Door Hinges

[60pwrwgn]

Looking for Driver side door hinges for my 1960 W200. Are they available anywhere new or should I search for used ones?

[Ron in Indiana]

There are no new ones available so good used ones are your only choice.

[60pwrwgn]

Thanks Ron , ordered a set from VPW with the new pin kit. The more I mess with it the more I'm not sure the hinge needs replacing, I get a bounce off when it opens away from the latch , Just can't get it right, I'll try some more adjusting Saturday , Any tips ?

[Ron in Indiana]

These doors can be a major PITA to adjust. The problem is the sloppy tolerances from the factory when new, the doors don't fit the openings most times. You may need to adjust the strike on the door jamb by loosening the 3 screws just enough to move it. The star wheel is another problem area if it's worn. John Giedl in MN rebuilds them with new wheels. Set your height of the door then move the top or bottom out separately to align with the fender and door jamb. You'll have to compromise somewhere along the line. I have a 58 Sweptside that we ended up drilling out the spot welds along the rear jamb to bring the sheet metal out to meet the door. This is a little drastic but it was the only way after trying to adjust it after an hour of labor.

[60pwrwgn]

Thanks Ron , so I got the door to open & close smoothly but there is a half inch gap between the front of the door & the rear of the fender, also rubs a little by the top rear of the window frame. Are these normal , acceptable spacing because the door obviously has to move forward but I'm out of adjustments?

[Ron in Indiana]

Normal ? yes acceptable? no. The FSM says to use a block of wood to adjust the hinges, really it does. Since you're hitting the top of the door and the jamb it's to high. The gap at the fenders we've found is due to the settling of the cab mounts if it's more open at the bottom. Loosen the cab mount bolt and jack up the cab at the door jamb to see if that helps. If so make some shims or use large thick washers. Did you have to adjust the strike on the door jamb any? These are a PITA to get right and takes some compromise to get a door to work and have decent gaps. Again very few doors fit the opening correctly.

[60pwrwgn]

So thanks again Ron , I did try all the adjustments ,even the latch. I got the door to open & close pretty good , gonna try loosening the frame mount bolt this weekend to try & close the gap some , will let you know how it works out

[60pwrwgn]

I was able to get the door gap straight by decreasing the spacer on the frame mount bolt. I put a spacer in there to reduce the lean I had in the cab. Now that I lowered the spacer its back to leaning again. Measuring the fender near the bumper I have 1.5 inches lower on the drivers side. The springs look OK & mileage is low . Would you know what to check to level the truck?

[Ron in Indiana]

I'm a little lost, you took OUT spacers to get a good door gap and now the cab leans? To check the level of the truck start with a level on the frame side to side then place a level on the floor of the cab. Can you post pictures of the truck from the drivers side showing the gap and from the front to show this lean? I need more info to help. Are your front cab mounts and floor solid?

[60pwrwgn]

There was a hole in the floor where the frame mount bolt goes through & I thought the truck was leaning because of that. We welded the floor together & at that time put in about a 1 inch spacer to bring that side of the truck up to correct the lean. It did correct the lean however that was when the door gap happened. At your suggestion I lowered it back to correct the door jamb ( it worked , thank you) but now have to figure out why it leans to one side a bit

[Leon in PA]

Lean

I am dealing with a twist in the frame. When sitting level measure the frame to floor at several spots and the spring to frame gap. If leaning to the right for some reason the right front shackle is an inch shorter than the left.
Leon