R12 Front Doors Foutu

[BogMaster]

Fellow R12 driving saddos,

In the last week both the front doors in my trusty 12 wagon have shown signs of severe sagging to the point that they are almost impossible to open when you slam them shut ( the only way to close them). I'd estimate that the vertical movement at the door handle end is between 5mm and 10mm. Adjusting the door mechanism is would fix the closing problem but the door is still going to have the excessive vertical movement. This is really apparent on any kind of uneven surface as the doors rattle up and down.

I'm about to disappear into the hills for Easter but will have to sort this out when I return - any advice would be appreciated.

I don't think the hinges have had it, more like there is movement where the
hinge supports are fixed to the shell.

Psychic opinions will be welcomed...I'm starting to hear voices saying get rid of it...even though it has gone like a top for the last 3yrs, delivered 40+ thou
km for next to nothing against a purchase proce of $300.
:adrink:

 

[Simon]

If it is just the hinge coming loose from the A-pillar it should be an easy fix, just tighten the bolts where the hinge bolts onto the pillar(after adjusting the door alignment). But I suspect it is more the hinge pins having become worn over the years causing the door to drop. In this case the hinges are replaceable from the front to rear doors (both upper and lower) so if the pins have worn the brackets elongated the whole lot can be replaced front to rear, or bits scabbed from the unworn rear doors of a donor car.

I wouldn't think that the hinges in the doors themselves have come adrift, but that would be pretty obvious in lifting the door up and down and the bits moving separately, in that case replace the door as it is all spot welded internally.

Another cause of doors being difficult to open is that the actual catch has started to self destruct internally. The pressed metal pieces start unpressing, so pushing on the exterior door button doesn't release the catch fully, giving the effect of the door sticking as you pull on the handle with the partially released catch. Eventually the metal fatigues totally and the relevant piece snaps off leaving the car door unable to be opened from the outside (external button is then really easy to press). But the handle still operates normally from the car interior.

 

[BogMaster]

If it is just the hinge coming loose from the A-pillar it should be an easy fix, just tighten the bolts where the hinge bolts onto the pillar(after adjusting the door alignment). But I suspect it is more the hinge pins having become worn over the years causing the door to drop. In this case the hinges are replaceable from the front to rear doors (both upper and lower) so if the pins have worn the brackets elongated the whole lot can be replaced front to rear, or bits scabbed from the unworn rear doors of a donor car.


Thanks Simon,

I would have thought that the hinge itself was the prob, but then what really amazed me is that both front doors have given in in the last week.....the passenger door rarely gets used at all ,and when I manipulate the door as I did this afternoon there isn't a lot of movement in the hinge components.

Any way I will get stuck into it next week and report back.


:adrink:

 

[Simon]

This does sound like the lock mechanisms are starting to fatigue. The door button travel gets longer before the little triangle of metal just breaks off. At this stage I'd guess that the button travel is about 5-10mm before it actually presses the latch, ie it may feel like there is a lot of free travel in the door button. Just open the door, and see if the actual latch is flush with the surround with the external button is pushed, or if it sticks down just slightly making it seem as if the door is dragging on the striker.

 

[BogMaster]

This does sound like the lock mechanisms are starting to fatigue. The door button travel gets longer before the little triangle of metal just breaks off. At this stage I'd guess that the button travel is about 5-10mm before it actually presses the latch, ie it may feel like there is a lot of free travel in the door button. Just open the door, and see if the actual latch is flush with the surround with the external button is pushed, or if it sticks down just slightly making it seem as if the door is dragging on the striker.[/QUOTE]

Thanks Simon I will have another look at the locks before I head off this morning.

 

[BogMaster]

Thanks Simon I will have another look at the locks before I head off this morning.

[/QUOTE]

OK Simon,went and had a closer look in the daylight, the door locks are fine, the movement seems to be in the bottom hinge, not at the mounting point to the pillar but in the hinge itself.

 

[Stuey]

Bogmaster, you should know that under these circumstances a true R12 saddo simply stops getting in the front doors and uses the back. Under no circumstances do you effect any non essential repairs to an R12.

Of course, assuming you ARE a true saddo and don't lock any of the doors?

Stuey

 

[BogMaster]

Problemo solved,

I spent some time before running to the hills checking the doors, they are substantially sagged at the hinges and there is a fair bit of vertical movement in them.

The doors have been difficult to close for a while but in the week before Easter, both front doors were bloody near impossible to slam shut and when shut, bloody near impossible to open.

I was at a loss to work out why both doors would become that stuffed in the space of a week. So I asked myself what was different in the last week before Easter?

I had to transport a big load of timber from Queanbeyan to home in order to load it for transport to the solar powered bog retreat. To avoid relying on the robust silver roof rack bit on the 12 I fitted a series of 4 roof bars to take the weight....at about the same time the doors became a major issue.

To cut a long story short, I should have been looking at the top of the door not the wobbly hinges. I had used a roof bar left over from the R20, it was forcing the doors down on both sides. When I repositioned the the roof bar the doors went back to the minor sticking on the striker plate. A couple of minutes with the torx fixed that.

Thanks Simon for the advice, you were absolutely right about the hinges, they are worn exactly as you described.

Roof bars? Once again Bog is caught with his pants down and both hands on the trusty gear stick.

Stuey....lock a 12? Tell him he's dreamin....that would be an insult to any prospective car thief. I always tell detractors who slag me for leaving it unlocked that they can have it if they can start it. Facts are that it's a reliable little gem but that's usually enough to put the Hyundai drivers off further comments.

Thanks for the help fellas.