door jam assembly problem

[twothrees]

My door jam assembly is very loose. The loud popping is getting to me and I fear that it will break loose. Has anyone fixed this? From what little I have found in searching, the door jam assembly is welded to the door frame. Any fix involves removing the fender and welding the piece back on.

Has anyone done this? Any fix outside of removing the fender and welding? Any help would be appreciated.

And I am not talking about the hinge inside the door, its the piece inside the door frame.

[ddavidv]

You're talking about the door 'check' strap that keeps the door from opening too far. They fail in 2 ways: at the door or inside the car body. If you have the latter, then there is only one way to fix it: remove fender and have a skilled welder repair it. Chances are it is not just the welds that hold the strap in place that have failed but the metal around it has cracked also. It may require a portion be cut out and new welded in.

Or, you can employ the free and only marginally less annoying path that I used on the race car and disconnect the strap at the door and just hold the door when you open it. ;) The downside to this method is the damn door won't stay open, and will allow the door to close on your shin when you least expect it.

[twothrees]

If you have the latter, then there is only one way to fix it: remove fender and have a skilled welder repair it. Chances are it is not just the welds that hold the strap in place that have failed but the metal around it has cracked also. It may require a portion be cut out and new welded in.

I was afraid you were going to say that. Thanks for the input.

Doug

[nando]

I doubt it's the welds. it probably just looks like this:



pretty common actually. you'd need a new door brake assembly, I got one off a parts car.

[twothrees]

Initially, I thought it was the door check assembly too and replaced it with a pass. side door brake. Thats when I realized it was on the other side of the door frame.

Next time I go to the salvage yard, I'm going to pull a fender and see what it looks like in there.

[nando]

well that sucks - I think when these things go bad, they can rip the metal like that. I guess I got lucky.

[ddavidv]

I'm living the same bit of hell. I tried fixing it myself but I am not a 'skilled' welder, nor do I have exceptional equipment. The weld lasted for about 2 door openings. :(
The steel of the car body was actually fractured in several places around the welds, so it isn't the weld that fails as much as the door post. There is ZERO access to it from the inside, so you have to plug weld it from the outside, with the fender off.

[twothrees]

That sucks...I guess I need to get on this sooner rather than later. Thanks for letting me know.