Auto body repair & detailing/96 s-10 door

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Expert: Cameron Orsich - 10/6/2006


Question
Driver's side door is sagging and hits the latch about 1/8 low and is wearing a notch in it. How can I raise the door to align with the latch? The hinges seem to be worn.

Answer
Aside from the right way--to replace the worn parts; I've had luck with the following since I bought my first '72 Chevelle Malibu.

Get a two ton jack...open the door just enough to expose the underneath section of the door that swings over the rocker panel.

Because the two ton jack hoisting platform would be to localized, lay a 18" section of 2 x  on the two ton jack's hoist...from nearly the outer most part of the door (the part that is sagging)...gently apply upward pressure...basically bending the door back...usually I have to jack the end of the door up about 1" above where it should be to bend it up to a position where it will shut properly.

NOTE:  You might want to roll your window down before lifting the door up.

NOTE:  Don't let the car coming up away from the ground fool you--its going to come up about a 1' before you start bending the door in shape...you need to lift the door, and that only happens only after you take the weight off the car's springs.

NOTE:  This is a two man job--one to pump the two ton, the other to apply closing pressure to the door...as it can get ugly if the 2 x 4 sitting on top off the jack slips off the bottom side of the door (if you have some rope, tie the door down so it can only open enough to slip the 2 x4 under the door).

Auto body repair & detailing

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Cameron Orsich

Expertise

NOTE: MY EXPERTISE IS AUTO BODY...PLEASE limit your questions to the subject of GENERAL AUTO BODY PANEL QUESTIONS...you know: OlD Fashioned, Do It Yourself, By Hand, Back Yard, Under Shop Lights at 3:00 AM AUTO BODY QUESTIONS. I can answer auto body questions for any make, model, or year regarding replacing valances, door skins, fenders, etc... I can also answer questions on how to grind, weld, fiberglass, fill, paste and spray top coat, feather, mask, prime, paint (enamel, lacquer, base-coat/clear-coat), touch-up, melt-in, wet sand, wool polish, sponge polish, finesse, and much, much, more...to much to list here. I love air tools, but if you don't have any...no problem...as I can answer all your questions on how to achieve superb results doing it yourself...the old fashioned way...by hand. If you want a shop answer, go to a shop and pay someone to do it for you. If you want to take pride in doing it yourself, just ask someone who's been there and done that--me, Big CO. I'm available to answer general Auto Body questions for those whom want to do it themselves. Please...no collision, basket case, or train wreck questions. If you have something special that you want to fix, paint, or restore yourself; but don't know how, you've come to the right place...ask me...Big CO, the neighborhood know it all with the shop lights on all night

Experience

Having put myself and my brother through college in the late 80's and early 90's buying and selling over 250 cars. I restored my first car, a '72 350 Chevelle Malibu 4 barrel, in 1978 at just 16 years old. From there, I never looked back...usually restoring classics or sport cars: 340 Cuda's, 396 SS Chevelle's, Novas, Dusters, late 60's Mustang Convertibles, GTO Judges, 455 Buick Grand Sports, about a dozen 280ZX's ('79-'83)--the most recent, in July of '06, I sold a '83 280ZX on cars.com to a gentleman that flew in from Colorado to my state of Ohio just to purchase it from me. As for experience: Have replaced valances, door skins, fenders. Have grounded, welded, fiberglassed, filled, pasted and sprayed top coat, feathered, masked, primed, painted (enamel, lacquer, base-coat/clear-coat), touched-up, melted-in, wet sanded, wool polished, sponge polished, finessed, and much, much, more...to much to list here.

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