Need help with driver's door fit on 72 Blazer

[kna4977]

I recently purchased a 72 K/5 Blazer that has about a 3-yr old resto. Please see my aviatar or click on kna4977 for a picture of the driver's side. It is rust free, and looks great except the driver's door doesn't exactly fit at the bottom. It sticks out about 1/4" where the door meets the front of the rear quarter panel at the bottom near the back of the rocker. What's the best way to get rid of this and make it fit? I have tried adjusting it myself, but it doesn't latch well when I do. Maybe I'm not adjusting it correctly. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Please see attached picture for a more thorough description of that listed above, and let me know if I even have a prayer of fixing what I have without replacing the door.



thanks,

Matt

[pound41]

Check the body mounts>
I know you said a 3yr restro. Were they changed? Reason I say that is from the pic the fender/door line look good. The tub looks lower. Something might need to be shimmed up or down. In my experience with body mounts and doors. Sometimes when you lift one side up or down it also will effect things side to side.

[kna4977]

Originally Posted by pound41

Check the body mounts>
I know you said a 3yr restro. Were they changed? Reason I say that is from the pic the fender/door line look good. The tub looks lower. Something might need to be shimmed up or down. In my experience with body mounts and doors. Sometimes when you lift one side up or down it also will effect things side to side.

The truck has never been apart from the frame.

[kna4977]

What's my best approach at fixing this problem?

[pound41]

You would have to look at the mounts and see if they are dryrotted etc. I am not saying they are/aren't . You are talking about a truck that is nearing 30yrs old. Some of the nicer untouched blazers I have seen needed the mounts replace. Rubber only lasts so long. If thats what it needs you have to get a body mount kit. The bolts are spot welded to the pan so you would have to grind those. most get new bolts. unbolt them and then jack up one side at a time and replace. Theres a lot of threads on replacing mounts. See what some of the others on the board think. I would check all possiblities there first.

[Hart_Rod]

Does the door fits everywhere but at the bottom? If so, WITH THE DOOR OPEN, you're going to have to tweak it by pulling the top of the door out while pushing the bottom of the door in. 2 People should be able to do this fairly easily.

[kna4977]

Originally Posted by Hart_Rod

Does the door fits everywhere but at the bottom? If so, WITH THE DOOR OPEN, you're going to have to tweak it by pulling the top of the door out while pushing the bottom of the door in. 2 People should be able to do this fairly easily.

I did that. That's why it looks as good as it does. A couple of people have mentioned body mounts. With that in mind, is it possible for the one that is at the front of the rear 1/4 panel to be bad allowing the rear to sag, while the front ones are ok allowing it to look like it does? Also, if the guy replaced the driver's door with an aftermarket door, could that also be the problem?

[Hart_Rod]

How is the vertical gap? If it is good, I wouldn't think that there would be a bottom mount issue. Does it come out more from the top to the bottom. If so, tweak it some more. If the bottom is only the issue, it sounds like the body man didn't do his job correctly. He should have fixed that prior to paint. Some closer pics at different angles would probably help with making suggestions.

[Rokcrln]

Please provide a pic of the cowl to fender gap, door to windshield gap, hood to fender gap(drivers side), hood to cowl gap and lastly a beter side shot from the elevation of the rocker. This will give everyone the details they need to look for other signs to help you with.

Kevin
LFD Inc.

[kna4977]

Originally Posted by Rokcrln

Please provide a pic of the cowl to fender gap, door to windshield gap, hood to fender gap(drivers side), hood to cowl gap and lastly a beter side shot from the elevation of the rocker. This will give everyone the details they need to look for other signs to help you with.

Kevin
LFD Inc.

Thanks for the help. I will get those pics on here ASAP.

[kna4977]

Originally Posted by Hart_Rod

How is the vertical gap? If it is good, I wouldn't think that there would be a bottom mount issue. Does it come out more from the top to the bottom. If so, tweak it some more. If the bottom is only the issue, it sounds like the body man didn't do his job correctly. He should have fixed that prior to paint. Some closer pics at different angles would probably help with making suggestions.

