Fix Slamming Doors - Striker Door Latch Repair

[jkrom]

great idea!

 

[brooksman9]

Damn, I just pulled two brand new ones out of a summit box.

 

[sidschev]

haha I just added blue pex to my doors and oh my gosh ,,,,,,ITS like night and day what a great fix no more slamming doors . Thank you , Thank you i could not believe this was such an easy fix. The doors close so easy now.....this should be a sticky or sumtum.....

 

[Dstringer]

I never knew there was supposed to be anything there. I've adjusted that striker every which way and still have to slam the doors. Is it possible to pull the strike pin all the way off so the pvc isn't cut? I don't want to loosen it too much and hear something go "clink" as it falls into the bowels of the sheetmetal.

Oh, I should mention a piece of nylon string cuts pvc pipe about as fast as a blade but leaves a nice smooth edge.

there is a way to pull the strikers off, you have to take the kickdoor speakers out and get a magnet to catch the nut that is on the back of the striker when u loosen it

 

[Grit dog]

So pursuant to this same issue and fix, where the door latch rubs the striker (pic below), I presume this is just a little sag in the door over time. Drivers side is always worse than passenger for obvious reasons.
Is the proper way to fix to shim the door back “up” a little? Which requires removing the fender.
Both of my trucks are like this and probably every other one out there. But my door pins are not sloppy or worn out. Just the grinding every time hurts the brain…
Has anyone just lowered the striker a bit? Always hate to mess with good closing relatively straight doors.

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[squaredeal91]

So pursuant to this same issue and fix, where the door latch rubs the striker (pic below), I presume this is just a little sag in the door over time. Drivers side is always worse than passenger for obvious reasons.
Is the proper way to fix to shim the door back “up” a little? Which requires removing the fender.
Both of my trucks are like this and probably every other one out there. But my door pins are not sloppy or worn out. Just the grinding every time hurts the brain…
Has anyone just lowered the striker a bit? Always hate to mess with good closing relatively straight doors.

You must be registered for see images attach

I have. It can help allot

 

[Grit dog]

I have. It can help allot

Just moving the striker down a smidge?
I understand that raised portion of the striker supports the weight of the door to keep it from “bouncing” in dynamic situations (bumps in the road) so it can’t be moved down to not contact the plate it ride on in the door.
I’ll try it when I get a chance. Thanks for the input !

 

[AuroraGirl]

So pursuant to this same issue and fix, where the door latch rubs the striker (pic below), I presume this is just a little sag in the door over time. Drivers side is always worse than passenger for obvious reasons.
Is the proper way to fix to shim the door back “up” a little? Which requires removing the fender.
Both of my trucks are like this and probably every other one out there. But my door pins are not sloppy or worn out. Just the grinding every time hurts the brain…
Has anyone just lowered the striker a bit? Always hate to mess with good closing relatively straight doors.

You must be registered for see images attach

On door strikers like these, the only thing I would say is rotate them so the worn part is not showing and its in the same place. If your door is saging enough that getting it to close nicely is a problem, I would avoid downward adjustment as much as possible BUT a slight adjustment outward toward the door of the striker with the smallest change downward would be most helpful if your door seals are in a good condition, and that you have the auxiliary weather-stripping on the door itself

Grit dog, I think your trucks are both high trim 1980s trucks yes? If so, you probably have the door-attached weather stripping that goes around the forward part and wraps around the top and ends by the base of the window near the striker area((IIRC, the ford seal is shorter and I remember the chevy seal being more substantial but still not around the whole thing)

if you have that, and they are in good shape, see if you can get any outward adjustment without creating an air leak. I have original seals on my f150 and used backing cord pushed around the perimeter to bulk up the strip and then the striker slightly downward and moved outward. I found the outward adjustment helps get the door onto it and fully latch with a normal closing motion while the slightly lower helps the door start on the striker without just hitting and getting rejected. But my driver door also had been attempted to be either broken into by thief or my gpa leaving the keys in (top of door pulled outward) I did correct it best I could so I dont think that plays any difference here. I say experience about my f150 because the door seal, door striker, and the latch for the most part are the same exact setup just inferior ford.
On newer GM vehicles, like my silverado, the door striker is 2 posts , and by adjusting the angle of the inner post compared to the outer, you can aid a sagging door by having the first post be lower than OE but then have the second post be higher, effectively "ramping" the latch and door up as it closes.


If you are daring enoguh you could also gently jack the door up in an attempt to correct the sag the opposite direction but I would only do this once, as soon as its a problem again its then going to be fatigue for the metal to the point its going to get worse till something gives, and you dont want that to give haha.

