56 driver side door

[jbk772211]

I'm going to have to replace the door hinge pins (have the hinges rebuilt by Casco) and replace the seat wiring harness. Anyone know if there is a video of this process to remove and reinstall the door?

[1957Birdman]

Not that I am aware of, but it is pretty straightforward. You will probably need help with some of this because of the weight of the door. You will need to remove door handle and window crank if you have manual windows. The door card will need to be removed. You will need to disconnect the seat control switch from the wiring harness. At this point you can use you socket wrench to disconnect the hinges from the door post. Of course you will need to secure the door so that it doesn't fall on you or the car. Lastly you can disconnect the hinges from the door. The main problem is that the door is unwieldly and heavy unless you strip it completely of all the glass and window mechanisms (definitely not recommended). I'm sure if I have missed anything other people will respond.
Good luck,
Lew Bachman
1957 Colonial White

[klogsdonjr]

I too am in need of some driver door adjustment .... Are there instructions for how to true up the door so that it closes tighter and is straightened up?

[Rusty57]

Removing a heavy door can even require 3 people unless the 2 are strong and know how to handle the awkward weight distribution. The really tricky part is trying to determine how the door will move when the last bolt is removed. At that moment is is often difficult for the person removing the hardware to also support any of the weight of the door.

Have plenty of clear work space to maneuver the door and have a stand/table/resting place already set up for the door.

My experience is that even adjusting any door is a 2 person job. It also requires a lot of patience.

My personal observation is that there are a lot of ‘55 - ‘57 TBirds out there with poor fitting doors (mine included). The problem area I see most frequently is the lower rear edge of the door. It does not fit flush with the rear quarter panel. The front edge and the top rear corner fit fine. It is almost as though the door itself does not have enough curve to it.

[Oiseau DeTonnere]

I've got a slightly "droopy" driver's side door on my '57 as well. It's just a little low which makes it so that I have to slam it a bit harder than I would like to get it to close (or lift up on the handle while closing). I suspect that it's just because the driver's side door has been opened and closed much more often than the passenger side door, so something is worn or stretched. Is there any kind of adjustment there? Anyone ever shim the hinges? I could probably adjust the striker plate, but then the door will not line up well with the rear quarter panel, so I don't want to do that.

If none of the above, I suppose that is why people do the hinge pin fix.

[Rusty57]

With respect to the OP (original post) I forgot to talk about how much fun it is to re-install a door. Trying to keep everything balanced and lined up enough to install the hardware is a real treat!

The last door that I had off a car was for a 2006 New Beetle Convertible. That was tricky enough. It is a really slick design where you can remove the door without removing the hinges.

Based on the size and length of the doors on these TBird’s if I ever have to remove one of them I will take the 2 hours and spend the $20 for lumber to make a fixture to support the door with my floor jack. Even then I will have at least one other person helping me.

For Oiseau, I agree with your assessment that the door “droop” on your car is probably due to wear on the hinge pin and in the holes in the hinges. You might be able to compensate for some of that through adjustment where the hinges attach to the door or shims where the hinges attaches to the body. You are correct that the goal is to raise the rear of the door slightly. I agree that lowering the striker pin is not a good approach.

One trick in body shops is to use a floor jack to “adjust” the door. Open the door so that the rear is away from the body just far enough so you can get the pad of your floor jack under a location near the rear end of the door. Use blocks of wood and towels or rags to pad where you lift the door. Lift on the flat lower portion, not the flange of the skin. Try to lift it about an inch and then release the jack. Check your fit. If you made some progress try again and lift a little more.

[Oiseau DeTonnere]

One trick in body shops is to use a floor jack to “adjust” the door. Open the door so that the rear is away from the body just far enough so you can get the pad of your floor jack under a location near the rear end of the door. Use blocks of wood and towels or rags to pad where you lift the door. Lift on the flat lower portion, not the flange of the skin. Try to lift it about an inch and then release the jack. Check your fit. If you made some progress try again and lift a little more.

Hmm, that's an interesting trick - worth trying, thanks!!

[289ace]

While I have never used one, if I have to remove a door, I'll probably pick up something like this. I usually am working alone so I think this would make the job doable.

https://www.amazon.com/Steck-Manufactur ... B000GBLZCU

[Rusty57]

That is a pretty nice device. Thanks for sharing.

It is the same principle of the one I would make from wood for my limited use. At that price it might be worth buying even for my use. I would spend at least 2 hours and $20 building one.

I made a similar fixture for supporting the straight front axle on older cars. The are top heavy so installing them can be real tricky. They want to flip upside down.

[BuddyP]

Ace-Thanks for the approach. I have been wrestling with mounting a heavy, transverse spring under an antique car and your Amazon reference should save me the cost and time of building a jig.

[Jimntempe]

another approach depending on how much space you have, etc is to put hooks in the ceiling (well anchored!!) and suspend the door from the hooks while you monkey with the hinges.

[Alan H. Tast]

You have door sag because the bushings/hinge pins are wallowed out. Replacing with rebushed hinges is the way to go, but that requires effort to disassemble virtually everything accessible. As Rusty57 suggests, if you've got any carpentry skills, you could build up a cradle out of 2x4s to hold the bottom and sides of the door with some adjustable feet (think adjustable hood bumpers or elevator feet for appliances) to raise/lower the door during disassembly/reassembly.

[Rusty57]

I agree with Alan that the correct fix is to replace the worn parts.

I also agree with his idea to have some type of method to adjust the position of the door in the “cradle”. I use tapered wooden shims that you use when installing windows and doors.

[voltron]

Rusty quoted,
"My personal observation is that there are a lot of ‘55 - ‘57 TBirds out there with poor fitting doors (mine included). The problem area I see most frequently is the lower rear edge of the door. It does not fit flush with the rear quarter panel. The front edge and the top rear corner fit fine. It is almost as though the door itself does not have enough curve to it"

You are so right in your observation. I have found that it is a major undertaking to correct that problem.

[Rusty57]

Hi. voltron!

Thanks for your comments. I always am hesitant to make statements like “that all do that” or “everyone has that problem”.

I have seen some of these cars with great door fits. I stand there in admiration because I can only imagine how much time and effort it took.