How to Adjust Car Door to Close Tighter
Introduction
The most common problem with the doors not closing properly is the door striker, a metal bracket attached to the car body that holds the door latch assembly and helps hold the door in place. If the striker has been bent or damaged in any way, then you will need to adjust it using this method. Unfortunately, many strikers have become useless over time; even if they look okay from outside, they still won’t work correctly. Sometimes this problem can be resolved by adjusting just a few bolts, while other times, it may require a complete replacement of all parts in the entire strike assembly. Today I am going to discuss a technique on how to adjust car door to close tighter.
Summary: If you find that your car’s door tends to close a bit too loosely, there are a few simple steps you can take to tighten the fit. Start by checking the hinges and springs. If they seem to be in good condition, your next step is to adjust the door handle. By moving the handle up or down, you can change the tension on the hinges, which will tighten the fit of the door. Finally, check the spring tension at the base of the door. This can be adjusted by turning the screw on the bottom of the door.
Step-wise Guide on How to Adjust Car Door to Close Tighter
It Would Be Best if You Had the Following Items Ready:
- Screwdriver
- Rubber hammer (if necessary)
- Hammer, if necessary
- Gloves to protect your hands from getting scratched by sharp edges of paint as you work on both sides of your car door hinges while adjusting them
- T-handle Allen Wrench or for Saab and Volvo owners, a set of small Phillips head screwdrivers (normal-sized will not get into small spaces without scratching), available at Walmart or a toolbox with various sizes
- Tape measure and marker tape or chalk
- A support person is helpful to hold the door in place
- Door lock
- Pencil
- Paper and writing utensils
- Step ladder
- Sand paper or metal file
- Chip brush
Step 1:
To loosen the screws inside a car door hinge, you will need an Allen wrench. First, turn the wrench counterclockwise by 90 degrees. Then, turn it back by a quarter turn. You may also need to raise your Step ladder a bit higher and pull on the outside of the door so that it opens farther for you to reach into the car door’s hinge area with an Allen wrench to loosen.
Open the inside panel of your car door if necessary by loosening from inside using your screwdriver.
Step 2:
Slip the chip brush into space between your car door and hinge where it meets, to remove any dirt or debris that may be stuck in there. Use a Step ladder if necessary to accomplish this part of the job.
Step 3:
There is a rubber cap on the top hanger bar inside the car door hinge. This is what holds the car door up while it is open. You may want to cover it with tape so it does not get scratched by your screwdriver or hammer. This rubber piece needs to be loosened on both ends of the hanger bar (upper and lower) so it can slide freely along the vertical bar in your car’s hinge area as you adjust your door latch.
First, remove the top screw holding the rubber cap in place, and then remove the bottom screw and pull the centerpiece off of its hinge on both sides. Do not lose this rubber piece (see photo). If you do not have screws to remove, you will need to use a small hammer to tap around the edges of the rubber cap to loosen it from its place inside your car door hinge.
Step 4:
Pull hanger bar out with one hand while tightening T-handle Allen Wrench counter-clockwise 90 degrees or by 1/4 turn at a time with your other hand. Again, you may need to raise the Step ladder higher so that you can reach the hanger bar when loosening the t-handle Allen wrench.
Make sure the rubber bar can move up and down the metal hanger bar easily. If it’s not moving easily, stop loosening the t-handle Allen Wrench and tap the center of the rubber cap with a small hammer or a rubber hammer to loosen up both ends of the rubber cap along the metal hanger bar inside the car door hinge. Don’t hit the metal part!
Step 5:
Make sure your car door closes tightly by opening it and using an Allen wrench to check. You can also ask a friend to help you by holding the door while you check the latch from another area.
If the latch is still sticking, turn the Allen wrench counterclockwise by at least another 90 degrees or 1/4 turn at a time. Be careful not to over-loosen or the metal parts in your car door hinge could separate.
Step 6:
After adjusting your car door so that it closes tightly, replace the rubber cap on top of the hanger bar with screws and tighten.
Step 7:
You can use sandpaper or a metal file if you have dents in your hanger bar, as it will make this part easier to slide freely along the vertical hanger bar when closed. Wrap up any loose wire from step 2’s chip brush with electrical tape.
Precautions While Adjusting Car Door to Close Tighter
Before adjusting the doors of your car, make sure that you are working on a smooth surface (preferably flat ground) and there’s no one in front or behind the car. You may also take help from someone to ensure all is well while you adjust your door. Remember: Never attempt to work on your wheels and tires when they are still attached to your vehicle!
When driving at high speeds, don’t let the wind hit the side windows with great force as this can damage them. If you must keep them open, then cover them with protective sleeves first. Use only recommended products and parts for any repair job.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why Won’t My Car Door Close All the Way?
If your car door doesn’t close all the way, there are a few things that you can do to make it work.
1. Check if the door is properly latched.
2. If the door is not properly latched, try closing it slowly with both hands and make sure it is fully closed before attempting to open it again.
3. If your car has power windows, press down on the window button with one hand while pressing the door lock release button with another hand and then gently push the window up until it reaches its top position before continuing to press down on the lock release button for about 10 seconds so that your car will now be unlocked from inside of your vehicle as well as outside of your vehicle at the same time by using this method.
What Should Door Gaps Be?
A door gap is a space between the bottom of a door and the floor. Door gaps are required to prevent water from leaking in when it rains or snow melts.
The recommended door gap height for residential use is 12 inches, with a minimum of 10 inches. A minimum of 14 inches is recommended for commercial use with an ideal gap height of 16-18 inches.
What Causes a Door to Sag?
There are a few different things that can cause a door to sag. One of the most common causes is due to not having enough support on the inside of the door. This type of problem will happen when the door has insufficient hinges or when it doesn’t have any supports in the middle at all.
The other common reason for a door sagging is due to too much weight being placed on one side of the door. If there is an uneven amount of weight being put on one side, then it’s going to pull that side down more than the other and cause a noticeable gap between them.
Why Is My Door So Hard to Close?
It is a simple but effective way to prevent the door from closing. A very common problem with some doors is that they can be hard to close, especially if they are old or not properly maintained. A lot of people often have trouble figuring out why their door is so difficult to close and what can be done about it.
Conclusion
A well-adjusted car door should be able to close tightly and slide gently without any problems when driving at high speeds or passing through puddles of water. Proper handling of your car’s door latch will help prevent accidents on highways and streets where sudden weather changes may occur, causing slippery conditions. Wearing seat belts at all times while driving is also among the important safety precautions you need to take every time you get behind the wheel. I hope you have obtained all the necessary information about how to adjust car door to close tighter from this article. Thank you.
Louis Wein
Louis has always been fascinated by cars. He loves the way they look, the sound of the engine, and how they make him feel when he's driving. He is always keen to learn more about different mechanics of cars and how the engine contributes to other aspects of the car. As an automotive technician with over 10 years of experience, he knew how they worked and loved taking them apart to see how they went back together. He was especially interested in the mechanics of combustion engines and loved finding ways to make them more efficient. He loves to work on cars and help people keep their vehicles running smoothly. As a senior editor, he enjoys contributing to Diy quickly because it allows him to share his knowledge and expertise with others.
