Door Check Friction Adjustment

[HealeyDave]

Is there a way to adjust the amount of friction in the door check? My drivers side has no friction in it to hold the door open. I recall reading something about that somewhere - something about a friction disk. But ........ I've slept since then.
Thanks
Dave
BN7

 

[steveg]

Undo the little wrench thingie and tighten the nut slightly; re-attach the wrench. The idea is when you open the door, the wrench should clamp down on the friction disc enough to keep the door open. My discs were worn down so I bought the Moss replacements.

The driver's side is normal threads; passenger side is left hand threads.

 

[HealeyDave]

Thanks. That makes sense.

 

[vette]

HealeyDave, yeh, i agree with Steve. Just thought that I would add that the yoke or clasp that fits around the nut moves as the door is openned. It is intended that it would clamp down enough to hold the door open at approx 45*. The shop manual has the proceedure. And as Steve said the right side door has to use a left hand thread because as the door on the right swings wide it turns the yoke to the left so the nut must tighten as it is turned to the left. On mine, the right side bolt & nut was stripped. I went to a bolt specialty house such as FastenAll and bought a new left hand thread bolt & nut. I haven't installed it yet but the plan is to cut the old bolt off and drill it out then insert the new bolt and weld it in. My check mechanisms did not have any friction disc in them. and I don't know what to make them out of. but the driver's side is working very well with just the metal spring washer with metal to metal contact.
Dave.

 

[Keoke]

Yep
Thats how it is done,but I had forgotten about that little procedure good show.

 

[Rob Glasgow]

After years of tightening the nut on the door check, the threads on both sides wore out. I replaced the worn bolts with both a standard thread for the left door and a left hand thread for the right door. Rather than use the standard height nuts, I purchased coupling nuts (both left and right hand threads) and use those. My thought was that the coupling nuts had more threads which would spread the load over a larger part of the bolts and lessen the chance the bolt would strip. I made the change about ten years ago and they still work well.

Here's a photo of a coupling nut.

 

[steveg]

After years of tightening the nut on the door check, the threads on both sides wore out. I replaced the worn bolts with both a standard thread for the left door and a left hand thread for the right door. Rather than use the standard height nuts, I purchased coupling nuts (both left and right hand threads) and use those. My thought was that the coupling nuts had more threads which would spread the load over a larger part of the bolts and lessen the chance the bolt would strip. I made the change about ten years ago and they still work well.

Here's a photo of a coupling nut.

Rob,
That's a great idea! - could you post a picture of the nut as installed on your door?

 

[oxford]

Hi Dave
if you are interested I have a brief discussion on one of my videos. I used some Bakelite to make one.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X7nvgxPRtK4
Cheers
Matthew

 

[Rob Glasgow]

Steve, My Healey is presently in 14 boxes in the rafters of my garage. The only difference between the standard door check and what I did was the substitution of the coupling nut. Like I said, I made the bolts a little longer that standard, but I think you could replace the standard nuts with the coupling nuts on an OEM door check and get the benefit of having more threads.

 

[HealeyDave]

Great video Matthew, thanks for sharing. I took my door check apart last night and did the adjustment. After I put some 'cheaters' on and with some decent light on the subject I could see how it works. The adjustment worked very well. What an ingenious and idiosyncratic device. Wonder who came up with that. Variable friction as the door opens further, and they are 'handed' for left and right side operation. Wow. Those were the days.
I can see how the threads would wear with cycles, and the friction device also. The longer coupling nuts would share the load better and increase thread life.
It's hard enough to get in and out of that car without the door wanting to close on my leg. Nice to have it fixed.
Dave

 

[steveg]

Hartford shocks use clutch lining material - would guess that's what the friction discs are made from.

 

[Rob Glasgow]

"It's hard enough to get in and out of that car without the door wanting to close on my leg." Amen to that, and it seems to be getting harder as the years go by. Fifty years ago, I would occasionally jump over the closed door and land in the drivers seat with a certain amount of "dashing flair". Very "Le Mans". Now a days, it's more groans and grunts. But until I can't get in and out, I will still feel eighteen again every time I drive my Healey. I don't know if Donald had any idea he was building a time machine, but that is really the magic of his car.
I don't mean any disrespect, but a 70 year old driving a Porsche or Ferrari is just an old person trying to look 'with it'. The same person in a Healey is simply cool......

 

[RAC68]

Rob, I second your comments. A drive with the Beach Boys playing is a trip back in time. 50 years ago, I never understood my Father's comment that the older you get, the more noise you make when seating and rising from the chair. Today, I fall into my Healey and literally climb out ... without being silent. However, I thing my added girth also has something to do with it.

To our Time Machines, when our responsibilities were less then our enthusiasms,
Ray (64BJ8P1)