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Door gap adjuster/ spreader tool question

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Barryp

Barryp

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I'm in the process of trial fitting body panels back on my BN4. I've fabricated a door gap adjuster tool similiar to the one Randy Forbes has shown here but not nearly as exotic. Dummy engine with head and gearbox are in the car with about 50lbs of ballast in the trunk sitting on wheels at target ride height. Plan to weld the the new right side rocker panel in place once all gaps a are set, currently attached with sheet metal screws. Left side gaps look good, right side door over laps the rear fender slightly at the top.

I can make the right side gap correct with the adjuster. My question is how do you hold the correct measurement once the adjuster tool is removed?

Barry
 
Hi Barry, From my experience I have found that most times welding in bracing laterally and longitudinally and maybe crossbracing is a prudent step to take to generally keep things in alignment, but in those occurrances the bracing is usually envisioned to keep things from closing up on you when you remove other structural pieces. If your opennings are already closed up some (tight) the bracing will keep things as you have them but if necessary to push things apart that's another issue. As has been stated in other threads our Healey can have a tendency to bend or sag the frame which then may show up in tight door opennings at the top of the door. Or the tightness at the top may be the result of the fender being out of position just a smidgin or the door hinge pillar having gotten bent. I think if your door is that tight to the fender you look closely at what can be changed to make the openning bigger in leu of just forcing it wider with an adjuster. Because as you said, after you force it wider what do you do to keep it there. I garantee you that just welding in a new rocker sill is not going to do much to keep the top part of the door openning wider. To open up the gap at the top of the door and the rear fender, or any fender for that matter, you can either adjust the edge of the door, move the fender or change it's edge, or move the hinge pillar alittle. Then pray that the frame doesn't close up the gap some more later on. Oh, one easy thing that I didn't say is that if the openning really is wide enough, maybe removing shims on the top hinge or adding shims to the bottem hinge might do it. If there are any shims there. Hey, keep at it, the're all worth it. Dave C.
 
Dave, Thanks for the encouragement, I have a new found respect for those of you that have been through this on a big Healey. Guess I've been working on too many fiberglass cars recently. I did weld braces in place after media blasting, and while the chassis was on the rotisserie, and took lots of measurements.

To update the fitting progress, gaps aren't perfect or close enough yet but I'm getting there, 2x4's and leverage are your friends. The right side shut face had moved forward at the out edge in the straightening rocker removal/replacement process, inner part of the shut face was in the correct location. Still a lot of massaging to do, but it's looking better.

Thanks agian for the advise, this site has been a wealth of information and help on this project.


Barry
 
Barry -

Great to hear you're making progress. I'm looking forward to hooking-up with ya at Road America in 2014.
 
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