Inner Long Reinforcement, Didn't help door gap... Options

[FL000]

After many years of my car on jack stands slowly doing body work and painting it, I am finally near the end and reinstalling everything I took off. I was bummed to see that my passenger side door gap was too tight once I had the car back on it's wheels and fully loaded. Not sure if it was like that years ago when I began, or if it happened along the way.
Either way I decided to try the inner long reinforcement kit, and started with the passenger side. Had my car jacked up and stands placed appropriately to get the gap I wanted, welded it in nice and slow, got it back on the ground and under weight the gap disappeared to what it was previously (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif) . I have not welded in the driver side or rear reinforcement yet, and don't really plan to in the immediate future since I don't think it will help my situation.
I want to fix my gap with the least invasive procedure. So I guess the questions are:
1) Is it possible welding in the driver side and rear reinforcement may help? Again the driver gap is perfect without it.
2) Would the outer long reinforcement kit help this situation?
3) Any other method I am overlooking that may fix this?
Appreciate your comments.

Gap on ground


Where it is rubbing


Car jacked up, stand under rear support. Doesn't look much better in this pic, but the gap is large enough to prevent the rubbing.

[rjames]

How bad is the rust along the outer longs? Pics?

[r_towle]

gap, on the ground, is perfect without the inner long kit welded in?

If yes, weld slower
take a week if you must...but slower.

If the car flexes, is the outer long that you need to do, not the inner.

And, for the side you did, you can use a hydraulic tube jack and a small piece of wood to push the front hinge plate....be gentle, go slow...

Rich

[FL000]

How bad is the rust along the outer longs? Pics?

Longs were actually really solid when I went through originally. Wish I would have caught it before paint.

[FL000]

gap, on the ground, is perfect without the inner long kit welded in?

If yes, weld slower
take a week if you must...but slower.

If the car flexes, is the outer long that you need to do, not the inner.

And, for the side you did, you can use a hydraulic tube jack and a small piece of wood to push the front hinge plate....be gentle, go slow...

Rich

Yeah driver side looks good on the ground, just passenger side has the issue. I like the idea of trying to gently bend it back into submission with a hydraulic ram, just don’t want to cause more damage in the process. I’ll give it a try and report back.

Thanks

[whitetwinturbo]

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/popcorn[1].gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/popcorn[1].gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/popcorn[1].gif)

[mepstein]

gap, on the ground, is perfect without the inner long kit welded in?

If yes, weld slower
take a week if you must...but slower.

If the car flexes, is the outer long that you need to do, not the inner.

And, for the side you did, you can use a hydraulic tube jack and a small piece of wood to push the front hinge plate....be gentle, go slow...

Rich

Yeah driver side looks good on the ground, just passenger side has the issue. I like the idea of trying to gently bend it back into submission with a hydraulic ram, just don’t want to cause more damage in the process. I’ll give it a try and report back.

Thanks

I think what Rich is suggesting will help the door adjustment but wont actually adjust/fix the long. The fact that the door gab still changes so much concerns me.

[dlee6204]

How bad is the rust along the outer longs? Pics?

Longs were actually really solid when I went through originally. Wish I would have caught it before paint.

Something isn't adding up. You would not get that much flex if your longs (inner or outer) were "solid". There's either rust or previous repair work done that is affecting your structure.

[gothspeed]

Even the gap when on jack stands looks too narrow IMO. Mine is wider than that when off of jacks stands on the floor. Now think how much worse it would get with two passengers in it ... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif)

As has been mentioned, the outer longs need straightening, repair and reinforcement. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/popcorn[1].gif)

[SirAndy]

Something isn't adding up. You would not get that much flex if your longs (inner or outer) were "solid". There's either rust or previous repair work done that is affecting your structure.

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/agree.gif)

[burton73]

It looks like you have big rear fenders? What was the car like when you started in with this build?

Clue us in on every detail so we can try to steer you in the right direction. I do not think your paint job is the biggest concern right now.

Hoping this works out for you.

Bob B

[dr914@autoatlanta.com]

we had the same problem recently, car came to us sagging, someone had welded in the rocker clamshell kit, but neglected to repair the longitudinal so both doors were hitting the quarter panels.
The frame box gives the914 strength and if the box is not strong the car will sag. This one was especially rusted at the usual breaking point, the lower seat belt bolt. As the car was (and is) rough and not worth repairing properly, we patched it, using our longitudinal repair section to patch. We supported the car with a good door gap and welded the car back together, and are now patching the floor pan for the guy. He will have a strong driver, but nothing great.

[FL000]

Ok I think I have a better handle on this now, or at least what probably caused it. I got the car in 2011, and it was obvious it had been in an accident or two. Looked cosmetic and I wasn’t overly concerned because I was going to put a Sheridan kit on it. I dug through some of the early pictures I took, and the gap issue was there the whole time. Foul on me for not realizing it and adressing it. Right rear part of car showed damage that was not repaired properly. It adds up now. I still stand behind my comment that the car is pretty solid (rust wise) but it does need to be straightened out, and probably reinforced.

I am going to try and DIY this, with a combo of porta-power ram between door jambs, front and rear suspension points chained down, and jack pushing up near rear of door and long intersection. I’ll go slow and see if I can nudge it back in shape (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smash.gif). Got to do it either way to get the gap set right?
Definitely appreciate the help with this.

[r_towle]

Try something less dramatic first.
Remove the front triangle window and post so the door is not touching the windshield.
Then, loosen the bolts on the hinges and raise up the door, just a 1/8 or so.
That will open the gap.

When you re-install the window post, that is when you will see what may be a sagging windshield frame that can push the door down when closed.
adjust things from there, but keep the pressure off the door.
Rich

[dr914@autoatlanta.com]

PORTA power is not the way to do it, if the car is not rusted it will need to be pulled on a frame machine, with a measuring stick to make sure everything measures correctly. The PORTA power will just make things worse

Ok I think I have a better handle on this now, or at least what probably caused it. I got the car in 2011, and it was obvious it had been in an accident or two. Looked cosmetic and I wasn’t overly concerned because I was going to put a Sheridan kit on it. I dug through some of the early pictures I took, and the gap issue was there the whole time. Foul on me for not realizing it and adressing it. Right rear part of car showed damage that was not repaired properly. It adds up now. I still stand behind my comment that the car is pretty solid (rust wise) but it does need to be straightened out, and probably reinforced.

I am going to try and DIY this, with a combo of porta-power ram between door jambs, front and rear suspension points chained down, and jack pushing up near rear of door and long intersection. I’ll go slow and see if I can nudge it back in shape (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smash.gif). Got to do it either way to get the gap set right?
Definitely appreciate the help with this.