door loose!

[Flambo]

I've used the search and couldn't find anything on this problem. My drivers side door isn't closing tightly to the frame allowing lots of wind to rush through the door when I travel fast or on windy days. I was wondering if I could fix this problem myself or if I have to take it to an autobody person to get this fixed. If it is possibly for me to fix it tell me how please!:)

Thanks in advance!

[99GrandAMSE]

... what year car do you have and where is the wind coming from (i.e., back, top, etc) ... sounds to me like maybe the door frame might be a little bent or a hinge might be bad? ... need more information first :)

[Flambo]

2002 grand am gt coupe, wind is coming from top, I think the door just needs to be tightened. When the wind rushes through I can feel the door pulse when i put my fingers through the door and frame. And when I attempt to put my fingers through the door and frame one the other side I cant because the door is snug against the frame.

[MantaGreen97]

Door is adjustable. Just slack the bolts on the hinge(s) (remember to support the door!) and then move the door a bit and then tighten the bolts. Be sure the latch lines up before you close it too hard as well! The latch is also adjustable if necessary.

The question is, however, how did the door come out of alignment? Unless those bolts on the hinge(s) came loose on their own, the door should not normally come out of adjustment unless something got bent from an accident or something.

[rixGAphx]

It is NOT the hinges, and you do NOT want to mess with those.

Gonna sound weird, but the only thing the body shop will do is what you can do:

Lower the window.

Open the door, and cushion the rear jamb (the fixed side panel) with a carpet scrap or thickly-folded bath towel.
Place something firm and about 3" thick between the rear edge of the door and the cushion, just below the window line.

You've solidly blocked the metal door frame open.

Now strongly, slowly, and carefully, press the upper window frame inward.
Do it an inch, let off, then an inch-and-a-half, let off, 2 inches, etc.
This will give you a 'feel' for the strenght of the frame, long before you actually damage it by pushing to far.

You'll prolly hafta push it ALL THE WAY to the roof, the full 3" :eek: :eek:

Yup, you're actually BENDING the upper portion of the door (the window frame).
* * *

Twice I had to break-in to my '96 2-dr, and I did this by prying OUTWARD on the window frame, so I could slip a yardstick down and press the 'unlock' button.
Prying the frame outward DID allow a little wind leakage, and the solution was re-bending as I described above.

The 99+ GA chassis is MUCH stiffer than the prior years, but the doors are essentially the same.
You should be able to accomplish this with ease.

Good luck,
-Rick

PS: Examine your window frame for scratches or tiny dents.
Your frame might have been bent outward by a thief breaking IN.

[Vhrus]

Originally posted by rixGAphx


PS: Examine your window frame for scratches or tiny dents.
Your frame might have been bent outward by a thief breaking IN.
True story.
I had my old cavalier broken into that way. Sucked cause they bent it far enough to break a weld and ripple the roof.. and since the seat belts on the door frame I had to replace the whole door.
Thank god for insurrance.

[SE2000]

Rix is probally correct. Before you "form" the window frame back into shape, look at the whole door. Does the lines of the body and door line up? Does the door stick out past the body? Take a sheet of paper and rip it int 1/3rd from top to bottom, stick it between the body and door and try to remove. If it sticks by the lower part and not at the top, do as Rix said. If it is loose elsewhere, start at the latch and hinges.

Your car may have gotten twisted.

[MantaGreen97]

Originally posted by rixGAphx
It is NOT the hinges, and you do NOT want to mess with those.

Gonna sound weird, but the only thing the body shop will do is what you can do:
I dunno about the not moving the hinges and the "one thing the body shop will do" door bending... One time when my car was in an accident and I went to go get it at the body shop after the repair the same thing happened when I drove away (the front door was leaking air heavily). I guess they didn't check it at highway speeds or something.

Anyway I went back and what I said was exactly what the body shop did--they slacked the hinge bolts moved the door, tightened it up and the door was fine afterwards and I went on my way. So the "one thing" that they did was definitely not bending up the door hoping to get it right.

Now perhaps they did it "wrong" but I find it hard to believe that bending things up is more correct than adjusting the door with the adjustment procedure provided for in the service manual (where the manual also never mentions bending anything either, I might add). :roll2:

Of course then there was the explanation of why the door was probably out of alignment (from the accident) whereas here we have no idea why the door is suddenly not right.

[Flambo]

Well.. tomorrow morning I think I am going to slack the hinge bolts and see if I can adjust the door slightly. If this doesn't work I don't think I will try bending the door, although it does sound convincing I would just rather not go there because I will most likely screw up. So if loosening the hinges doesn't work I will most likely take it to an autobody shop.


And I do believe the car has a good record, no accidents so I dont think that is the problem. Also, the door also appears to be sitting properly. When I drive down the highway and the wind is rushing in a can clamp the door to the frame near the top of the door and that stops the noise.

I think the door is like this | (looking from front) but needs to be more like this \ (from front again). If no one understands what I just typed there its fine. What I am trying to say is that the door needs to be tilted just a tad bit to close the microscopic gap at the top of the door that is creating the wind noise.

By the way, thanks for the replies and suggestions.

[rixGAphx]

Originally posted by MantaGreen97
I dunno about the not moving the hinges and the "one thing the body shop will do" door bending... I wasn't arguing with you about hinges, BTW.
Notice our times, where your response posted just a minute ahead of mine;
I had been typing my response before I read what you were saying.

I agree fully that in an accident, the 'unibody' of modern cars including the GA are gonna twist like pretzels, and that adjusting the hinges (or latch) are usually the best option for adjusting the doors.

The hinges are held in place with big-assed Phillipshead screws (or even Torx) because of the TREMENDOUS tightening force they hafta develop.
I've seen hinge screws that can't even be loosened with hammer-impact screwdrivers, and needed pneumatic tools.
And the same to tighten them.
Not a fun DIY job, in addition having to then keep everything perfectly-aligned during the tightening process.

Since it takes this kind of force to loosen the hinges, IMO it is unlikely that they came OUT of adjustment;
rather, it is more likely that the door itself is what is bent.

I am by no means a qualified bodyman.
My only body experience since diassembling/painting/reassembling an MGA in '68 is to break-into my own GA; and lightly re-bend this same window frame just as I described.

I agree that the easiest and surest correction would be to go to a reputable body shop and have them examine/repair it.

Good luck,
-Rick