Cab door adjustment 1974 Kombi

[baliboy.schroeder]

Hi all,
I am trying to get an understanding on the movement of the cab door hinges when I am trying to align my cab doors. I can`t seem to find any documents on this. 

I understand that the hinges can be moved up or down or in and out. What I can`t understand is, if I pull the hinges away from the body what affect does this have on the alignment ? Or can the top hinge be in and bottom hinge out or visa versa ,what affect does this have..will it twist the door ?  

I have made some adjustments to the hinges but found that the top back corner of the cab door is very tight against the frame, 

If I take the striker plate off, should the door just close easily into the frame, it appears to spring out a little , still has old door rubbers,so not fussed to replace at the moment.

Just trying to get an understanding about the adjustments 

Your advice would be appreciated


Regards
Klaus

[Wayne Murray]

Your door can be as you mentioned adjustment up and down, in and out.
If you are adjusting the door at the hinge out you are moving the door at the hinge further out from the body. Moving the hinge out is mainly to adline the door to the body and adjusting it up and down is really doing the same thing, you are using the body line as a visual point.
You can as mentioned twist the door by pulling the top out and the bottom in or vice versa.
Normally you adjust the door with no rubber or glass(weigh) in it (after painting). To adline it all and when the door is complete (glass and rubber) you then do a final tweak.
I've used spacers under the hinge to help align door to body as well.
If your top back of your door is sprung in, to me it is twisted and you need to pull the top hinge out a little and the bottom in a little. You just have to do it little by little until you get what you want to achieve.
What was wrong with it to make changes or adjustments to door?

[baliboy.schroeder]

Your door can be as you mentioned adjustment up and down, in and out.
If you are adjusting the door at the hinge out you are moving the door at the hinge further out from the body. Moving the hinge out is mainly to adline the door to the body and adjusting it up and down is really doing the same thing, you are using the body line as a visual point.
You can as mentioned twist the door by pulling the top out and the bottom in or vice versa.
Normally you adjust the door with no rubber or glass(weigh) in it (after painting). To adline it all and when the door is complete (glass and rubber) you then do a final tweak.
I've used spacers under the hinge to help align door to body as well.
If your top back of your door is sprung in, to me it is twisted and you need to pull the top hinge out a little and the bottom in a little. You just have to do it little by little until you get what you want to achieve.
What was wrong with it to make changes or adjustments to door?

Thanks Wayne, I think I have a better understanding now. I think the van sometime ago may have had a shunt in the front. No physical damage notable but the top right corner of the door was rubbing against the piller. So I put some washers behind the hinges to take off the pressure. This is fine now, but now trying to align closure.  I will take your advice and take pressure off the top left corner of the door. I may have over compensated moving the hinges too. And then I have trouble with the striker plate, it catches but does not close completely, I understand there needs to be adjustments there too,

I have used washers as spacers, but I thought there would be flat metal spacers with holes available ??

Thanks for your advice ,much appreciated

[Wayne Murray]

Thanks Wayne, I think I have a better understanding now. I think the van sometime ago may have had a shunt in the front. No physical damage notable but the top right corner of the door was rubbing against the piller. So I put some washers behind the hinges to take off the pressure. This is fine now, but now trying to align closure.  I will take your advice and take pressure off the top left corner of the door. I may have over compensated moving the hinges too. And then I have trouble with the striker plate, it catches but does not close completely, I understand there needs to be adjustments there too,

I have used washers as spacers, but I thought there would be flat metal spacers with holes available ??

Thanks for your advice ,much appreciated

I made my own spacers and I don't thing there is any available.
Have you measured the door opening from left to right as a comparison. I had issues with my double cab I compared it to my other 72's and the opening was smaller by 2-3 mm .it must of have been in an accident at some point. I can measure one of mine from striker plate horizontal across  to door jam A pillar and see what you and I get.