 | Home > Maintenance & Modifications > Body alignment questions. 110SW |
 
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| donmacn Member Since: 06 Nov 2017 Location: Nth Scotland Posts: 1841  
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Hey folks,
So it's getting darker, wetter and colder, and I could do with getting my doors to fit better! The story is that the car has just had a new chassis fitted. The sill/B post came off for galvanising / painting too. So this is what we're dealing with - offside then nearside - this door really is latched closed!  Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge The nearside door was always a bit like this - but not this bad. The 'string test': Click image to enlarge So it looks like the doors are the right 'height'; also the distance from B pillar to (front) bulkhead is the same all the way up - about 82mm if I'm remembering right. Pretty much the same on both sides of the car. The 'triangle' panel between the wheel arch and 2nd row door does need shimming out on both sides: Click image to enlarge And there's this.... the rear side panels are further 'in' at the front. So, near the door: Click image to enlarge and at the back: Click image to enlarge There's probably 5-6mm in this. It's the same on the other side, maybe a bit less of a difference. If I was able to adjust this out, the doors would fit better I'm sure, but would still sit a bit proud I reckon. Can anyone who's had the roof off recently remember if there's this much lateral adjustment between the roof and side panels? I'm assumign there has to be - or else how could it be different front to back? Any other advice on getting the doors to fit? I've seen the advice to 'put a bit of wood across the opening and bend the door top inwards' - and I tried that a wee bit. The doors are goosed anyway so can be considered sacrificial. I have new ones to be painted and fitted - but that might need to wait till after the winter now. I could see myself temporarily glueing some extra material to the door frame to make up the gap - but that's a bit 'Heath Robinson'. On the other hand, it is a Land Rover! It would just be good to get through the dark, wet, cold months in a bit more comfort! Donald 1994 Defender 300Tdi 110 SW - owned since 2002 - 230k miles and going strong (The 'rolling restoration' or tinkering thread: http://www.defender2.net/forum/topic58538.html ) 2000 Range Rover P38 4.0L V8 in the past.. RR classic - fitted with 200Tdi 1984 RR classic - V8 with ZF auto box 1993 Discovery 300Tdi not to mention the minis and the Type 2 VW camper... |
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7th Oct 2018 6:14pm |
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| Disco_Mikey Member Since: 16 Nov 2014 Location: Dundee Posts: 531  
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Bend the doors to fit better. Used to have to do that when PDI’ing brand new ones
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7th Oct 2018 6:58pm |
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| donmacn Member Since: 06 Nov 2017 Location: Nth Scotland Posts: 1841
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Seriously? With new cars? Like I say I had heard that advice - but didn't think it would be needed on new ones. Donald
1994 Defender 300Tdi 110 SW - owned since 2002 - 230k miles and going strong (The 'rolling restoration' or tinkering thread: http://www.defender2.net/forum/topic58538.html ) 2000 Range Rover P38 4.0L V8 in the past.. RR classic - fitted with 200Tdi 1984 RR classic - V8 with ZF auto box 1993 Discovery 300Tdi not to mention the minis and the Type 2 VW camper... |
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7th Oct 2018 7:06pm |
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| donmacn Member Since: 06 Nov 2017 Location: Nth Scotland Posts: 1841
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Makes me glad I didn't buy a new one.
So, any tips on how best to bend the doors? I've seen it as: lower window; put a strong piece of wood across the B pillar and tub, and fold top of door inwards... Does that sound right, or some other way? Donald 1994 Defender 300Tdi 110 SW - owned since 2002 - 230k miles and going strong (The 'rolling restoration' or tinkering thread: http://www.defender2.net/forum/topic58538.html ) 2000 Range Rover P38 4.0L V8 in the past.. RR classic - fitted with 200Tdi 1984 RR classic - V8 with ZF auto box 1993 Discovery 300Tdi not to mention the minis and the Type 2 VW camper... |
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7th Oct 2018 7:29pm |
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| VVS210 Member Since: 12 Nov 2016 Location: Hampshire Posts: 953 
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If you have all the same doors & body panels on the car that were on it before the chassis swap then the odds are that when they were put back together they were not adjusted properly. Not wanting to dis any other comments but before you start bending things have a look at what adjustment you have got. Look for 'tell tale' marks on panels such as clean/shiny paint showing where a hinge or panel used to cover it then adjust the fitting so the clean/shiny paint is covered again. It'll take a while but worth fixing the cause rather than the symptoms in my view. Personally I would be going back to whoever did the chassis swap & getting them to finish the job properly!
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8th Oct 2018 9:00am |
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| rallysteve Member Since: 10 Feb 2014 Location: Cumbria Posts: 2227
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Out of interest, how did you go about setting the door gaps on the S/W? the front door gaps on my 110 DCPU are too large but because of the fixed B-pillar position I cannot see an easy way of changing it?
