I just had to replace the bushing on my passenger door bolt and now am having a bit of a time getting it adjusted properly. I know that moving the bolt in, toward the interior moves the door out and moving the bolt out will move the door in, yet I can not seem to get it to latch without having to slam the door with everything I have. What am I missing here? I thought I had it back in its original position or at least pretty darn close, yet it still seems excessively hard to close. Is that normal or do I need to move the bolt in an up or down direction? What is the best and easiest way to get this darn thing right my wife and 9 year old are not going to appreciate the workout.

Thanks in advance,
Mike

93' F-150 Ext Cab 5.0L E4OD, MSD, K&N, 31x10.50's

 

Is the bushing the correct size? Can you position the bolt back to the original clean spot where it was before you replaced it? Also, if you move the bolt in, the door will close tighter, opposite of what you said above. Eyeball the height of the bolt if it still won't line up in the clean spot. Lube the latch assembly too. Good luck.

 

I have replaced it to the original clean spot and it still does not seem to shut properly. It is the same size bushing as the original. I have gotten it to close relatively easy, yet it will not open as it did before. It seems like the latch is sticking. I have the press it mreo thanonce and have to pull to open it where as before it would release immediately. I will try lubing the latch when my wife returns with the truck to see if that helps. Thanks.

Mike

93' F-150 Ext Cab 5.0L E4OD, MSD, K&N, 31x10.50's

 

Just to clarify, we are talking about the striker bolt (where the latch attaches in the door jamb), and not the hinge bolts as far as adjustment, right? With a Torx bit, you can loosen the striker bolt and adjust it around as necessary. I had the same problem with another truck; after changing the hinge pin bushings it didn't want to line up any more (the latch also stuck). Use pieces of masking tape in the door jamb to reference where the bolt is now. You should be able to eyeball it by observing the door catch to striker bolt relationship as you're pushing the door closed. Then, just loosen the striker, reposition it as necessary, and retighten it. It may take several tries to get it correct vertically, and even then you may need to move it further inward to get the door weatherstrips to seal properly, or outward to enable it to latch properly. Hope this helps!

 

Thanks and yes I am referring to "the striker bolt (where the latch attaches in the door jamb)". I was able to get it "pretty darn close", as both doors now close relatively easy. Intermittently it may take another try to get them closed, yet I guess I can live with that as long as there is not anymore road and wind noise than usual, which is quite a bit to begin with. I was also able to spray the latches with liquid wrench and they do not seem to stick anymore. I may mess with then some more later if it becomes too much of a nuisance as it is now.

Thanks again,
Mike

93' F-150 Ext Cab 5.0L E4OD, MSD, K&N, 31x10.50's

 

Sounds good! Hope that does it for you. You can always adjust the door hinges, but you'd need to remove the fender and it would take a bit of patience and effort. I wouldn't recommend it unless you're having real problems or can't get the forward weatherstrips to seal.