Door slamming

[Steve Cureton]

Anyone got any tips on how to set up my Herald doors so I don't need to slam them quite so hard? The car has been restored so it has good fitting doors, good hinge pins with no door sag, resonable gaps, new door rubber (the proper stuff), and the lock mechanism is second-hand but looks to be new. The only thing I can't really vouch for is the striker plate, are these known to wear and cause this problem?

[garyf]

Steve

You say you've got the proper door seals, are these the 'J' profile type available from Bill at Rarebits, if so they should be fine, the circular section type are to thick?

I spent an age trying to get my doors to shut easily, eventualy got them to shut without slamming to hard, however I think its near on impossible to get them to shut like a modern car?

I would suggest the following:-

1. Try shutting the doors without the door seals fitted, this will tell you if these are causing the problem?

2. Ensure the striker catch mounted on the 'B' post is not excessively worn and the sliding catch part moves easily and is lubricated, also it needs to be adjusted so the door slider catch is in the correct position when you shut the door.

3. Ensure the square section catch on the door is not worn, this is the part that engages with the catch on the 'B' post and again make sure its well lubricated.

4. If it looks like the flange that the door seal fits to is to close to the door it can be bent slightly with a pair of pliers to give more clearance, a bit of a bodge I know but I had to do this on the drivers side in one area on my car.

I find with my Convertible that the doors are harder to shut with the roof up, although they don't catch anywhere?

I think New Door Mechanisms/Catchs for the Drivers side and both 'B' Post strikers are available from Rimmers

Hope this helps

Gary

[Steve Cureton]

Thanks Gary. The door seal is from Bill so I know that's okay. I went to have a quick look just before I read your post and I think the problem might be the door is pressing too hard on the A post rubber.  I can slacken this off but I suspect it will make the door stick out further than the bonnet. As long as it's not too much then I prefer a slight misalignment than having to slam so damn hard it rattles my fillings!

I'll take a closer look at the weekend and I'll try your tips first, although I'm pretty sure the mechanism is fine, but I am less sure about the striker plate.

[Clive]

If it is the rubber, I have had some success on various cars by bending the lip the seal fits to. May be preferable to door alignment......

[Deleted User]

garyf wrote:

Steve

I spent an age trying to get my doors to shut easily, eventualy got them to shut without slamming to hard, however I think its near on impossible to get them to shut like a modern car?



Gary

Basically, yes… it's the nature of the mechanism, it's the automotive equivalent of the old train slam door lock and you are physically operating mechanism when you close the door. The modern burst proof locks work by tripping over a spring loaded cam plate to retain the striker pin and only need enough 'bang' to trip the latch.

[Scottie55]

I had similar door slamming problem on the choc estate and it turned out to be a knackered spring on the door lock mechnism. Replaced  springs on both doors and all ok now, well less slamming now required. Fiddly job replacing these springs so be warned. Also, I realigned the b-post latch relative to the door lock which also helped. I'd try the latter first.

[heraldcoupe]

If all else is in good order, the slider on the B-post catch plate can cause problems way beyond your expectations! Spray it out with WD40, then once all the gunge is flushed away, lubricate it with some light oil,
Cheers,
Bill.

[Steve Cureton]

Bill / Gary, you're stars - that's all it was. Even though I cleaned the slider during the restoration and made sure it was nice & free, for some reason it was sticking again. one quick spray of WD40 and the door closes like a new one.

Cheers

[marktheherald]

WD40 has a solvent in it, it will dry out pretty quickly. Lube it further with 3in1. (standard advice to customers after I've fitted a new garage door!)  

[garyf]

Steve

Glad you've sorted it :) a bit of 3 in 1 oil should do the trick?

Clean and lube again every 6 months and you should be Ok.

Gary

[Steve Cureton]

3 in 1 now aplied and working a treat. If I have the window wound down an inch the door will even close under it's own ineria without help form me - I've never seen that on any of my Heralds before!

[Mark Hammond]

They were never that good from new, my 1200s driver's door closes much easier then the passenger door, but both are fine with one or both windows ajar.  Seems like the car is so airtight there is much bounceback!

Mark

[lordleonusa]

1. the doors - with glass - weigh 4½ stone each.

2. the doors are 47½ inches long, so lots of leverage

3. the hinges are too small.

4. the chassis flexes due to lack of torsional rigidity.

normally, expect to adjust the door hinges roughly every two years.

do not carry too much in the boot, it makes matters worse, as does body spread between the B-posts, especially on convertibles.

note that the original door catches - the part on the door with the metal slider work better than the repros, (which have a plastic slider), and are better quality, but pretty much all worn away by now.

these door catches were also fitted to the A40 Farina, which had doors that weighed next to nothing and were very much shorter - none of those left in the scrappys now methinks.
(they are invariably never worn out on the Austins)

L

[valencia1]

Steve_Curton wrote:

3 in 1 now aplied and working a treat. If I have the window wound down an inch the door will even close under it's own ineria without help form me - I've never seen that on any of my Heralds before!

almost like a golf, then :)

[Steve Cureton]

valencia1 wrote:

almost like a golf, then :)

LOL: Not really, I still wouldn't describe it as a 'clunk', more of a 'clank'.