Cab & door alignment
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Elder User
Joined: Jan 2014
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From: IA/GA/HI/FL/VA/CA/ME
Cab & door alignment
I have had a rattle in my drivers door since I got the truck a year ago. Two different dealerships couldn’t figure out the cause. A third had their body shop make some adjustments to the door and now the rattle is 100% gone. However, now there I have had a rattle in my drivers door since I got the truck a year ago. Two different dealerships couldn’t figure out the cause. A third had their body shop make some adjustments to the door and now the rattle is 100% gone. However, now the top of the door is not flush with the edge of the cab like it was before. But, I looked at the other doors and they all sit in an 1/8 to 1/4 of an inch at the top of the door. The rest of the door is aligned and flush with the pillars and other panels. Anyone else have doors that sit in a bit at the top?
Elder User
Joined: Dec 2018
Posts: 652
Likes: 5
From: Katy Texas
I have a regular cab, and the tops of my doors are sucked in compaired to the rest of the door. Alot of these trucks have poorly adjusted panels. If the rattle is gone and you dont have a whistle while driving.....i would just live with it.
Hotshot
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 12,338
Likes: 4,349
From: SW VA
Looks like they fixed your rattle by adjusting your door in putting more pressure on the seals. I'm with the dentguy above...I'd live with it. I've seen a lot of these aluminum trucks with very poor fitting panels. Aluminum body parts + mass produced product on an assembly line = poor fit & finish.
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Elder User
Joined: Jan 2014
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From: IA/GA/HI/FL/VA/CA/ME
I’m definitely glad the rattle is gone! I am just curious how common it is to have the tops of the doors sucked in. Like I said, the rest of the door is lined up pretty good.
Logistics Pro
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 3,529
Likes: 390
From: SEVA
The photos make me believe said body shop did their "adjustments" by bowing your doors. The latch strikers in the door jambs are not adjustable as they were on older vehicles. Go ahead ... pull one off and you'll see there is only one position in which it can be located ... was what I did when I started chasing a rattle. A door can be bowed manually using various methods, the most common of which is to position a (blanket covered) block of wood in the door jamb and force the top and/or bottom of the door towards its closed position ... and intentionally deform the door. And as you found, it ain't pretty, but it works.
My rattle? Turns out it was self-inflicted when I failed to sufficiently tighten the lower left front bolt when I upgraded my shock absorbers. Cost me about $170 for the dealer to isolate the source using "frame ears" ... remote microphones linked to a laptop. Obvioulsy, I gain some of my experience the hard way.
My rattle? Turns out it was self-inflicted when I failed to sufficiently tighten the lower left front bolt when I upgraded my shock absorbers. Cost me about $170 for the dealer to isolate the source using "frame ears" ... remote microphones linked to a laptop. Obvioulsy, I gain some of my experience the hard way.
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Elder User
Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 741
Likes: 2
From: IA/GA/HI/FL/VA/CA/ME
The photos make me believe said body shop did their "adjustments" by bowing your doors. The latch strikers in the door jambs are not adjustable as they were on older vehicles. Go ahead ... pull one off and you'll see there is only one position in which it can be located ... was what I did when I started chasing a rattle. A door can be bowed manually using various methods, the most common of which is to position a (blanket covered) block of wood in the door jamb and force the top and/or bottom of the door towards its closed position ... and intentionally deform the door. And as you found, it ain't pretty, but it works.
My rattle? Turns out it was self-inflicted when I failed to sufficiently tighten the lower left front bolt when I upgraded my shock absorbers. Cost me about $170 for the dealer to isolate the source using "frame ears" ... remote microphones linked to a laptop. Obvioulsy, I gain some of my experience the hard way.
My rattle? Turns out it was self-inflicted when I failed to sufficiently tighten the lower left front bolt when I upgraded my shock absorbers. Cost me about $170 for the dealer to isolate the source using "frame ears" ... remote microphones linked to a laptop. Obvioulsy, I gain some of my experience the hard way.
Logistics Pro
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 3,529
Likes: 390
From: SEVA
If they didn't attempt to deform the door, the only other thought that comes to mind (and this is without looking at how the hinges are arranged) is perhaps they inserted a shim behind the upper hinge to induce some outward tilt. I've done that before. If so, that could also lead to a buffeting sound at higher speed since the door seal is not compressed as much as it once was (buffeting from air causing the seal to open/close or flap repeatedly at certain speeds).
When you say the "door bolts" are scratched up, are you talking about the hinge bolts? If so, take a closer look to see if anything "new" (and unpainted) can be found between that hinge and the cab. And if the right-rear door appears untouched, do you think it was out of alignment beforehand?
I'm probably wrong, but I thought I read somewhere that because the strikers are no longer adjustable, different size strikers are available for situations like this ... may have been in an F150 forum.
BTW, I cannot see your entire 3rd photo ... can only see part of your garage ceiling.
When you say the "door bolts" are scratched up, are you talking about the hinge bolts? If so, take a closer look to see if anything "new" (and unpainted) can be found between that hinge and the cab. And if the right-rear door appears untouched, do you think it was out of alignment beforehand?
I'm probably wrong, but I thought I read somewhere that because the strikers are no longer adjustable, different size strikers are available for situations like this ... may have been in an F150 forum.
BTW, I cannot see your entire 3rd photo ... can only see part of your garage ceiling.
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Junior User
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 53
Likes: 2
From: In a house.
I had the same drivers door rattle. I could put my fingers in the gap between top of door and cab while sitting in the drivers seat. I adjusted the door to close that gap and the rattle went away. It also is inset at the top like yours.
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Elder User
Joined: Jan 2014
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From: IA/GA/HI/FL/VA/CA/ME
If they didn't attempt to deform the door, the only other thought that comes to mind (and this is without looking at how the hinges are arranged) is perhaps they inserted a shim behind the upper hinge to induce some outward tilt. I've done that before. If so, that could also lead to a buffeting sound at higher speed since the door seal is not compressed as much as it once was (buffeting from air causing the seal to open/close or flap repeatedly at certain speeds).
When you say the "door bolts" are scratched up, are you talking about the hinge bolts? If so, take a closer look to see if anything "new" (and unpainted) can be found between that hinge and the cab. And if the right-rear door appears untouched, do you think it was out of alignment beforehand?
I'm probably wrong, but I thought I read somewhere that because the strikers are no longer adjustable, different size strikers are available for situations like this ... may have been in an F150 forum.
BTW, I cannot see your entire 3rd photo ... can only see part of your garage ceiling.
When you say the "door bolts" are scratched up, are you talking about the hinge bolts? If so, take a closer look to see if anything "new" (and unpainted) can be found between that hinge and the cab. And if the right-rear door appears untouched, do you think it was out of alignment beforehand?
I'm probably wrong, but I thought I read somewhere that because the strikers are no longer adjustable, different size strikers are available for situations like this ... may have been in an F150 forum.
BTW, I cannot see your entire 3rd photo ... can only see part of your garage ceiling.
I believe you are correct about not being able to adjust the strikers. There is an older thread about door rattles and some people said that they loosened the striker and moved it inward a bit to pull the door closer to the cab & against the weather stripping. However, it’s a tapered screw head and the striker is machined to the exact size of the screw head, so pushing it inward does nothing because it reseats to the original position when it’s tightened.
Some people put put tape on the striker but that didn’t solve the rattle for me.
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Elder User
Joined: Jan 2014
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From: IA/GA/HI/FL/VA/CA/ME
In reality the door being sucked in doesn’t really matter. Most people probably won’t notice. I mean I didn’t notice the passenger side for a year. And it sure is nice to not have a rattle by my ear all the time now.
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