53-56 Door bottom flushness
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Senior User
Joined: Jan 2003
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From: Rochester, NY, USA
53-56 Door bottom flushness
I don't know if "flushness" is a real word or not but it's the only thing I could think of.
I went to about a dozen shows last year and looked over about 30 F100's. Only about 2 of them had doors that fully matched the contour of the cab all the way to the bottom. The other 28 had the very bottom of the door stick out about 1/4" from the very bottom of the cab. I'm guessing that the lack of "flushness" is a factory issue and the 2 trucks that didn't have this problem did something very expensive to get them to be flush.
Long story short, I hung my doors last night and the bottoms stick out about a 1/4" from the cab. Due to the heavy gauge steel structure inside the doors, it looks like reshaping the bottom edge is not an option.
What (if anything) have you guys done to fix the problem.
Thanks - Brad
I went to about a dozen shows last year and looked over about 30 F100's. Only about 2 of them had doors that fully matched the contour of the cab all the way to the bottom. The other 28 had the very bottom of the door stick out about 1/4" from the very bottom of the cab. I'm guessing that the lack of "flushness" is a factory issue and the 2 trucks that didn't have this problem did something very expensive to get them to be flush.
Long story short, I hung my doors last night and the bottoms stick out about a 1/4" from the cab. Due to the heavy gauge steel structure inside the doors, it looks like reshaping the bottom edge is not an option.
What (if anything) have you guys done to fix the problem.
Thanks - Brad
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Joined: Mar 2006
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From: Bethesda, Maryland
I have never noticed an epidemic of 1/4" difference on these trucks and I know mine are pretty flush. However, when I got my truck the bottoms of the doors were severely rusted and I used donor doors to reskin them. My guess is that the guy doing the body work took that opportunity (whether he knew it or not) to make them flush.
So if there truly is a factory issue at that bottom edge, you're probably right that it's a relatively expensive fix.
P.S. If "flushness" wasn't a word before, it sure is now!
So if there truly is a factory issue at that bottom edge, you're probably right that it's a relatively expensive fix.
P.S. If "flushness" wasn't a word before, it sure is now!
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From: Rochester, NY, USA
Fenders,
That doesn't sound like much fun at all. Especially since I spent many hours getting the cab corners nice and smooth prior to the door mounting. Shame on me.
Did you have any problem with the front fenders matching the new contour since they seem to match the stock front cab corner pretty good now?
That doesn't sound like much fun at all. Especially since I spent many hours getting the cab corners nice and smooth prior to the door mounting. Shame on me.
Did you have any problem with the front fenders matching the new contour since they seem to match the stock front cab corner pretty good now?
Cargo Master
Joined: May 2003
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From: Earth
My doors stick out a little bit, too. It got even more exagerated when I installed the not so great weather-stripping. I'm hoping that I can readjust my doors now and see if the weather-stripping is "relaxed" enough to where I can get the doors to line up a little better.
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Joined: Apr 2004
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From: Northwestern PA
I also noticed the same thing at the shows. I had the same problem when I mounted my doors. I was able to pull them in by heating V 's cherry red in the jam then cooling. It worked well. it did take a fair amount of time to get them wher I wanted them.
Good Luck
Mike
Good Luck
Mike
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Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 825
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From: Michigan
Just about all the 53-56 door fits I have seen vary, but, few are flush. Mine (55) are 1/4" or less. I fooled around for days fitting my doors and settled for this is as good as it gets!
Fred
Fred
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From: Seattle WA.
The passenger door on my 51 doesn't fit right either I measured the door opening and found it to be 1/4" out of square compaired to the drivers door opening.
Rod 51F1
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Joined: Oct 2004
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From: Durham NC
The alternative to FF56's fix is to take a thin slice out of the lower door frame and pull them in. Shouldn't be a terribly difficult or expensive fit since you won't be disturbing the skin at all. Hang the door and mark where it begins to deviate from the body contour. Measure the distance it sticks out at the lower door frame (NOT at the very bottom of the door). Now you have the point where your cut should stop and the width it should be across the bottom. take the door off and mark it on the frame close to the outside of the door. Break out the reciprocating saw or cutoff wheel and slice out the excess. Lay the door face up on a table or saw horses, press the lower edge of the skin down until the gap closes and tack weld it a place or two on the bottom. Rehang the door and check the contour. If all is well take the door off and weld it solid. Hit the weld beads with a grinder, give it a swipe of putty and sand smooth. You now have perfectly fitting doors! Shouldn't take more than a weekend for both doors.
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Joined: Jan 2005
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From: Tucson AZ
Svoom, if you are referring to my front fenders fitting good it's because they were cut off for a flip front at one time and I just bolted new lowers to the cab and then welded the fenders to them. Chuck's idea will work too but I did both cab corners in an afternoon and didn't have to pull and re-hang the doors.
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From: Rochester, NY, USA
Status update,
Well, I ended up slicing the front and rear cab corner up about 6" on both the drivers and passengers side door jamb, pulled them out to match the doors, welded in little patches, and smoothed them out.
Took me a total of 10 hours and one trip to the doctor for burning hot weld spatter in my ear.
I'll post pictures once I get a coat of primer on.
Well, I ended up slicing the front and rear cab corner up about 6" on both the drivers and passengers side door jamb, pulled them out to match the doors, welded in little patches, and smoothed them out.
Took me a total of 10 hours and one trip to the doctor for burning hot weld spatter in my ear.
I'll post pictures once I get a coat of primer on.
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Joined: Nov 2004
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From: Fitchburg, MA
This is a very good topic. My father and I have been frequenting the local car shows over the past month, and really take notice of how the fit of a door matches the contour of the body. This is what makes a car/truck "stand out" The time it takes to make these adjustments will be well spent. There is nothing like looking down the body of a car/truck and seeing all the gaps just right, the fit of the doors just right as well as the stance of the whole thing.
I replaced both cab corners on my '55, and worked tirelessly to get the contour to match the door, and visa versa. Now any old timer that peers down the length of my cab will notice the effort.
I replaced both cab corners on my '55, and worked tirelessly to get the contour to match the door, and visa versa. Now any old timer that peers down the length of my cab will notice the effort.
Roast em' if you got 'em
Joined: Mar 2005
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From: Rio Rancho, NM
Originally Posted by svooom
Status update,
Took me a total of 10 hours and one trip to the doctor for burning hot weld spatter in my ear.
I'll post pictures once I get a coat of primer on.
Took me a total of 10 hours and one trip to the doctor for burning hot weld spatter in my ear.
I'll post pictures once I get a coat of primer on.
What kind of primer do you put on a burnt ear?
Bobby
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From: Rochester, NY, USA
I'm a bit hurt that no one wants to see pictures of my burnt ear. Oh well, I guess I'll post pics of the truck instead.
The story is: I was laying on the garage floor and was welding up the bottom slit I put in the cab corner when a piece of weld spatter landed directly in my ear. Not on my ear, but inside my ear. It sizzled really loud and hurt like heck. I was afraid that I burned a hole in my ear drum so I took a trip to the Dr.
So now i get to add blisters to the blood, sweat, and tears.
The story is: I was laying on the garage floor and was welding up the bottom slit I put in the cab corner when a piece of weld spatter landed directly in my ear. Not on my ear, but inside my ear. It sizzled really loud and hurt like heck. I was afraid that I burned a hole in my ear drum so I took a trip to the Dr.
So now i get to add blisters to the blood, sweat, and tears.