Sliding side door alignment
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Senior User
Joined: Dec 2001
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From: Mason, Ohio
Sliding side door alignment
I've been having trouble with my 93 Aerostar sliding door closing properly. I replaced the latch and have nearly ruined the new one when closing the door. It seems to be sitting too low and jams the latch into the post. I've noticed that some upward pressure on the dorr usually seems to help, but not always. Anyone else have this problem or know of a fix?
Posting Guru
Joined: Apr 2000
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From: PNW
Sliding side door alignment
If it seems like the door is too low, check the condition of the door rollers, especially the lower one in the front of the door. There is also some adjustment possible by moving the roller bracket up if the roller is OK.
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Joined: Jan 2001
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Sliding side door alignment
The rear of the door is held up by the door track when it's closed, and the end of the track is probably broken.
I had the same problem on my 96. It's a really crappy design, but I was able to fix it. With the door open, take a look at the very front end of the track, near the latch.
There on the end of the track is a little tab, held to the body by one screw. It's pretty flimsy, and it breaks very easily. You'll have to take the inside trim panels off to be able to fix this, but it can be done, and the fix should be sturdy enough to last a long time.
I just aligned the track end back to where it should be, and drilled a hole all the way through, into the van body. I then used a bolt and nut, and secured it tight. Everything lines back up now, and it seems to be holding.
I've already replaced the bottom roller once, and it may need to be done again soon. I'd say this door is NOT one of Ford's better ideas.
I had the same problem on my 96. It's a really crappy design, but I was able to fix it. With the door open, take a look at the very front end of the track, near the latch.
There on the end of the track is a little tab, held to the body by one screw. It's pretty flimsy, and it breaks very easily. You'll have to take the inside trim panels off to be able to fix this, but it can be done, and the fix should be sturdy enough to last a long time.
I just aligned the track end back to where it should be, and drilled a hole all the way through, into the van body. I then used a bolt and nut, and secured it tight. Everything lines back up now, and it seems to be holding.
I've already replaced the bottom roller once, and it may need to be done again soon. I'd say this door is NOT one of Ford's better ideas.
Postmaster
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 3,818
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Sliding side door alignment
Mine was getting hard to slide closed. While doing the usual grease job, I noticed the plastic rivet heads securing the step mat were worn along with the edge of the mat near the point where the lower track curves inboard to close. I took off the lower door track and sure enough, it was shiny from wear on the bottom side. The small amount of vertical adjustment on the door still was not sufficient to clear the rivets and mat. Thought I would replace the roller, but it seems to be a pressed on affair with a round head fastener you can't even get a good grip on. As a temporary solution, I bought a package of 1-inch, plastic caps that cover the bottom of a wooden chair leg. It fit pretty snuggly on the roller and raised it just enough to close easily. Hate the thought of having to buy the entire lower support arm, just to replace a roller. I have a new roller bearing with a 1/4" diameter bore but I don't know what the bore size is on the original fastener. Getting the old roller off means destroying it in the process. Anyone else have a solution to this?
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perpetualjon
1968-Present E-Series Van/Cutaway/Chassis
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Jun 1, 2014 10:21 AM
