Drivers door fitting issues

[UKPhilTR7]

Last weekend I took of my drivers side door and put the thinner of the two spacers on the bottom hinge and then two spacers on the top hinge. All looked good and I tightened all the bolts up.

However, on closer look it looks like there is far too big a gap between the door and the wing and the bottom of the door slopes down so it is really close to the sill.

With the big space I can take a spacer of the top hinge, but on the bottom that is the only one you can get. So does this mean I will have to make some more?

Also with the space at the bottom of the door, I am not sure how I am going to fix this as the space between the top of the door and the car is spot on. It is is just slopping bit towards the bottom that is really near the sill.

Has anyone come across this or anyone got any advice?

[Hasbeen]

Phil to get it right may require someone who really knows what they are doing.

To get my 7s passengers door right required a knowledgeable man, with a big hammer. It only took one whack, on a hinge, & it was right, but I hated watching.

The 8s frame was slightly out, & that took a man with a huge rack, chains & hydraulic rams. That was 4 years ago, & it is still square, so it pays to use an expert.

Hasbeen

[supercass]

The spacers were available as a listed item in the Rimmers catologue. Moss had them as price reduced sale item some years ago. Have given the part no's in a previous posting, but if you need them I can find them for you. They weren't expensive as I recall. I have little doubt that S and S will have them as they must use them frequently. Robsport will probably have them too. They were available in two sizes, at least one of which could be fitted without removing the door. You may be able to remedy the problem by raising the striker plate and the anti burst catch on the car body, ever so slightly. I have found that the posistion of these items can impact on the panel gaps slightly.
If you've fitted a new wing then the panel gap may be different, even NOS items can be variable. What would often happen on the production line is that the panel would be offered up and if it didn't fit quickly, it would go to one side and be used as spares, so became someone elses problem! I can't speak specifically for B.L. but I know this used to happen. A TR7 owner I know had a genuine Rover wing fitted years ago and had wayward panel gaps. He was convinced that they had made a mess of fitting it but when the curved profile at the top near the door was measured against the other side it was about a 1/4 inch shorter and he had to resort to using an infill piece. Regards, supercass

[FI Spyder]

When professional restorers do an expensive car (what other kind would they do) to make the gaps perfectly equal they file down the edge (if too close) or weld the edge to build up material then file it down (if gap is too big). It's labour intensive and a bit of an art. That's assuming the frame/body isn't bent as Hasbeen noted, something a good body shop should be able to discern. Probably not worth the effort in a TR7/8. If the frame/body isn't bent best to average out the differences or try another door that may be closer to the ideal.



- - - - TR7 Spider - - - - - - - - 1978 Spitfire - - - - - - 1976 Spitfire - - 1988 Tercel 4X4 - Kali on Integra - 1991 Integra - - Yellow TCT

[Beans]

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Century Gothic, Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by Hasbeen</i>

... To get my 7s passengers door right required a knowledgeable man, with a big hammer. It only took one whack, on a hinge, & it was right ... <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
Sounds very familiar [:D]

<center>
<font color="blue"><i>1980 TR7 DHC (my first car, now restored and back on the road)
1981 TR7 FHC Sprint (better known as 't Kreng)</font id="blue">
<b>[url="http://www.tr7beans.blogspot.com/"]<u><b><font size="2"><font color="red">My Weblog</font id="red"></font id="size2"></b></u>[/url]</b></i></center>

[RadioGuy]

Another way to get a door to fit, especially if it has sagged, is to just open the door about 6" or so, get your floor jack and with a 2x4 between the door bottom and the floor jack, jack the door up a little/a lot...The area around the hinge ether on the door or the pillar will give a little and usually stay there. You may have to go over a little so when the metal relaxes a bit it wont go back to where it was. It's a little easier on the nerves than the big -A- hammer...YMMV.

Ken


Maintained on Saturday…Drive on Fun-Day !!! 1976 FHC - 1980 DHC

[UKPhilTR7]

Oh gosh I got a feeling this is going to take a bit of time and may cost a bit

[Hasbeen]

Don't get depressed Phil, you'll probably get it right yourself, with shims.

Have you contacted the Triumph Sports Owners Assoc in NSW yet. I'm told they are a helpful bunch, who can probably tell you where to go, -------nicely.

The man with the big hammer cost me 20 bucks, as I removed & refitted the door at his shop.

Hasbeen

[FI Spyder]

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Century Gothic, Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by UKPhilTR7</i>

Also with the space at the bottom of the door, I am not sure how I am going to fix this as the space between the top of the door and the car is spot on. It is is just slopping bit towards the bottom that is really near the sill.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

No one seems to have noticed this but if the top of the door gap is correct and the bottom is too close to the sill anything you do to the hinges (ie to raise the door) will take the door out of position at the top. Either the sill has been installed wrong (at the factory or after an accident or to correct rust through) or the door is not correct. Either way you're looking at door modification to make it look right. Unless you're willing to split the difference of having the top and bottom both out and calling it close enough.



- - - - TR7 Spider - - - - - - - - 1978 Spitfire - - - - - - 1976 Spitfire - - 1988 Tercel 4X4 - Kali on Integra - 1991 Integra - - Yellow TCT

[supercass]

Yes, every single adjustment you make will impact elsewhere, and not always as you would expect, unless you're into geometrical calculations. There are also so many points where you can make an adjustment. I suppose it depends what has been done to the car, if a new door skin has been fitted and all the measurements were O.K prior to this then it may be viable to adjust the door skin. If a new wing has been fitted then shave or infill the wing. Bit more difficult when lots has been done to the car. In this case I would go for getting everything as accurate as possible at all points except the gap between the edge of the door and wing then shave or infill the wing. Others may choose to do this to the door skin. It is usually possible though to get reasonably satisfactory gaps just by adjusting at the shims, striker plate and anti burst lock on both the door panel and body. This can take hours of messing about though and can be quite frustrating. Bear in mind that the panel gaps were not up to current standards although there is only so much variance before they stick out like a sore thumb! It does sound like your gaps could be adjusted out,or significantly improved by adjustment, the time to worry is when the door wont shut because the gaps are so far out! Regards, supercass