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TR3 door catch clearance/alignment


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Has anyone had the problem on a rebuild after aligning the doors when you came to fit the door locks they didn't line up and actually interfered. I shaved some off the back of the B post catch to solve the interference but there is still a difference in height to resolved. It seems that the adjustment on the B post may be the best to enlarge. Has anyone any suggestions?   

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I am not sure if my experience is the same issue you have, but some time ago I bought new door locks and strikers (B post) from Rimmers, I believe. On fitting I couldn't close the door because the door lock didn't line up with the striker. I had to shave/cut-off quite a bit of metal from the door lock mouldings (not sure what their called), before the door would close.  I didn't alter the strikers which I think are Ok, but the door locks I believe are not made correctly. The door closures are fine now. 

Perhaps you have the same issue.

Rob

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Thanks Rob. Yes it does sound similar. I have shaved off about 1.5mm from the back of the striker on the B post, but now I need to workout how to align it vertically. There is no room for maneuver on the door and if I move the striker on the B post I think I'll uncover some of the holes.   

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Rob's answer covers the interference laterally but has anyone any suggestions about the vertical alignment. My car has been sprayed so caution is required. What about easing the captive plates which the retaining screws screw into and enlarging the holes to give more location movement, has anyone don this.

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I had a similar problem and found an answer. I moved the latch until it lined up and then cut new holes for the lever and fixings. It was covered up by the lining but needs a lot of care. Why do they not line up in the first place?? My latch was new from Moss, the A post is from the original body work com.no. 28000, and the B post is from a post 60,000 body, the doors came from a scrapyard in Lancing Sussex. I have adjusted the gaps this year and overhauled the hinges with new s/s pins. But lining up the latch was a serious bit of alteration. It does work.

Good luck, Richard & B

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11 minutes ago, DesNoble said:

Rob's answer covers the interference laterally but has anyone any suggestions about the vertical alignment. My car has been sprayed so caution is required. What about easing the captive plates which the retaining screws screw into and enlarging the holes to give more location movement, has anyone don this.

I have on odd occasions had to file the holes in the "B" post face to get better alignment as theres a fair bit of movement in the captive plate behind (more than the holes) Using a rat tail file carefully so as not to damage the threads in the plate.

Stuart.

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You probably don't want to hear this but I had to move the passenger side A post 4mm down to get the door to align. I bought the car after a fair bit of body work had been done in a full restoration. A PO must have done the A post poorly.

It is excellent now.

 

Complete LHS rear.JPG

Jul 19 interior fuel tank.JPG

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Thanks for the info guys. I've resigned myself to some resetting of the mounting holes in both the door and if necessary the B post. I've started with the door as I see you can remove the top weld of the bracket without too much trouble, slide out the securing bracket and then enlarge or elongate the holes to accommodate the vertical movement. Hopefully the lock plate will cover the holes, and maybe even the hole I drilled to remove the weld for the retaining bracket. I'm halfway through this so fingers crossed.

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  • 4 weeks later...

I finally had success with my door catch. In the end I removed the locking plate from behind the lock by drilling out the upper spot weld and elongating the holes.  I also had to cut away some of the door frame where the lock sits to allow more vertical movement. I then had to fashion a wedge shaped shim to fit behind the lock to align it with the luggs. The lock and the catch on the B post must be parallel as well as the correct height. Because the car is already painted I substituted the top weld for a screw.  Sounds easy but while doing it I stripped the backing plate which I removed and turned around so I could drill and tap new holes but I managed to strip these as well. Turned out that the new screws which I had obtained from a normally reliable source were m5 and not imperial. While their thread was very similar especially over the width of the locking plate with fitting and removing so many times it finally stripped the threads. I had to have all the holes welded up and start again. This is why this simple job takes so long.

DSC01811.JPG

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4 hours ago, DesNoble said:

I finally had success with my door catch. In the end I removed the locking plate from behind the lock by drilling out the upper spot weld and elongating the holes.  I also had to cut away some of the door frame where the lock sits to allow more vertical movement. I then had to fashion a wedge shaped shim to fit behind the lock to align it with the luggs. The lock and the catch on the B post must be parallel as well as the correct height. Because the car is already painted I substituted the top weld for a screw.  Sounds easy but while doing it I stripped the backing plate which I removed and turned around so I could drill and tap new holes but I managed to strip these as well. Turned out that the new screws which I had obtained from a normally reliable source were m5 and not imperial. While their thread was very similar especially over the width of the locking plate with fitting and removing so many times it finally stripped the threads. I had to have all the holes welded up and start again. This is why this simple job takes so long.

DSC01811.JPG

As you say simple jobs can take a long time.

I made a taper wedge to go under the B post dovetail.

Well done anyway. 

Peter W

Peter W

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