I'm leaning more toward the body man not doing his job correctly. The only place it comes out is at the lower bottom of the door. As you can see from the rest of the pictures, the other lines fit fine. My question at this point is can it be fixed?

[kna4977]

Originally Posted by LUV2XCLR8

Huh?, then how did they do a complete resto on it?

Complete frame on restoration, sorry for not clarifying earlier.

[Hart_Rod]

First, I don't think LUV was being a S/A, he was just asking a question.

Second, anything can be fixed, although the bottom of the door may need to be repainted after the repair. Still would like to see pics.

R

[kna4977]

I will post some more pics tomorrow or Monday when I return from vacation, but another interesting thing is that the back of the door where it sticks out rubs the paint off of the rocker in the same place.

[72CSTC5]

Sounds like they have the rocker welded in the wrong spot or they let the door opening collapse a little bit. Like Rok said, we need close up pics of the rest of the door perimeter.

[kna4977]

Originally Posted by 72CSTC5

Sounds like they have the rocker welded in the wrong spot or they let the door opening collapse a little bit. Like Rok said, we need close up pics of the rest of the door perimeter.

Any idea how much it would cost to have that fixed, or how much work would be involved if I was to tackle it myself?

[Huck]

Matt, door alignment on a blazer can be a PITA. You have multiple issues that can drive you nuts. Loosening the latch on the pillar will allow you to push the door in to see it's possible fit. Loosening the hinges where they bolt to the door will allow for some inner/outer door movement but you have to watch out for alignment at the fender, windshield frame, rocker, and then rear door edge. I usually align to the rear door edge and windshield frame then tweek to the rocker. The front fender can be adjusted to the door which is sometimes easier then the door to the fender. Try and find a local guy with experience to help you out as it often takes experience and luck to get it just right. Trucks are a lot easier as there is less twist to the cab.Huck

[kna4977]

Originally Posted by Rokcrln

Please provide a pic of the cowl to fender gap, door to windshield gap, hood to fender gap(drivers side), hood to cowl gap and lastly a beter side shot from the elevation of the rocker. This will give everyone the details they need to look for other signs to help you with.

Kevin
LFD Inc.

Here are the pictures. Let me know if I need to take more. Thanks

Cowl to Fender Gap



Door to Windshield Gap



Hood to Fender Gap



Hood to Cowl Gap



Better Shot from the Rocker

[kna4977]

Another Side View

[Green Monster]

My Blazer looks the same... it has been unrestored, and unpainted. I know the body mounts are shot and need to be replaced.

Although, I was told by a local restoration shop that I could loosen the the top hinge and adjust the door away from the body at the hinge. According to the guy at the shop, that should help bring in the rear lower corner that is sticking out. However, I would replace the body mounts first, see what happens then start with the door.

Check out the thread titled, "got body mounts?" Great diagram posted there.

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...+mounts+blazer

[kna4977]

Originally Posted by Green Monster

My Blazer looks the same... it has been unrestored, and unpainted. I know the body mounts are shot and need to be replaced.

Although, I was told by a local restoration shop that I could loosen the the top hinge and adjust the door away from the body at the hinge. According to the guy at the shop, that should help bring in the rear lower corner that is sticking out. However, I would replace the body mounts first, see what happens then start with the door.

Check out the thread titled, "got body mounts?" Great diagram posted there.

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...+mounts+blazer

I did some adjusting, and here's how it looks now. If anyone knows what else I can do to make it better, let me know.

[72CSTC5]

Stick a rubber block or piece of wood between the door and the rocker panel and push the door in.

[Green Monster]

Originally Posted by kna4977

I did some adjusting, and here's how it looks now. If anyone knows what else I can do to make it better, let me know.


Attachment 211516

Just curious... what kind of "adjusting" did you do? I would like to fix my door too.

[kna4977]

I followed the directions of "Huck" and tried as best as I could to make the rear of the door fit flush with the front of the rear quarter. That's all. I removed the plate that the door latch fits into, then loosened the hinge bolts and moved the door as much as possible so that the lower edge was along the same lines as the front of the rear quarter. I re-tightened the hinge bolts and re-installed the latch plate.

[Green Monster]

Looks great. Nice job.