I've taken off and installed my doors several times on my56. I don't see any way to install them when I get them painted without scratching everything. What am I doing wrong? or is it a lost cause?

 

Installed mine without scratching them. Takes 2 people, Bolt hinges on the body first, then lift the door in place and bolt hinges to door.
Fred K.

 

56dog1 -

I am about to get my 56 into paint this spring. Like you, I worry about scratching the doors. My painter plans to paint the doors while they are on the cab. If I have to remove them for any reason later, I hope Fred's tip will help.

 

a little electric tape goes a long way

 

While I'm no expert I went through quite a process shimming my doors and adjusting them to fit properly. My painter is going to paint the doors with them off. I am going to remove the doors by only unbolting them from the cab, this way I hope to avoid messing up the alignment too much, i'll just have to bolt them back to the cab

 

A friend from FTE told me to align the doors and get everything nice and even then drill a tiny hole through the hinge(where it bolts to the door)and make sure you go just a little ways in to the door. Then just unblolt the door from the hinges(leave them on for paint) and now when reassembly comes around you just have to align the holes with a small nail or drill bit. -4speed

 

mr4speedford
did you have to use shims to move your door out for alignment?

 

I first removed one door then it's hinges and stamped a number on each hinge (1-2, also made a diagram showing location of each hinge ) then I reinstalled the door spent a lot of time aliening that door once it was in a position that I felt would work I then drilled two 1/16 dia holes in each hinge at the cab (Exp: one top left corner one bottom right corner). In the door I drilled 1/8 dia holes thru each hinge.

Took both doors off removed hinges, primered truck, reinstalled hinges to cab used 1/16 drill bits thru holes (checked diagram to see where each hinge went) put masking tape to outer edge of door (at least 2 strips) taped a small towel to edge of door also, installed door to hinge, used 1/8 dia stock (tapered on end) to align door to hinge, tightened bolts and after removing tape and the towel the primer didn't have any marks from the door.

I have had the doors on and off several times and I do this alone so far it has worked hope it does when I paint it this spring.

Chuck