 

[Grit dog]

On door strikers like these, the only thing I would say is rotate them so the worn part is not showing and its in the same place. If your door is saging enough that getting it to close nicely is a problem, I would avoid downward adjustment as much as possible BUT a slight adjustment outward toward the door of the striker with the smallest change downward would be most helpful if your door seals are in a good condition, and that you have the auxiliary weather-stripping on the door itself

Grit dog, I think your trucks are both high trim 1980s trucks yes? If so, you probably have the door-attached weather stripping that goes around the forward part and wraps around the top and ends by the base of the window near the striker area((IIRC, the ford seal is shorter and I remember the chevy seal being more substantial but still not around the whole thing)

if you have that, and they are in good shape, see if you can get any outward adjustment without creating an air leak. I have original seals on my f150 and used backing cord pushed around the perimeter to bulk up the strip and then the striker slightly downward and moved outward. I found the outward adjustment helps get the door onto it and fully latch with a normal closing motion while the slightly lower helps the door start on the striker without just hitting and getting rejected. But my driver door also had been attempted to be either broken into by thief or my gpa leaving the keys in (top of door pulled outward) I did correct it best I could so I dont think that plays any difference here. I say experience about my f150 because the door seal, door striker, and the latch for the most part are the same exact setup just inferior ford.
On newer GM vehicles, like my silverado, the door striker is 2 posts , and by adjusting the angle of the inner post compared to the outer, you can aid a sagging door by having the first post be lower than OE but then have the second post be higher, effectively "ramping" the latch and door up as it closes.


If you are daring enoguh you could also gently jack the door up in an attempt to correct the sag the opposite direction but I would only do this once, as soon as its a problem again its then going to be fatigue for the metal to the point its going to get worse till something gives, and you dont want that to give haha.

Thanks for the suggestions. Short of pulling the fenders, I think just adjusting them down a smidge is the best bet. To account for the minor sagging.
Curiously, I didn’t know if either truck had the secondary seals on the doors. Yes both are high optioned trucks. The blue 86 does not have it and appears it never did.
The 77 does have it though.

 

[AuroraGirl]

Thanks for the suggestions. Short of pulling the fenders, I think just adjusting them down a smidge is the best bet. To account for the minor sagging.
Curiously, I didn’t know if either truck had the secondary seals on the doors. Yes both are high optioned trucks. The blue 86 does not have it and appears it never did.
The 77 does have it though.

they are a nice upgrade, the weather strips are most "challenged" on the upper parts of the door, especially following the inward angle of the tops of the doors to the body. that area is the most likely to have a gap, and the force from wind im sure is also harshest there since its directly in the path of oncoming air too.

 

[squaredeal91]

I put a set of 1990 doors on my 78 using the 78 hinges I can't get it adjusted good any witch way. It closes hard. When I get it to close nicely it leaks tons of air. Guess I'll have to pull the fender on this one lol
Probably in the nearer future.

 

[Scott91370]

Correct me if I am wrong but, doesn't adding back the plastic piece on the striker (or a piece of pex) fix the issue?

 

[squaredeal91]

Correct me if I am wrong but, doesn't adding back the plastic piece on the striker (or a piece of pex) fix the issue?

Not in my case. My problem is that the seal is too tight because the door is closer in the jam area so it's tight there when closing and has to be forced closed.

 

[mibars]

My problem is that the seal is too tight because the door is closer in the jam area so it's tight there when closing and has to be forced closed.

Sounds like a similar issue to mine: I've replaced door strikers after no success with a PEX pipe (couldn't find a right size pipe in Europe), but they still closed hard. I've readjusted strikers so they close soft but now doors does not sit flush when closed, especially in bottom edge I have like a 1 cm (101/256 inches?) gap when closed

 

[Hunter79764]

Does it seem like adjusting the door hinges might be an option? And/or replacing the pin bushings, if there is some play in the door? In the Monte Carlo world, the hinges tend to sag a fair amount, and new bushings in the hinges is the accepted fix. I also remember my grandpa, who ran the service department of the Chevy dealer for many years, adjusting the hinges on my sister's various 3rd gen Firebirds with a GM Door Adjustment Tool, which looked an awful lot like a 6' piece of 2x4 that he would use to pry up on the rear of the door until the door, striker, and window lined up like they were supposed to. He would also put it as a spacer under the door and put a jack underneath it to get some movement that way too, without scuffing the paint or risking damage to the door skin. The hinges on those would flex downward over time, so bending them back in that manner seemed to get to the root issue better than adjusting the striker. Of course, those doors were probably twice as heavy and twice as long as truck doors, so it's probably a different failure mode for the misalignment you're getting?