Door Striker
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Junior User
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Door Striker
I replaced both strikers complete with bushings. The driver's door is now like butter. The issue with the passenger side is that after adjusting the striker to the most inward point, it still lacks about an 1/8" or so of being fully closed. It latches and operates properly, but if you push on the door it still travels inward and you can hear wind noise going down the road. The weather stripping is in great condition, so it has to be that last little bit of door travel. Is there anything else to adjust in order to get the door to fully close?
Lead Driver
Joined: Mar 2006
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From: IL
Not that I'm an expert or anything but after owning mostly for trucks for 35+ years and doing all my own work, IMO if your door isnt hanging crooked from bad pins and the truck hasn't been in an accident and the frame is twisted, then either your weather stripping is flattened out causing a gap or your striker is not adjusted properly. So check your door hinges and pins.
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The weather stripping is good. I lifted on the door to see if it was sagging and it's solid. I'll keep fiddling with the striker. I moved it out thinking I might have had it too far in, but then of course the door sits proud of the cab corner. Maybe I missed the sweet spot or something. I used the worn area as a guide when I initially tightened it down, but it was doing the same thing then. At the time I thought it was just a bad striker bushing.
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I think I got it. It closes fully now and the lines are flush. It closes easy, but opening it you have to give a small tug. I've adjusted up, down, in and out. Where it's currently at gives the best shut line and closure, but opening it gives the above result. Should I just live with what I've got now? Is the opening issue a striker problem or a door latch problem?
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I have this problem with new ones I got off ebay. I honestly think they are just cheap knock offs that that is why. I am going to see if I can find some OEM ones in descent shape at the salvage next time I am there. My weather stripping is good and door pins are tight as well but after replacing both sides neither of my doors shut tight and appear to be slightly out from flush. Kind of strange. Its almost like the plastic part is not big enough around and is allowing the door to "float" on the striker slightly.
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Joined: Jun 2010
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From: Tallahassee, Fl.
Don't stick the block in the hinge side, only the top or bottom of the latch side.
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Is the door touching the weather stripping evenly all the way around? Mine was a little loose around the top of the door. I closed the door on a block of wood where it was tight and pushed the top in, actually warping the door back in shape.
Don't stick the block in the hinge side, only the top or bottom of the latch side.
Don't stick the block in the hinge side, only the top or bottom of the latch side.
With the striker, what I did was start from square one again. I adjusted to the extreme up, down, in and out just to see what the effects were and then started from there.
It turns out, the first time around I had it too far in and you really had to slam the door to get it to latch all the way. After I moved it back out you can fully shut it with ease. When I got the depth down I started moving it up and down. Too far up and it was near impossible to open the door, but luckily I did get it back open. It appears it likes almost all the way down. That gives me the best feel so far, but you still have to give it a small tug in order to open. I'm wondering if maybe the outside handle/latch mechanism is worn and needs to be replaced......
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That's exactly what mine was doing when I had it too far in. I played around with it and finally slammed the door. It latched and actually sit about an 1/8" in from the cab line.
Cargo Master
Joined: Nov 2006
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From: Denton, TX
I use an erasable marker for a whiteboard and draw a circle around the old pin before I loosen it. Install the new one in the same exact place, and rarely have a problem.
If I forget to make the mark, and guess at the proper location, I keep a ratchet with the star drive in the floor board as I will have to adjust it a bazillion times over then next week before I find the magic spot.
If I forget to make the mark, and guess at the proper location, I keep a ratchet with the star drive in the floor board as I will have to adjust it a bazillion times over then next week before I find the magic spot.