TR6 Let's talk TR6 door gaps!

[tdskip]

So, like, how big of a gap was considered normal?

 

[Simon TR4a]

If you can push your baby finger in the gap up to the first joint the gap is too big!

If it is different at the top from the bottom, something is is wrong.

On the other hand, its not a Lexus!

 

[kodanja]

roll a ball bearing round the car!

 

[Brosky]

This is a perfect topic for a cold, rainy Friday afternoon....

 

[tdskip]

So assuming the car fails the pinkie / ball bearing test, short of taking the frame off and spending oodles and oodles of money how do you make it better?

I should add that my gap is symmetrical all the way from top to bottom, and the bottom is perfectly level as well.

 

[TR6oldtimer]

OK, symmetrical is good, provided you can open the doors with two people in the car, and I assume you can. So just how much of a gap are we talking about?

 

[kodanja]

start playing with door hinges....(no fun)

 

[TR4]

How does the gap at the back of the door compare to the gap at the front of the door? Would moving the door to make the gaps equal give you acceptable gaps or are you thinking the fenders need to move?

 

[kodanja]

kinda depends on the position of the fenders, but I would start with the door hinges 1st.

 

[tdskip]

How does the gap at the back of the door compare to the gap at the front of the door? Would moving the door to make the gaps equal give you acceptable gaps or are you thinking the fenders need to move?

I think this is the ticket. The gap at the front is pretty tight, and if I split the difference I think I'll be about right.

Frame seems pretty solid and doors open/close well even with weight in the car of when it is jacked up. (much better in fact than the other '6)


As always, I really appreciate the help guys!

 

[Brosky]

Leave well enough alone and drive it.

I went nuts on mine because the drivers door doesn't fit perfectly at the bottom rear. The rest is a perfect alignment and it opens and closes beautifully.

I spent hours getting one thing perfect, then another wasn't right.

Finally took it in for professional help.

Body shop guy reminded me that this was not a hand crafted Ferrari or Bugatti, but a 34 year old Triumph. I actually felt good when after an hour of tweaking, he said that I had them as good as they were going to get. (The right is fine so it really bugged me).

Reality finally set in, so now it seems to look fine to me.

 

[Scott_Hower]

So assuming the car fails the pinkie / ball bearing test, short of taking the frame off and spending oodles and oodles of money how do you make it better?

I should add that my gap is symmetrical all the way from top to bottom, and the bottom is perfectly level as well.

Bigger ball bearing?

 

[martx-5]

...

Body shop guy reminded me that this was not a hand crafted Ferrari or Bugatti, but a 34 year old Triumph...

This is a paraphrase of an Enzo Ferrari quote...
"I don't care if it has electric windows. I don't care if the door gaps are straight but when the driver steps on the gas I want him to soil his pants."

 

[tdskip]

So assuming the car fails the pinkie / ball bearing test, short of taking the frame off and spending oodles and oodles of money how do you make it better?

I should add that my gap is symmetrical all the way from top to bottom, and the bottom is perfectly level as well.

Bigger ball bearing?

LOL Scott - good to hear from you!

 

[Brosky]

Gotta love Enzo.......

 

[erstearns]

I have owned 2 6's (76 and current 73). In each I noticed that the frame flexed enough that the doors rattled in the latch when going over uneven pavement.

Have others noticed this?

Considered teflon shim to tighten. Do I need to work on the hinge adjustment to tighten up against plate? Never played with that part before. PO "restored" but in most cases "re-paint" is the correct definition. Panel fit is not the best but I probably would not be happy with the factory fit either. I beleive that the cars were hand finished more or less in the fashion of the video posted a while back of the eastern european (I think)final assembly line adjustement, if anyone recalls that.

Live in WV so "eneven" pavement is a given.

 

[Brosky]

Eric,

I think that if your doors are rattling over bumps, it's not the latch, UNLESS the latch or striker is loose or worn out.

I'd bet on the window regulator(s) or the vertical channel(s) being loose INSIDE the door and sounding like it's coming from the latch.

There is a gasket/shim between the latch and the door.

 

[Norton47]

Eric
I had a rattle in the door that was caused by a worn lower hinge.
In finding and verifying that it was the culprit, I had people hold and push on things while I drove over sections of road that always caused the rattle. I have replaced only that lower hinge and just got the car back on the road and am happy to say that that rattle is gone.
I "found it" so to speak by lifting on the rear of the door with it open and watch the pins in the hinge. The lower had movement while the upper didn't.
FWIW.

 

[angelfj1]

My 250 has always flexed a lot even though my door gaps are not bad. One thing that has made a dramatic difference is the surrey top. I converted from roadster to coupe (surrey) nearly 20 years ago. When the hard top section is in place, it adds rigidity to the entire tub and the rattles almost disappear completely. With the soft top in place or sans top its just the same (rattle and roll) as when the car was a roadster. I suspect a TR-6 with a had top in place would be similar.

 

[toysrrus]

Hi There TR6oldtimer,

In my opinion; 1/8" is probably a max.

If you achieve this around the entire perefery; "YOUR GOOD"!!

Certainly better than my spelling (Perefery)????

LOL,

Russ