VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1933-1936 36 Chevy low cab pickup door adjustment

Can the doors be adjusted by loosening the screws? I figured I would ask before taking my screw driver to it. I have ordered new hinge pins. The play in the door seems to be from the hinge and not from where the hinge bolts to the wood post. Has anyone come up with an aftermarket hinge pin/bushing combination or slightly oversized pin? The back of the door needs to come up an 1/8" or so to close properly. Thank You.

When you replace the hinge pins and the bushings that should take any slack out of the door.

If the door is still low after that, then you need to shim the body on the body mount bolt in the middle of the door area on the frame, in order to raise the door slightly.

mike

Can you lift up and down on the door from the bottom and see the hinge wiggle. If so, it is the hinge. If not check the door post area. Use a press to remove the pins. Like a "C" type clamp thing. Hitting with a hammer will damage the door post. If it is the driver's door you also have the rear view mirror bracket to contend with. There is a pin/screw that holds it from wiggling into the door hinge...look in the center of the bracket for it. It is in there at a 45 degree angle into the hinge casing. Good luck on your project.

When I lift up on the back of the door, I see movement in the hinge. There are no bushings installed on the 1936. Just a metal pin. It is the passenger door in question. I'm not quite understanding how to shim the body to lift the door up? Thanks.

I should clarify. I see movement between the two hinge pieces. The male and female parts. It would be nice to move the whole door up a bit though.

By replacing the pin in the male and female parts of the hinge along with a shim inside of this should take all the slack out of it. This should fix your door. If not and the door post is not rotten...then look at the floor. Take up the rubber mat. You will see that the floor has a gap in it there. The rear part of the cab floats on springs. The front, near the door post rides on a tire like rubber pad. See large bolt in floor (counter sunk with straight screw driver slot in it). Check out the under side of the frame. Between cab and frame is the rubber pad. The other large bolt in the floor rear of the split area in the floor has a spring attached underside on the frame. Some adjustment can be had on these to "true" the door. But before you move these do the door hinge pin replacement first. Cab "leveling" can be done by placing a level on the board behind the seat. You will see two springs in this area inside the cab. Shims are placed under the cab. (bottom springs are under the frame area, too.). These cabs are "hand made" and are not "true" that is why shims are needed.

Thanks Terrill for the excellent explanation. Mike