Driver's Side Door Alignment Help?

[NotYetLegend]

Hey guys, here is a weird problem I just noticed the other day. I got home from work and closed my door and noticed that it sounded funny, like it didn't latch all the way. So I opened it and closed it again... hmm, same sound. I then realized that the door was sticking out a bit so I opened it again to see if the seat belt was stuck in the door jam. It wasn't.

Here is a picture comparing my two doors, driver's side on the left (which I believe is misaligned) and the passenger's side on the right for comparison (as I believe it is aligned perfectly).



So it looks like my driver's door is sagging a bit and also that the stricker needs to be adjusted farther towards the center of the car so that the door is held tighter in when latched.

Any hints/tips on how to realign the door? I have never done this job before and I am fresh out of warranty.

[Rick's Camaro]

First I would check and see if the striker bolts are worn down, that happens over time. If they appear to be in good shape you could get someone to lightly lift up the door while you tighten the striker bolts. That's they way I've always done it. Hope this helps. Good luck.

[TommyTheCat]

Is the door closing enough that the window will go up and down the way it's supposed to when opening and closing the door?

[NotYetLegend]

Originally Posted by Rick's Camaro

First I would check and see if the striker bolts are worn down, that happens over time. If they appear to be in good shape you could get someone to lightly lift up the door while you tighten the striker bolts. That's they way I've always done it. Hope this helps. Good luck.

Thanks for the suggestion, I'll give it a shot.

[NotYetLegend]

Originally Posted by TommyTheCat

Is the door closing enough that the window will go up and down the way it's supposed to when opening and closing the door?

I'm assuming that you're talking about the small window movement that automatically happens when you open/close the door while the window is all the way up. It does work just fine right now, it's been raining and no water has gotten past the top seal. I was concerned that if I readjust the door the window may no longer be adjusted properly but I found a separate DIY thread for adjusting just the window so I think I'm good either way.

[NotYetLegend]

I fixed the problem and figured I would post an update. The stricker bolts were indeed nearly completely loose. Some jiggling back on forth on the stricker w just my hand loosened it to where it was easy to move around.

Got a T40 torx socket and moved the stricker back to the outline you could see from where it originally was and cranked down on them. Looks perfect now. Also what a difference it made in how the car feels, I guess it' obvious that the doors are an integral part of the chassis rigidity and my stricker was so loose that I wasn't getting the effect. Very happy with it now! Easy fix.

[Muscle Car Lover]

Originally Posted by NotYetLegend

I fixed the problem and figured I would post an update. The stricker bolts were indeed nearly completely loose. Some jiggling back on forth on the stricker w just my hand loosened it to where it was easy to move around.

Got a T40 torx socket and moved the stricker back to the outline you could see from where it originally was and cranked down on them. Looks perfect now. Also what a difference it made in how the car feels, I guess it' obvious that the doors are an integral part of the chassis rigidity and my stricker was so loose that I wasn't getting the effect. Very happy with it now! Easy fix.

Mine was like that the day I went to pick it up brand new. They just adjusted the striker and plate like you did. Not a huge deal.