Ok i screwed up

[Lanford]

Well silly me was working on my door hinges replacing the pin and the bushings . well bet you cant guess where i goofed . ................ I didn't mark the hinge location. well needless to say im haveing problems now getting my driver side door align right


So does anyone got any good tipson howw to get this thing aligned my way isnt seeming to work .

[pkucan]

I'm in the same boat as you. Was doing it by myself with the door hanging from an overhead tree branch. I got it close but not perfect. I'm guessing it is really a two man job to maneuver and re adjust. I'm to the point of stopping by the body shop to see if they would adjust for a reasonable fee.

[Brian C]

You REALLY need a helper on this task. Although it's possible to do it alone if your patient and persistant. LOL
I did them on a 91 I used to have, and DID mark them. But.....apparently, someone had previously moved them to compensate for the gonzo pins and bushings. So it was way off anyways, after I renewed the hinges.

You have to find a point to tighten the fasteners where they are snug enough to hold position when you GINGERLY open the door.......but still loose enough that you move the adjustments by banging the door with your fist, and moving it up and down by the top window frame.

Finding that correct "snugness" to adjust it, is the trick.

I did mine starting so the hinge side was proud of the front fender somewhat. Gently closed it toward the latch, making the up and down adjustment by picking up on the window frame top, or leaning on the sill.
Once I got it aligned with the latch, I pushed my weight against the door, till it latched. Then "fisted" the hinge side inward, until it was correct.

If you have JUST enough tension on the hinge bolts, you can then O SO GINGERLY open the door, and snug up the bolts.

Takes a LOT of patience. You have to keep focused on making sure the door isn't hitting the fender, or rear door at anytime during the process, or you'll chip paint.

[SignatureSeriesOwner]

Takes a LOT of patience. You have to keep focused on making sure the door isn't hitting the fender, or rear door at anytime during the process, or you'll chip paint.

Well, genrally, by the time people do this repair, there ISN'T any paint on the upper rear door corner LOL

Someone had replaced my driver side one before I bought it, but, they let it get to the point where it was hitting. Not bad though, just a slight rubbing mark on the very tip of the end of the drivers door, probably 3 millimeters long.

As Brian said, you have ot be patient, if you are doing this alone, it isn't some simple "instert new hinges, tighen, and your done" project. Depending on how anal you are, it can be very time consuming. :)

[Hensley]

Did they upgrade the hinges on later models? On my '97, they seem tight as a brand new car. I had an '89 and '87 Town Car that both had the driver door slowly start to sag over time, but this thing seems much more sturdy (the '97).

[SignatureSeriesOwner]

Did they upgrade the hinges on later models? On my '97, they seem tight as a brand new car. I had an '89 and '87 Town Car that both had the driver door slowly start to sag over time, but this thing seems much more sturdy (the '97).

But your hand around the bottom part of the door (where the drain it) and pull up. See if you can feel any slop. That's usually a good test. However, the pinstripe test works execllent as well.

[BillyBob TC]

Did they upgrade the hinges on later models? On my '97, they seem tight as a brand new car. I had an '89 and '87 Town Car that both had the driver door slowly start to sag over time, but this thing seems much more sturdy (the '97).
Nah, I had to do the pins on my 97 too. About 1/4 inch sag at only 88k.

[Lanford]

Ok i'm going to try that tomorrow hopefully i dont make it worse lol . corse i dont think it could get worse . as of now it will only close to the first latching position so it shows door ajar lol

[98TC-Cartier]

If you tape some pieces of a cutup washer fluid bottle over the "contact points", you will not chip the paint either, :)

[bojo68]

I'm in the same boat as you. Was doing it by myself with the door hanging from an overhead tree branch. I got it close but not perfect. I'm guessing it is really a two man job to maneuver and re adjust. I'm to the point of stopping by the body shop to see if they would adjust for a reasonable fee.

True to the definition of a shade tree mechanic I see...:)

[bojo68]

I haven't done one on these, but if I remember right, the have 2 bolts going into the car from the outside, and one coming out from the inside. All the previous setups like this I've seen, ya just left all the bolts loose on the bottom hinge, SHUT the door while inside, and tightened the bolt going out from inside. The door latch has positioned it perfectly for you, and works great in one try. Might need to do a little adjusting if your working with some slop in the hinges.

[Hensley]

But your hand around the bottom part of the door (where the drain it) and pull up. See if you can feel any slop. That's usually a good test. However, the pinstripe test works execllent as well.


I tried that today, and mine are rock solid. The car moves if you try to lift the door. Maybe I'll get lucky like I did on my '89. (started to sag slightly after 8 years of daily driver ownership).