I have gained great information on my 55 f100 door closing problems. Long story short. My doors latch but will not fully line up with the cab body, I replacced body bushings and latch that bolts onto the cab neither helps. I have tried adjusting the brackets at the body and door. And this did nothing. The door wont line up at the bottom corner door handle side. and also wont line up at the top edge of the door and the cab. And the door latches but not completley.
After all this I have been thinking of using Altman door kit. But I have to ask some questions.
1 would you try adjustable hinges?
2 would you change all the door lock mechanism? basically rebuild the whole lock system?
3 and will altman kit help alignment with door to make it flush with the body?
Sorry for asking same question again. just trying to find best way to fix my doors before i start cutting and throwing parts at it.

Jerry

 

Your hinges are adjustable, so is the latch. You can adjust the door up/down forward and back with the bolts on the door. In and out with the bolts on the door post. Do your latch last.

 

I worked on the doors on my 62 Uni like on and off for two months. I never could get them right. Than I went out and found an old school body man. He even used timbers to bend and tweak the things. He bent and twisted and adjusted for over two hours. But when he was done it was done. They was and 13 years later still are just perfect. It was well worth $100.00. And after watching and helping him I learned the right way to do it for the next one.

 

I just did mine, the passenger side was a piece of cake, like it was never taken off however the drivers side was a (insert choice of word here) the best way to get these right, is to loosen the bolts (all the bolts) just enough (keep somewhat snug), close the door and adjust the door with it closed. May take 2 people but worked like a champ. What I also found out is that the hinge (part that bolts to pillar / post) if not adjusted right when closed will hit the post (side to inside of truck) which makes the door feel like it's binding when in fact its just hitting the side of the post. after loosening and closing the door, it pushes the hinges out so the door closes correctly. once adjusted, tighten up the door side first, I just laid on the seat and had someone hold the door while I tightened the bolts, once tight, then you can slowly open to tighten the remaining pillar bolts

 

i tried loosening all the bolts at the door side and where it bolts to the body. I closed the door and tightened the bracket to the door after trying to adjust the spacing on bottom and top of door. Then I opened the door a little to tighten door bracket to body. I can get it close but door wont close and latch completely. I am really thinking both my doors are bent .Do you think adjustable door hinges would work? Iam thinking of buying one and trying it from mid fiftys.

Jerry

 

First you need to get the part names correct so we and you understand where the problem is and what to do about it. First as said the original hinges are as adjustable as can possibly be required. I'll post tomorrow my method to adjust the doors, it's not difficult but it does take two people, so meanwhile recruit a helper.

 

Bad, too stiff, door seals make a lot of difference in how the door closes. Some seals just will not compress enough.

 

OK, here's what I highly suggest as the easiest and best way to adjust the doors. Most often the door hangs at an angle in the opening, and/or too far in or out compared the the surface around them. They are highly and easily adjustable if you do it properly: First adjust the rotation of the door so it is centered in the opening:
1. Remove the sheet metal covers over the hinge pockets on the door to expose the hinge arm and it's 3 attachment and adjustment bolts.
2. Remove the latch mechanism from the door (if you don't know how the latch comes out, ask!). You will leave it out until the door is completely aligned.
3. Assemble a support for the rather heavy door. I use a stack of 4x4s and 2x4s on the running board that reaches nearly or just to the bottom edge of the door, plus a fulcrum block near the center of the door and about 4' long 2x4 lever to lift and move the door around with.
4, Equip a helper with a socket ratchet wrench with a short extension that fits the hinge bolts and put him/her in the inside of the truck.
5. Break loose the single hinge bolt furthest from the door post or hinge pin (the hinge pin is the pin the hinge pivots on, the point where the hinge swings on each hinge. Retighten snug enough to hold the door in place.
6. Loosen the two bolts in each hinge closest to the pivot (or door post) and retighten to just finger tight. The door should remain supported in the opening, but the hinge bolts should be able to be easily loosened or tightened.
7. With the door closed, examine the fit of the door in the opening, and decide which way the door needs to move to center in the opening. If the edge closest to the front of the door at the top needs to move forwards, Have your helper loosen the single hinge bolt in the upper hinge about 1/8" turn. Lift the door with your 2x4 lever, and it should move fairly easy. Pry the door until it is square in the opening hold it there and have your helper retighten the hinge bolts. If the bottom fron or rear edge needs to move, only loosen the single bolt in the lower hinge and adjust then retighten. If the door is now hanging evenly in the opening, have your helper tighten all the hinge bolts. After tightening remove the lever and support and open and close the door (gently!) and verify that the door is now centered and evenly spaced in the opening. If it is, retighten all 6 hinge bolts tight.
8. Now, with the door closed again check the in and out fit of the face of the door compared to the surface of the front cowl and rear door pillar. At the rear edge we will not be concerned if the entire edge is in or out evenly (we will adjust that fit with the weatherstripping and latch but only concern yourself with if either the top or bottom face of the door is too far in or out compared to the opposite end to align with the cab face. You can use an ~16-18" long straight edge held against it straddling the door edge to verify, It should lay flat against the door skin and the adjacent sheet metal. Also check the up and down fit of the entire door, the top should have an even, about a 1/4" gap across the top, the bottom edge of the door should align with the bottom edge of the surrounding metal.
9. The in and out and overall up and down is adjusted with the two hinge attaching bolts in the face of the front door pillar visible and accessible when the door is open.
10. First we will adjust the overall up and down (if needed) With the door fully open, construct a temporary support for the bottom edge of the door, and again have your 2x4 lever close at hand. Loosen then retighten just snug one each of the two hinge attaching bolts in the front pillar. Now do the same with the second bolt in each hinge. You want them tight enough the the door doesn't easily slip, but loose enough that they will move when the bottom of the door is lifted with the pry bar (seldom does the door need to go down). You can draw or scribe a line around the hinge mount so you can gauge how much you have moved it. Retighten the hinge bolts after adjusting the door height and recheck the height in the opening.
11. Now check to see if either the top or bottom of the door needs to move further into or out of the opening for the door to be flush with the face of the cowl. Re-loosen the bolts you just adjusted, but only on just the hinge closest to the portion that needs to move in or out. grab the open door at the top or bottom and push or pull it in or out,which ever way it needs to move. The bolts should be loose enough that the door hinge moves when forced, but snug enough to hold the adjustment. Test the fit with the door closed. When satisfied fully tighten the two bolts. Only adjust the in and out position on one hinge at a time or the door will rotate in the opening and you'll have to start over!
12. Once you have the door hanging correctly in the opening and all hinge bolts tightened securely, re-install the latch (and installed fresh tubular weatherstripping if you haven't already done so) and adjust the latch position until the door latch fully engages without it trying to raise or lower the door when latching and there is no in and out play when pulling and pushing on the handle with the door latched.
13. Repeat the process with the other door.

 

Axracer thank you for the steps to hang a door. I will try this with my friend an offer of pizza and beer should work.
Thanks
Jerry