86 El Camino Door Alignment question

Elkyone

I just bought nice used doors for my 1986 El Camino and my doors shut fine there were just rusted on the bottom but when I put on the new door it aligns ok by the fender but it doesn't hit the strike plate to close the door without lifting it, I was going to order a new door bushing kit since I had to repalce them before in another car years ago to solve a sagging door but it seems odd that the old door was fine and this one isn't.
so I thought I would ask before just in case I missed something.
Thanks
Dave
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464elky · Posted: Sun Oct 05, 2008 5:50 pm Post subject:

There are several old threads on how to adjust doors but to give you the quick version:
REMOVE the striker!!! Adjust the door to the body. Re-install the striker and adjust to hit the latch properly.
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Another 3 to 9 years should finish it.

Elkyone · Posted: Sun Oct 05, 2008 6:32 pm Post subject: Thanks

Thanks for the suggestion I will try that, I did do a search since I thought someone must have ran into that but didn't come up with any which I thought was odd, I must have typed the wrong info or too much or something.
Thanks again
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elcam84 · Posted: Mon Oct 06, 2008 9:47 am Post subject:

Like said pull the striker bolt and adjust the doors to meet the body. Add ina whole lot of cussing at those big heavy hard to adjust doors.

I like to set the rear of the door just slightly higher than even because even with new hinge pins and bushings it will drop faster than you like. So we are getting ahead of the game a little and gaining some time before the next hinge rebuild.

Now for adjusting the striker bolt... If you have the inner door panel off....
Lightly thghten the bolt and close the door and make sure the latch is fully closed. Then push it in all the way and pull it back out. Now reach inside the door and tighten the striker bolt. There is a hole in the latch mechanism to access the head and tighten it. It's a whole lot easier than doing the guessing of adjust, test adjust test...

The doors on my 84 were not adjusted well from the factory. The bottom rear was a little inward of the 1/4s. I could adjust the door out to even but then I have to pull the bottom of the fender out to match. Both sides were done exactly the same way. So either the jig was goofy at the factory or there was a reason for it. It's been that way since new.
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