Door Alignment/Door Hinges, my door wont close.

[DarkStar620]

Hey guys so I ordered some new hinges from Ebay and now my door doesn't close. Basically with the old hinges the door barely closed, very tight gap. But now it wont even close. Was wondering if these hinges look right? Also if anyone could post a picture of their driver side door and what the gap looks like all around. The door has some bondo on it that the previous owner used, and we also used fiber glass on the door jamb but before I start sanding it all down I wanted some input. 

 

What it looked like when I first got it.

 

The door now

 

The new hinges on driver side

 

Door hinges on passenger side

 

Passenger side door

 

Also are the door hinges on each side supposed to be reversed? Like the bottom hinge on both sides are oppisite, as in DS hinge has knob on top where as PS has it on the bottom? 

 

Thank you! 

[DanielC]

Check to make sure the cab is not damaged.  The door pillar might be too far aft.  Are the hinges OEM Datsun hinges, or after market reproductions?  Could there be a slight difference between 1972 and 1978 620 door hinges, or are they all the same?  Could the hinges you got be for a 620 king cab?

 

This is based on my 521 trucks.

A right side top hinge is a left side top hinge, upside down.  Same idea for the bottom hinge.

You can adjust door height at either the door pillar, or on the door, both top and bottom hinges.

You can adjust door in and out on the door, and you can adjust door forward and aft at the door pillar.

 

If the hinge is set too high on the door, and to compensate, low on the door pillar, the hinge bolts might be near the bottom of the hole, on the pillar, and not able to move forward enough.  The opposite might be true, the hinge too low on pillar, too high on door.

 

By removing a bolt on the door pillar, and looking straight through the back side of the pillar, you can see where the bolt threads are.  That might give you a clue on possible movement of the hinge to give you more forward adjustment.

 

Another option is to place a block of wood, on the door hinge face, with the hinge off, and hit the block of wood with a hammer, and get some more adjustment that way.  Sometimes a piece of wood can be placed in the hinge, and the door closed on the wood, and then lifted, or pushed down, and move the door hinge face metal that way.  If you resort to bending metal, do it carefully.  Usually is is easy to move the metal one way, much more difficult to bring it back if you go too far.

 

You could also gain some adjustment by enlarging the holes on the door pillar.  I would consider this a last resort.

 

You may have to readjust the door, once you try to fit the fenders.

[datsunaholic]

The door catch stop wheel should be on the top on both.  You have 2 of the same side hinges, 2 driver's side ones.

 

You do know that the hinge mounts "float" right?  You can't just put the bolts in and have it work, you have to find where they float to and then lock them down, otherwise they'll be way out of alignment..  With the bolts in but loose I close (and latch)  the door with a piece of cardboard on the bottom as a spacer, THEN tighten the hinge bolts.  Doors close every time.

[DarkStar620]

So both of your are saying different things about the bottom hinges. Anyone have any pictures of their bottom side door hinge passenger and driver? Trying to get the door on today. Thanks for the input guys.

[DanielC]

All my information is general, and based on a 521.  620 trucks may have left and right side hinges.

[DarkStar620]

Well me and my dad played around with the door for many hours today, I think we made some progress, I really can't tell. The door still doesn't seem to sit right to me. We threw the old "stock" hinges on and they seemed to line the door up better. Anyone care to share some pics of the side of their driver side doors, and the hinges? Also we found a bee hive in my door today haha!

 

Bee hive

 

With fender not held down

With fender held down

 

Passenger not held down

 

Passenger held down

 

Me and my dad are pretty stumped as to why the door sits so bad. Like driver side closes now but there is a huge gap at the fender and the top of there pretty much scraps the top of the cab, which shouldn't happen. Passenger side is perfect, lines are great, opens and closes nicely. Don't get it.

 

Again thanks for the input.

[DanielC]

I would suspect possible damage from a collision, or the cab may be sagged on the frame, or the frame is bent.

[DarkStar620]

I would suspect possible damage from a collision, or the cab may be sagged on the frame, or the frame is bent.

I really hope not. I'm almost more curious now as to how bee's starting making a hive in the door lol.

[datsunaholic]

Well, they're European Paper Wasps (an invasive species) and they get in everything.   I have hundreds of those damn nests in my yard and cars. 

 

 You don't have the driver's door aligned right in the last set of pictures.  The lower hinge is too far aft.  Needs to be loosened and pushed forward, and the top hinge moved back a bit.

 

It's possible the body is bent (the inner structure) but that just looks like misalignment.  Passenger door looks right.

[distributorguy]

You should be able to loosen the front hinge bolts and slide the whole door forward, as well as up and down.  If you can't go forward enough, modify the structure so the captured nut plate can move farther.   Your rocker panel looks new.  The cab could have been "pulled together" when it was replaced, if the inner and outer sill were both rusted and the door was not fitted at the time.  You can always tweak the front fender to fit once the door fits.   Looking at the lower front corner of your door, it DOES need to shift forward about the same amount as the rear shows.  

[DarkStar620]

Well, they're European Paper Wasps (an invasive species) and they get in everything.   I have hundreds of those damn nests in my yard and cars. 

 

 You don't have the driver's door aligned right in the last set of pictures.  The lower hinge is too far aft.  Needs to be loosened and pushed forward, and the top hinge moved back a bit.

 

It's possible the body is bent (the inner structure) but that just looks like misalignment.  Passenger door looks right.

 

 

You should be able to loosen the front hinge bolts and slide the whole door forward, as well as up and down.  If you can't go forward enough, modify the structure so the captured nut plate can move farther.   Your rocker panel looks new.  The cab could have been "pulled together" when it was replaced, if the inner and outer sill were both rusted and the door was not fitted at the time.  You can always tweak the front fender to fit once the door fits.   Looking at the lower front corner of your door, it DOES need to shift forward about the same amount as the rear shows.  

Thanks for the input guys, gonna play around with the door some more this weekend. Hoping the door is just not aligned properly and that the frame or cab are not bent or warped. I'll try to slide the top hinges back and the bottom ones forward, because as you said from the pictures it defiantly looks like that is the problem. That being said, easier said than done. Its pretty hard getting the door to slide forward, we even elongated the holes on the cab slightly. 

[distributorguy]

If you blow up my avatar picture, I had the same issues.  New rockers, but welded in with the cab assembled so I could true them to the door (bottom gap straight WHILE the back gap was straight.)  If the two are not 90 degrees, you have to find a happy medium where they don't hit.  I had enough room to move the door forward a LOT.  Pry bars (wrapped in painter's tape) with all the door bolts just loose enough to hold position but be adjustable is the trick.  One person inside (seats removed) the other outside.  Both with pry bars.  Door seal removed.  Once its straight, I used a slide hammer with a self-made hook tool to adjust the front fender to line up with the door.  

Good luck - take your time!