Door misaligned - anyone fixed it themselves?

[ANGST]

But when you loosen them, is there room to adjust them? Do they slide in a slot or something?

or there are shims in there .

I've done BMW e36 doors before they have shims

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[Rash]

or there are shims in there .

I've done BMW e36 doors before they have shims

So how does that work - do you remove or add shims?

 

[ANGST]

So how does that work - do you remove or add shims?

Yes

to move door up , remove shim from top , or add to bottom , whatever works.

Looking at the parts diagram there are no shims , I think you can do it by just adjusting the 2 bolts .

 

[Rash]

Yes

to move door up , remove shim from top , or add to bottom , whatever works.

Looking at the parts diagram there are no shims , I think you can do it by just adjusting the 2 bolts .

Thanks - I may give it a try. I'm just not sure how I would adjust up or down if the bolt is directly in a drilled hole in the chassis - there wouldn't be way to move the bolt up/down/forward/back.

It would be nice to look in the service manual to see if it details the door hinges and adjustment.

 

[ANGST]

Thanks - I may give it a try. I'm just not sure how I would adjust up or down if the bolt is directly in a drilled hole in the chassis - there wouldn't be way to move the bolt up/down/forward/back.

It would be nice to look in the service manual to see if it details the door hinges and adjustment.

Hard to say without doing it , but it's gotta be those 2 bolts to adjust it somehow. If you play with it , let us know what you find,

 

[M151A2]

Aligning things like doors is not as simple as it looks.
Once you start playing with it and get it worse or chip some paint, you own it.
Let the Dealer fix it. They have body dudes that do this all the time.

 

[abbeynormal]

If you move the latch end of the door vertically, you'll probably need to move the latch/striker as well.

 

[jimmerheck]

I hate taking things to the dealer too, I dont blame you. I bet the through-holes are big enough to allow a little wiggle room. A small adjustment on the hinges will be a bigger adjustment 3 feet away at the latch area. Maybe tape up all the door and fender and quarter panel edges first, get a buddy to hold the door, and go for it.

 

[Rash]

I just like to tinker with stuff, it’s one of the reasons I like Mustangs. And if it saves me a trip to the dealer, all the better. But I know my limits, so if I get in over my head, I’ll just stop, put it all back together, and take it in.

 

[Cobra Jet]

Here ya go... I received the pdf from another helpful member a few months ago.

But be warned as others have said - once YOU start tinkering with it and if the door becomes more misaligned than it already is - or metal touches metal, the Dealer may not do the work under warranty.

I’m only saying the above about warranty, because in order to adjust the door, the large nuts at the hinges need to be loosened - when doing so, you will break the painted surface - that is a tell tale sign to the Dealer or Body Shop that the door or area has been tampered with by an individual.

If you attempt the alignment yourself from the pdf, do post your results and any tips for the DIY’ers

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