Adjusting drivers' door on a well-worn car.

[JOWETTJAVELIN]

Sometimes on my 2-dr which has covered 89,000 miles the driver's door busts open onto the safety catch, it also requires a real good slam shut. The slam plate etc have all been adjusted to their limits, the mechanism and hinges are well oiled and I am at a loss to solve this.

Funnily enough this is worse in cold weather when I want to keep draughts out.

Any ideas please on how I can make this door a bit tighter.

[bmcecosse]

Is the shell flexing to let the door pop open? That would be my main worry!

[lambrettalad]

Any thing in particular as to when it happens,eg speed bumps ,pot holes etc

[mike.perry]

Open the door and lift it to detect any movement in the hinges. Oversize hinge pins should be available
Check for wear on the striker plate and check the spring. Also check for wear on the brass door bolt

[chickenjohn]

Open the door and lift it to detect any movement in the hinges. Oversize hinge pins should be available
Check for wear on the striker plate and check the spring. Also check for wear on the brass door bolt

+1

[jagnut66]

Hi,
I've attached a link for oversize hinge pins, from Bull Motif and quite cheap. I have a similar problem on my drivers door (sag when opening), which, as the 'A' post has not long been repaired, I'm thinking is the hinge pins too.
Best wishes,
Mike.

http://www.morrisminorspares.net/shop_item.php?ID=1866

[JOWETTJAVELIN]

Thanks chaps, looks like a hinge job. Grabbed the door by the bottom to detect wear and there was quite a lot of up/down free play. For comparison there was no free play on the passenger side, which shuts with a nice 'click'.

Thanks for the link.

The only thing which makes it worse is very cold weather for some strange reason.

[Trickydicky]

Hi Jowett,

Would be interesting to hear of how easy you find getting the door off and drilling the old hinge for the new pin, my drivers door could do with new pins but I have read horror storys on getting the door off to do the job.

Richard

[JOWETTJAVELIN]

Well I can live with it for the time being but I'll report back here once I get round to it.

[mike.perry]

As far as I can remember I supported the door and changed one hinge at a time, I knocked the old pins out with a drift and knocked the new pins in with a hammer.

[bmcecosse]

And no 'drilling' required ?

[Trickydicky]

And no 'drilling' required ?

I was looking for tips on how to hold the hinge while drilling for the oversize pins. The two halves need to in line or you could end up making more problems. At worse ruining the hinge.

[mike.perry]

I was lucky, there was enough wear to fit the new pins

[kennatt]

I had the same jumping off the closed onto the safety,Assuming yours is a ser11 like mine,if you look at the edge of the retaining mechanism on the door frame you May see,like mine ,that the square edge of the fully closed,wedge shaped retainer has become rounded and when the latch on the door engages onto it , it isn't secure enough and it lets the door slip off onto the safety catch.The latch on my door had also slightly rounded off so the problem was two fold. What I did Several years ago(Still ok)was, with a grinder remade the flat side of the retainer(I actually tapered it slightly so that the tip pointed in over)then on the door catch did the same and made that point out over so that when the two engaged they were held tight. The metal is soft so easy to do.I didn't even take it off but to prevent damage to the frame probably advisable.I did the door latch with a small file you can't get a grinder onto it. My door hinge is also worn(Still is) but mine was the catches not the hinges that were causing the door to spring open. It used to do it just hitting a pot hole,not anymore Hope you can understand explanation if not I'll try to get a photo on ,if clear enough.Like I said been like that for 10 years or so never jumped open since.

[JOWETTJAVELIN]

Please Kennatt a photo or two would be much appreciated. Yes mine is a Ser. II. Thanks.

[kennatt]

best shot I can get you can just see where the grinder has left a bit close in towards the door post, this is where the original line of the catch ran from ,to the tip, and that the lip is very slightly pointing in to the car,Its very soft metal and I remember just mearly touching it lightly with the flat of the grinder angled in over at slow speed.Can't get a shot of the door catch because its shielded by the mechanism but probably only needs the first mod to work ,worth a try can't do any harm obviously you will also need to adjust the catch because you will have effectly opened the gap so to speak good luck [frame][/frame]

[JOWETTJAVELIN]

Followed Kennatt's example with an angle-grinder, putting a clean edge on the catch and I have a result - a door that closes properly and stays closed.

Thanks for all advice.