I am having problems with my drivers door on my 54 f-100. When the sun is out I can see lots of light at the top of my doors. The passenger side is fine. I heard somewhere you can heat the door and bend the door frame in a little. Anyone know how to do this, or can do this. I would hate to bend it and the window then not work. Any advise would be great. Thanks Andy

 

I'll bet the reason that you can see light at the top of the doors is your hinges are sagging. My 55 was doing that same thing. An old man that has been building old cars and trucks for years fixed mine. He put a short 2 x 4 block in between the door jam and door. Then he slammed the door a couple of times. He pulled out the 2 x 4, and the door worked like it was supposed to. I have to admit...when he did this, I almost cried, but he told me that in the old days they fixed them that way all the time. I'm not sure if this will do the trick for you or if you will need new hinges, but I would definately seriously think before heating and bending anything especialy if your window is working correctly now.
Doc

 

the 2x4 trick i used on my 75. i didn't slam it but rather pushed it a few times until i got it where the door should be

 

I have a really stupid question. Where do you put the 2X4 in the door jam in the middle of the hinges at the top, bottom. And do you put it in verticle or horizontal

 

The old man put the 2 x 4 in verticle under the hinges. Ask any question that you want, that's why every one of us are here.
Doc

 

i put it verticle inbetween the hinges.

 

Doc, Thanks for the advise I will take it. If it doesnt work should I call you in the morning LOL

Thanks for the advise 2 ford 390. By the way I understand the gas hog part my 54' has a 390 Ho High test only engine

 

Before you call, be sure to take a couple of asperin, because if this doesn't work....your definately going to be in for a head ache.
On a more serious note, I would suggest doing it the way that Gas hog said as far as pushing the door instead of slamming it...but you will have to put a little force behind it. Just don't get carried away and make a bad situation worse.
Doc
Andy, get out the pics so me and Gas hog can see what we're working on.

 

10-4 sounds good. Thanks

 

just take it slow.

 

If you have a shop manual it gives some advice on bending the doors for adjustment.

 

Another thing to look at is the door frame. Is is square? Measure from corner to corner, both ways, on the door opening on the passenger side. Then measure the driver's side. Your opening may out of square, if it is you need to spread the diagonal that is too short. The door openings on the cab of my '49 were out of square, the top on the backs were touching the door frame and the front corners had too wide of a gap. I used a hydraulic port-a-power to jack them square. As with the hinge adjustment, I did a little at a time until I got to where I wanted to be.

 

Bobj49f2....
Please explain that one. Where are the points to measure, where to place the porta-power.....
Thanks
Reamer

 

Before you start adjusting you have to decide which method will work for your problem. If the seam between the two hinges looks wide enough I wouldn't use the 2X4, it will only make it wider. Look around the perimeter of the entire door, is the back bottom corner misaligned with the corner of the cab? Too high or too low? You might have a out of square door opening. Are your hinges worn? Are your hinge bolts tight? Also, with any adjustment take it slow and only do a little at a time. The more you have to try to unadjust, the bigger your problem is going to get.

The door frames on my donor cab on my F-2 were way out of wack. I measured the door frame just like you would measure any other framework to see if it were square. I measured across the oposite corners although you won't get equal measurements like you would if you measured a actual square like a picture frame you will get measures you can use to compare either with other door opening or as you are pushing out you can use the numbers for comparison to where you started.

In the above drawings I exagerated the "out of square" there might be in the door opening to illustrate my point. If your door is too close to the top back corner then push off using the "A" position. If it's too close to the front top corner use the "B" position. I have also used the 2X4 method when needed if the opening seems "square" to close the seam at the top or the bottom, corresponding the hinges to which ever end has the gap, top or bottom.

The major thing you have to remember anytime you are working on these trucks is they were pretty much slapped together on the line and usually things won't line up perfectly. These trucks weren't built for beauty, just to last maybe ten years at most. Remember, they came with 90 day warantees.

Bob Jones--Fat Fender Aficionado--
49 F-2 pickup
48 F-1 panel truck
49 8N tractor
48/51 F-4 flatbed
Click here to visit my web site

 

I have used the 2x4 to adjust the fit of a door relative to the door frame (body) surface. The 2x4 should be located near the location where the door starts to deviate from the surface of the door frame. Force is applied to the door on the side of the 2x4 which is misaligned and in the direction which would bring it into alignment. The 2X4 is for misalignment in the horizontal plane.

I have not used Bobs diagonal alignment process, however, it makes good sense for what I'll call misalignment in the vertical plane.

Both of these should be used only after getting the best fit using the adjustment allowed by the hinges.

Bruce