remove material from the bottom of the hinge on the jamb this will allow the door to be moved upward.
Ronnieroadster

So you are referring to the part of the hinge that attaches to the body and placing a bushing on the top of it? That could work in my case, however the splines on the hinge pin would not be in contact with anything. Do those splines do anything special or just keep the pin firmly attached and stop it from moving up?

[DavidG]

The uppermost top of the hinge (which is on the door side of the hinge) is not where he's recommending you place a bushing, but rather on top of the hinge portion on the cowl. The pin would still insert into the uppermost top of the hinge as original and the splines engaged as original.

[Ronnieroadster]

Originally Posted by DavidG

The uppermost top of the hinge (which is on the door side of the hinge) is not where he's recommending you place a bushing, but rather on top of the hinge portion on the cowl. The pin would still insert into the uppermost top of the hinge as original and the splines engaged as original.

David is correct the bushing is placed on top of the cowl portion of the hinge. The pin splines will still be held in the door portion of the hinge.

[Deucenut]

I have been adjusting the rear of the door with the pinch bolt on the cowl. Can this bolt be tightened up too much? I don't want to cause stress in another area. Also, do the hinge pin splines just stop the pin from coming out or serve another purpose? Sorry for the dumb questions and thanks to everyone who has offered up advice/help!!

[DavidG]

As a fairly late running change during the '32 model year a reinforcement was added to the inside of the cowl at the base of the A pillars for the then-stated reason to prevent stress cracks developing at the base of the A pillars which were evidently showing up on some vehicles produced earlier in the model year. The affected vehicles were all closed cars, convertible sedans, closed truck cabs, and panel bodies.


That suggests that unless you have a late Tudor body with the reinforcements welded in place then you may well run a risk of damage resulting from overdoing your tightening showing up down the road.


The hinge pin splines hold the pins in place, both to prevent their working their way loose and to prevent them from turning.

[Deucenut]

Thanks for the reply DavidG...I appreciate it. I will look for the reinforcement.

[DavidG]

The attached photo will give you an idea of what to look for.

[alchemy]

I'm working on a 5-window right now that doesn't have that doubler plate shown in David's pic. There are cracks on each side.

I don't have the sag problem the OP has, but I had plenty of other alignment problems. My project is bare metal and I can't imagine trying to fix any of these problems on a finished, painted car.

I also have a very early production tudor sedan that doesn't have the doubler, but it doesn't have any cracks. Maybe it just lead an easier life.