Herald door gaps

[Pdv]

I have taken off and refitted both doors on my other herald and one fits really well but the other one juts out at the bottom rear.

It has been a while since last did the doors so tried to do some adjustment yesterday and have improved it but not as much as I would like.

I have a download of the Triumph body fitting guide which is not the best, struggle with the pictures.

Some simple steps to help would be very helpful.

Thanks 

Steve 

[Paul H]

Any pics available ? 
Paul 

[sulzerman]

The door could be distorted, particularly if it's had a new skin.

[Colin Lindsay]

If I remember the guidelines from many years ago the door skin should be left loose, crimped over the frame but not welded and the frame 'twisted' until flush with the lower edge and the rear wing. Only then should it be welded. The tub may also have sagged slightly, resulting in the lower door sitting out too far compared to the top. It's a common enough thing to see on Heralds, you may be able to draw the tops of the b-posts inwards by use of ratchet straps but otherwise you just have to get the best profile you can by loosening the door catches and trial-fitting until it looks as good as it can get.

[Pete Lewis]

agree this has all the traits of tub spread 

it does need the B post pulling inwards to realign the base of the door 

there a good few posting on here about a variety of methods to achieve a result ( search tub spread )

Pete

 

 

[Pdv]

I will take a picture, plus two other things it really does not look like a new doorskin and there is not any tub spread as the points to measure are 45 inches.

Thanks for the replies.

Steve

[Pete Lewis]

there is in /out adjustment of the hinge to the door , but its a case of line up bonnet/wing and B post , if theres a twist in the body or the door you wont cure the proud 

fit at the lower B post waist with the available adjustables 

do make sure you are not using oversized Bubble door seals  they should be a single open flip never a tube/bubble seal (as sold by so many )

take the seal off and look at the line up door to seal flange it may just be the seal it overloading the shut 

Pete

 

[Pdv]

Hi Pete,

Unfortunately purchased the wrong door seals before I found out they were available elsewhere, but have to live with that, the nearside door shows that.

The picture of the nearside looks like a big gap in the middle which is not as bad as it looks. 

I will take the seals off  check and adjust the bonnet if needed and go from there.

Thanks 

Steve 20221116_164854.thumb.jpg.063106c191518a755362a1955caa4c8e.jpg0

 

 

[Pete Lewis]

you can reduce the balloon seal loads with some careful work slitting it with a stanley blade its not easy stuff to cut neatly 

but it allows the seal to collapse not push the door outwards 

just cut near the base moulding to make a  C flip rather than a  O tube 

Pete

[Colin Lindsay]

That almost looks like a badly fitted or poorly repaired rear wing, than the door? Was any work done to the wing or B-post?

[Pete Lewis]

agree   that makes sense the door should  be  curved and  the wing looks  very flat

Pete

[foshi]

what does it shut like with out the door seals fitted , on mine had wrong seals pushed the door out of line , last vitesse used a lump hammer 4x2 lined up then made good before painting, but agree rear wing does not look right in pics .

[steveo]

I was told by a bloke that worked on car bodywork for years to align doors/boots remove all catches & rubbers, make the door fit the hole (this quite often involved bits of wood & a jack / twisting things) when happy with gaps re fit catches & rubbers.

Cheers, Steve.

[Pdv]

Hi,

I will take another photo as I don't think the photo reflects the reality and I don't think any work has been done to the wing or b post but will investigate.

Thanks 

Steve 

[PeteH]

The puzzling thing (to Me) is that the door appears to flush top and bottom?, almost as if the door had been re-skinned, or the lower part anyway?, and not profiled correctly. Unless the rear wing has receved damage at some point.

Pete

[Gary Flinn]

I would double check to see if the rear wings have been replaced, some of the reproduction rear wings where the incorrect shape, flat instead of slightly curved.

Can you compare the rear Wing shape/profile with another original Herald/Vitesse?

Here's a couple of images that show my Old Vitesse which had its original rear Wings and Door skins and shows the profile of Door and Rear wing

If the Repro rear wings with the incorrect shape/profile have been fitted you will struggle to get the doors to line up correctly I'm afraid

Gary

[Pete Lewis]

reskinning  surely the replacement skin follows the contour of the carcass 

easy to bend a skin not so easy to bend the carcass 

Pete

[PeteH]

1 hour ago, Pete Lewis said:

reskinning  surely the replacement skin follows the contour of the carcass 

easy to bend a skin not so easy to bend the carcass 

Pete

Perhaps if there had been significant corrosion to the lower carcass? and a lot of cutting away required to repair. Then it would not be too hard to get the lower edge sufficiently out of alignment to make an issue?. Especially for anyone not versed in body repair. I don`t know, but it (IMV) is a possibility?.

I know when I did a lower part re-skin on mine, I cut away and replaced a substantial part of the carcass at the bottom which was badly corroded?. Which just reminded me I did not put any drain holes back!!🙄

Pete

[daverclasper]

On 16/11/2022 at 11:12, Pdv said:

and there is not any tub spread as the points to measure are 45 inches

Good luck with it Steve

Which are the points that need to measure 45" please

Dave

[PeteH]

I have 48" ?.

Pete

[Pete Lewis]

and i think we ended up with 47.5"   between the top flanges of the B post  this dimension is not cast in stone its whatever is 

needed to aling the bottom of the door's proudness   you have to pull in more as it will spring back 

too much pull in can cause the wings to fall inwards and close the boot lit fit to a foul 

45" is a step too far