22 replies to this topic

[Mito]

I've been reskinning the doors of my mini and whilst I think they line up reasonably well, I think I need to slot the hinge holes slightly in order to raise the door a little as it is touching at the bottom corner of the b pillar.

 

Full pic of the door

 IMG_20201013_135518.jpg   53.78K   10 downloads

 

The bottom edge

 IMG_20201013_135604.jpg   38.86K   10 downloads

 

The back

 IMG_20201013_135534.jpg   29.82K   5 downloads

 

Another of the back, trying to show the size of the gap towards the top of the rear quarter.

 IMG_20201013_135544.jpg   30.59K   4 downloads

 

The gap at the front

 IMG_20201013_135553.jpg   31.5K   1 downloads

 

The question I have is how do I go about slotting the hinge holes? Do I need some of these?

 

 

 

 

 

[sonscar]

Round file?Steve..

[alex-95]

As above a round file, if not a set of burrs would work. The end mills you linked wouldn't be up to the job, unless you had a big mill to put the mini on

[Mito]

As above a round file, if not a set of burrs would work. The end mills you linked wouldn't be up to the job, unless you had a big mill to put the mini on

 

Can't I bring the mill to the mini?

 

I've ordered a set of burrs.

[Ben_O]

I don't think raising the door is going to solve your issue.

in fact, I think it may cause a different issue.

 

Looking at your photos, it looks like the swage lines match perfectly between the door and the quarter panel and the shape of the door matches nicely to the quarter panel towards the top of the skin.

raising the door is go in to throw all that out.

 

Have you done work to the bottom of the quarter panel and/or the step? I think that's where the issue is..

[sonikk4]

I'm with Ben here, the swage line is almost spot on but i would say a thin shim on the bottom hinge would be enough to bring it up slightly

[Vanman20]

Some suggestions.
Before you weld the skin to the frame you may be able to tweak it slightly.
Looks like the gap to the A-panel is excessive so try tapping the doorskin with a hammer on a block of wood at the B-post end to see if it will move towards the A-panel.
Of course,it could be the A-panel that's throwing your gaps out if you've replaced that.
You can always run a weld down the edges to make the gaps smaller.
I think you need to raise the door ever so slightly and pull it out on the bottom hinge

Edited by Vanman20, 13 October 2020 - 08:55 PM.

[Mito]

I don't think raising the door is going to solve your issue.

in fact, I think it may cause a different issue.

 

Looking at your photos, it looks like the swage lines match perfectly between the door and the quarter panel and the shape of the door matches nicely to the quarter panel towards the top of the skin.

raising the door is go in to throw all that out.

 

Have you done work to the bottom of the quarter panel and/or the step? I think that's where the issue is..

 

Yes, I've replaced the bottom of the quarter panel and the door step has also been replaced. The bottom half of the car is all new.

 

Do I just need to knock the step down slightly and the back corner back a little?

[Mito]

I'm with Ben here, the swage line is almost spot on but i would say a thin shim on the bottom hinge would be enough to bring it up slightly

 I'll give that a go and see what it looks like

[sonikk4]

 

I'm with Ben here, the swage line is almost spot on but i would say a thin shim on the bottom hinge would be enough to bring it up slightly

 I'll give that a go and see what it looks like

 

 

Its the easiest thing to do. If the swage lines are perfectly aligned then its time to adjust the step etc. The gap by the way at the top of the skin at the back is common, i use steel filler rod welded in and ground back to fill the gap.

[Mito]

I took out the top shin and it's now looking much better everywhere except at the front edge of the window surround. This is now touching the pillar from the top edge of the door panel up to about a third of the way up.

I'll post a pic later as can't post them from my phone.

The other issue is the back edge of the door panel appears to be sunken in when lined up with the rear quarter. The top and bottom of the door panel line up well with the rear quarter.

[pete l]

I think you should have installed the door frame without the door skin first, and got that lined up perfectly and then presented the door skin to the door frame and aligned that up to the body and tacked it in place.

[Mito]

I think you should have installed the door frame without the door skin first, and got that lined up perfectly and then presented the door skin to the door frame and aligned that up to the body and tacked it in place.

I thought I had...

[Ben_O]

Put the shim back in and with the door a 1/3rd open, give it a twist with your left palm on the outside of the door near the edge where the door handle goes and wrap your fingers around the bottom of the frame at the rear bottom corner of the door and then push the top (left palm) and pull the bottom at the same time in one swift movement and then shut the door and check.

You might have to repeat this a few times or if you go too far, repeat in reverse

 

It might be the door is rubbing because its slightly twisted

[MikeRotherham]

Just a question purely out of interest. When the door is finally fitting correctly in the door frame and I mean generally not just for this OP. Will fitting the glass, regulator and door furniture make it sag and knock the alignment out again?