Cab Door Adjustment

Thin bits of metal and bright blue light. Including glass & trim.

Moderators: User administrators, Moderators

Post Reply
peteinnit
Registered user
Posts: 90
Joined: 03 Jun 2013, 22:18
80-90 Mem No: 12410
Location: Chingford, London

Cab Door Adjustment

Post by peteinnit »

Hi all,
I've just fitted a couple of 'new' cab doors and just can't get the offside to close freely, so wondering if anyone has any tips on adjusting. I know you can adjust using the 4 securing bolts, but there doesn't seem to be much upward movement. The door is catching at the back of the wheel arch, where the door vent goes. I've got a partner to basically lift the door as much as possible whilst I tighten the bolts, but I just can't get it to clear the wheel arch and this is before the vent is fitted! The old door fitted perfectly (but was rusty as). If I loosen all the bolts I can just about get it to clear the arch but when I tighten them it catches again. I'm a bit worried that there's something wrong with the door, which will be very annoying as I've repainted it :cry:

Anybody got any ideas?

Cheers,
Peter
T25 2.0l Aircooled CI - 1982

Plasticman
Trader
Posts: 8047
Joined: 12 Oct 2005, 20:55
80-90 Mem No: 1948
Location: lincolnshire

Re: Cab Door Adjustment

Post by Plasticman »

well. the range of movement is such that only when the top and bottom hinges are centrally located,will you have much up down movement, this will never allow you to tilt/lift the door at the rear, vw basically fixed this as set when they weld the hinges to the door frame, so in effect the 4 screws securing the hinges mainly allow in and out to align the door with the adjacent panels,

I have had replacement doors that i have had to cut the lower hinge off and reweld with an added 3-4mm inserted, i have photos of this, you could make up a packing plate to fit to the face of the top hinge,secure with masking tape and poke a hole through for to ease the screw starting and this would have the effect of lifting the rear to clear the arch, 1/8 packing =1/4 lift or thereabouts, but could i ask, as fitted now what is the door gap like at the A post.


mm

User avatar
garyd
Registered user
Posts: 486
Joined: 20 Sep 2006, 18:36
80-90 Mem No: 2934
Location: Wells, Somerset

Re: Cab Door Adjustment

Post by garyd »

As above, I have made & used packing plates at the hinges to adjust the height of the rear of the door.

I have found that the sag of the door can be due to cracking, distortion & separation of the numerous panels which form the front end and hinge mounts of the door.
Garyd

1990 Transporter syncro camper
2 litre AGG 'GTi' engine

peteinnit
Registered user
Posts: 90
Joined: 03 Jun 2013, 22:18
80-90 Mem No: 12410
Location: Chingford, London

Re: Cab Door Adjustment

Post by peteinnit »

The plate suggestion makes sense, I'll give it a go next week.

The question about the gap at the A frame.... as you'd expect it's a little wider at the top of the A frame if I let the door hang. If I lift it and force it shut it's wider at the bottom, but I have to lift it quite a lot to get in into the striker plate, so that probably needs adjustment too. When it's closed, the gap seems a bit odd around the arch too. The old one fitted perfectly, it was the drivers door that was a problem (damaged hinge), but that has improved with the new door, I was foolishly hoping for a trouble free swap on this side :(

I'll try the plate, if I can't make it work with that, then I guess it's off to the professionals.

Cheers.
T25 2.0l Aircooled CI - 1982

peteinnit
Registered user
Posts: 90
Joined: 03 Jun 2013, 22:18
80-90 Mem No: 12410
Location: Chingford, London

Re: Cab Door Adjustment

Post by peteinnit »

Plates now fitted and doors close without binding :D . Thanks for the tip. Do still have one problem on the passenger side, the gap at the back of the door is too big, so whole door needs to pull out a little, but don't think there's any adjustment left on the hinges/brackets. Only thing I can think off is to remove door and enlarge the bolt holes on the brackets a little, although I don't think there's much to play with. Couple of mm should do it. Any other suggestions?

Cheers.
T25 2.0l Aircooled CI - 1982

Plasticman
Trader
Posts: 8047
Joined: 12 Oct 2005, 20:55
80-90 Mem No: 1948
Location: lincolnshire

Re: Cab Door Adjustment

Post by Plasticman »

There is no fore/aft adjustment ,the holes only allow for up down in out
mm

peteinnit
Registered user
Posts: 90
Joined: 03 Jun 2013, 22:18
80-90 Mem No: 12410
Location: Chingford, London

Re: Cab Door Adjustment

Post by peteinnit »

Looks like I'll be getting the file out then. I have noticed that the construction of the 'new' doors is different to the originals, so wonder if that explains the ill fitting, but then the drivers door fits perfectly, so maybe it's just movement over the years. As it is as the moment it will annoy me, so if I can't get it right, worst case scenario will be getting the old door repaired and putting that back on. But that may have to wait til next summer!
T25 2.0l Aircooled CI - 1982

multisi
Registered user
Posts: 1725
Joined: 03 Apr 2016, 12:01
80-90 Mem No: 12
Location: jersey

Re: Cab Door Adjustment

Post by multisi »

What is different with the construction of the doors you are fitting compared to the originals.
1992 red lle 2.2 subaru 1990 rhd caravelle 2.2 subaru 1986 california import vanagon

Plasticman
Trader
Posts: 8047
Joined: 12 Oct 2005, 20:55
80-90 Mem No: 1948
Location: lincolnshire

Re: Cab Door Adjustment

Post by Plasticman »

You may note that early doors as std then later with mounts for electrics and such but they sort if all fit though may have been altered at some time. Most likely your door A post has had "work" I find it often
You can pull the mounting flange back with the right gear which is what I would do to fit a good door
mm

peteinnit
Registered user
Posts: 90
Joined: 03 Jun 2013, 22:18
80-90 Mem No: 12410
Location: Chingford, London

Re: Cab Door Adjustment

Post by peteinnit »

Yeah it may have had something done, but nothing obvious that I can see. The door seals with the rubber on, so not urgent, although it will nag at me. Think I'll have to take it someone to adjust the flanges, at least they close properly now :D

The difference between new and old is how the skins join. My original doors had some open gaps on the inner skin, especially around the hinge itself, whereas the 'new' have a continuous join. I had my speaker wires going in through the hinge gap on the old ones, but there is no gap on the 'new'. Difficult to explain without photos, but still haven't figured out how to get them on these forums.
T25 2.0l Aircooled CI - 1982

Post Reply