How do you adjust the door latch on a '67 B-body?

How do you adjust the door latch on a '67 B-body? - 08/31/10 06:05 AM

1967 Satellite Hardtop. Passenger door latch works, but sorta need to slam the door. Is there a way to adjust this?

Thanks-

Posted By: SNK-EYZ

Re: How do you adjust the door latch on a '67 B-body? - 08/31/10 06:09 AM

As long as the door it's self is still lined up you move the striker in the rear part of the door jam.
You do that by loosening the phillips screws that secure it.

If the door isn't lined up you need to adjust the door at the hinges first.

Posted By: StealthWedge67

Re: How do you adjust the door latch on a '67 B-body? - 09/01/10 04:30 AM

What does the small allen-head screw do on the door side?

Posted By: topside

Re: How do you adjust the door latch on a '67 B-body? - 09/01/10 04:40 AM

The latch itself isn't really adjustable, but the striker is; small movements make a big difference. Look at the striker and you can pretty much see where it needs to be from where the latch is rubbing on it.

Posted By: StealthWedge67

Re: How do you adjust the door latch on a '67 B-body? - 09/01/10 04:51 AM

It goes through the first click on the gear, but gets hung up before it can get to the second click. I can't figure out what its jambing on, but I can't even push it closed. The door seems aligned ht. wise, and as it jambs up, its not pushing the door up or down. I've been making micro adjustments for a while now, and cant seem to make any progress. Im further away now than when I started.

I think its time to walk away and come back tomorrow with a fresh mind.

Posted By: DennisH

Re: How do you adjust the door latch on a '67 B-body? - 09/01/10 01:06 PM

Quote:

1967 Satellite Hardtop. Passenger door latch works, but sorta need to slam the door. Is there a way to adjust this?

Thanks-

Same EXACT on my 69 Coronet. Always been annoying. I will adjust the striker slightly.

Posted By: belv2vert66

Re: How do you adjust the door latch on a '67 B-body? - 09/01/10 06:01 PM

I just went through this on my Dart....Same problem. First click was fine, could not make it latch on the second. It was a multitude of things.

1) Weather stripping is new
2) My door panels (early dart) were built too big and were hitting the weather strip
3) door was slightly mis aligned which contributed to the door binding on the weather strip. My doors were a little too far in on the pillar.
4)The striker needed a slight adjustment.

I was so mad at mine when I installed the weather strip and door panels I just went in the house. Both doors shut well before that. It took me several afternoons of tinkering about a week later and now they work great.

Posted By: barracudabob

Re: How do you adjust the door latch on a '67 B-body? - 09/01/10 11:11 PM

Prepare to spend a couple of hours on the door adjustment. First, with the door almost closed, try lifting the back of the door up and down. If you can, your hinges are worn, and will need bushings and pins. If there is no measurable amount of movement, proceed to the next step. Using masking tape, mark the exact location of the striker. Remove the striker, and close the door. Check for body lines lining up, gap equal all around, etc. If anything is out, you will have to remove the kick panel to get at the fasteners on the inside, and adjust. On the door side of the hinge, you can adjust for in and out, as facing the door. On the pillar side, you can adjust for and aft. Once you have everything lined up, reinstall the striker plate in the original place, and just snug the fasteners. Try closing the door. As you close the door, you will see the top of the door try to move up or down. Tap the striker lightly with a hammer, so when the door tries to close, it still lines up with the body line. Once you have the up and down right, then start on the side to side, until the door is closed and the body lines are even. Once you have everything aligned properly, tighten the striker screws.
Its fiddly work, but with a little patience, you shouldn't have a problem. Hope this helps, Bob

Posted By: StealthWedge67

Re: How do you adjust the door latch on a '67 B-body? - 09/02/10 04:57 AM

Well, I got it to the point where I'm pretty happy. So, I'll let it lie there. What seemed to be the biggest trick: my strike had two shims under it. A thick one (I'm guessing at about .050), and a thinner one (about .020) I removed the thicker one, and saw immediate improvement. Don't know why moving the strike laterally would have such an effect, but it did.