Cheers, Steve 02' 110 TD5 Double Cab Rebuild Thread |
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8th Oct 2018 9:32am |
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| mk1collector Member Since: 17 Sep 2009 Location: West Yorkshire Posts: 6769  
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Unbolt the roof from the upper side panel and get that the same first. There should be some movement in the fittings, and then as above the door will need tweaking in a bit. Ray
My build thread http://www.defender2.net/forum/topic17615.html |
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8th Oct 2018 10:39am |
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| donmacn Member Since: 06 Nov 2017 Location: Nth Scotland Posts: 1841
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Thanks for the reply. I can see where my wording has made the link between the chassis job and the panel alignment. That's not really the case TBH. About 9 years ago, I fitted a new galv bulkhead, and 2nd hand B posts. At that time (before I was a member here, and before forums worked so quickly) I didn't know anything about bulkhead alignment. I just threw it on, along with the B posts and it was "close enough". I'd hoped the new chassis job might have got it a bit better - but perhaps that was expecting too much. It wasn't really priced or agreed as a 'rebuild'. There are no 'tell tales' like newly-exposed paint. I suspect the bulkhead and b pillars are better aligned with themselves than they were before - as I said, they measure up more or less perfectly. The chassis swap has maybe just exposed my own earlier errors, so I'm just looking for info/tips on how to tackle things properly. If, once I get other stuff lined up to the best of my ability/advice, the door tops are still a few mil out, then I think I will judiciously apply my 16stone to the job! Donald 1994 Defender 300Tdi 110 SW - owned since 2002 - 230k miles and going strong (The 'rolling restoration' or tinkering thread: http://www.defender2.net/forum/topic58538.html ) 2000 Range Rover P38 4.0L V8 in the past.. RR classic - fitted with 200Tdi 1984 RR classic - V8 with ZF auto box 1993 Discovery 300Tdi not to mention the minis and the Type 2 VW camper... |
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8th Oct 2018 2:02pm |
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| donmacn Member Since: 06 Nov 2017 Location: Nth Scotland Posts: 1841
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I think there are other posts here (posted by retroanaconda if I remember) but I think there is a degree of adjustment on the hinges, or even between the b pillar/sill at the bulkhead where you could shim it out (or in) by adding / removing washers. But to get to that stage, you've more or less got to have everything else off. Could you see from underneath if there are any washers between the sill and the bulkhead? Or measure the bulkhead to B pillar distance on both sides and see if a) each pillar is parallel to the bulkhead and b) if the bulkhead to b pillar gap is more or less the same? Donald 1994 Defender 300Tdi 110 SW - owned since 2002 - 230k miles and going strong (The 'rolling restoration' or tinkering thread: http://www.defender2.net/forum/topic58538.html ) 2000 Range Rover P38 4.0L V8 in the past.. RR classic - fitted with 200Tdi 1984 RR classic - V8 with ZF auto box 1993 Discovery 300Tdi not to mention the minis and the Type 2 VW camper... |
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8th Oct 2018 2:08pm |
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| donmacn Member Since: 06 Nov 2017 Location: Nth Scotland Posts: 1841
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CHeers Ray, I'm off work tomorrow, and the forecast is poor, so a day in the garage is likely. I think I have to start with this and see where that gets me. I plan to unbolt the roof along the sides, and probably loosen the bolts at the top of the b pillar, then see if I can lift the roof, or ease it up just a smidge to allow me to shuffle the sides out. Donald 1994 Defender 300Tdi 110 SW - owned since 2002 - 230k miles and going strong (The 'rolling restoration' or tinkering thread: http://www.defender2.net/forum/topic58538.html ) 2000 Range Rover P38 4.0L V8 in the past.. RR classic - fitted with 200Tdi 1984 RR classic - V8 with ZF auto box 1993 Discovery 300Tdi not to mention the minis and the Type 2 VW camper... |
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8th Oct 2018 2:11pm |
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| blackwolf Member Since: 03 Nov 2009 Location: South West England Posts: 17382 
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This was the ex-factory fit of the OS rear door of my DC! Good, isn't it?
The door and the aperture are different shapes. |
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8th Oct 2018 5:47pm |
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| donmacn Member Since: 06 Nov 2017 Location: Nth Scotland Posts: 1841
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 Did you fix that, or leave it to JLR? Donald
1994 Defender 300Tdi 110 SW - owned since 2002 - 230k miles and going strong (The 'rolling restoration' or tinkering thread: http://www.defender2.net/forum/topic58538.html ) 2000 Range Rover P38 4.0L V8 in the past.. RR classic - fitted with 200Tdi 1984 RR classic - V8 with ZF auto box 1993 Discovery 300Tdi not to mention the minis and the Type 2 VW camper... |
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8th Oct 2018 5:51pm |
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| blackwolf Member Since: 03 Nov 2009 Location: South West England Posts: 17382
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It doesn't leak so I haven't bothered.
It's a truck, not a car, after all. If I wanted build quality I wouldn't have bought a Defender!  |
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8th Oct 2018 7:08pm |
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| donmacn Member Since: 06 Nov 2017 Location: Nth Scotland Posts: 1841
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That's fair enough - I wouldn't even be thinking about this at the moment if I couldn't see cold, wet daylight through the tops of the doors! Donald
1994 Defender 300Tdi 110 SW - owned since 2002 - 230k miles and going strong (The 'rolling restoration' or tinkering thread: http://www.defender2.net/forum/topic58538.html ) 2000 Range Rover P38 4.0L V8 in the past.. RR classic - fitted with 200Tdi 1984 RR classic - V8 with ZF auto box 1993 Discovery 300Tdi not to mention the minis and the Type 2 VW camper... |
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8th Oct 2018 7:23pm |
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