Possible Tweaked Vert (Need Advise)

[LilRedPony]

Ok here's my problem, I am hoping to get the vert back on the road soon and want to get my MM subframes welded in soon thereafter.

But I'm worried that the body is tweaked because the doors are not lining up with the body at the back of the door, the driver side door is in a little while the bottom is sticking out a little, while the passenger side is the opposite, the top of the door is sticking out a little while the bottom is in. In other words they are both canted in the same direction.

So this is what I have come up with so far for possibilities
1. The front half of the car (pillars) are slightly tweaked
2. The back half of the car is tweaked
3. The door hinges are bent (possibly caused by body flex?)

To the best of my knowledge the car has never been in any kind of accident, vins all match and no bondo on anything. I will probably get it checked out at a body shop just to be safe, but if anyone has any ideas that would be great.

 

[ty-rone]

My stang does the same thing...kind of. My driver side is fine while my passenger side sits about half an inch low in the frame and stick out a bit. It was bad to the point when it rained I was having lakes in my back seat.

From what I gather most peopel think this is not a frame problem. However I would still take it to get checked out. I plan on doing that myself. I am stuck in a crisis, I need to paint it but should I bother if my doors don't close properly

 

[jrichker]

I would suggest that you find a really good frame shop and have them put you car up on the frame machine. They can pull & push things into proper alignment and them weld the subframes into place to hold them there permanently. You may have to align the doors after you are done.

 

[ty-rone]

Is the frame striaghtening procedure really pricey?

 

[gregpro50]

Is the frame striaghtening procedure really pricey?

Yep it is. I'm not so sure it sounds like the uni-body is twisted. Sounds more like the hinges and hinge pins are worn. It takes a pretty good hit to twist the uni-body.

 

[Paul Perreca]

the door hinges always go bad, but usually they just drop the door an inch or two, 90% of the cars I looked at when buying my stang had the door problem, when i found one w/o it, and the ash tray cover was in tact, i bought it lol
Paul Perreca

 

[Paul Perreca]

oh yea, i have a frame shop and am in PA if you are close

 

[ty-rone]

well if the car was not in an accident, what are the chances of bending the door frame from just too much power?

 

[gregpro50]

well if the car was not in an accident, what are the chances of bending the door frame from just too much power?

If it is putting out 600hp with no reinforcements then maybe. The vert bodys will flex alot if not braced but it would be tough to bend one.

 

[ty-rone]

My car(not vert) is probably about 300 rwhp and I don't have sub frames yet. My doors don't close right either, though they look a lot better now that i have bent the actual door a bit.

I have heard many cars with bent frames don't drive straight. But is that more of a common problem thne bending a frame for a door?

 

[LilRedPony]

I really don't see how it could be the frame as well since it has never been hit. The only thing I was worried about was that the flex, because its a vert, might have translated into some permenent tweaking. But I'm thinking that the hinges are the most likely culprit since if they are even a little off it can translate into a major difference at the back of the door. The hinges might have been bent if the car was jacked up on just one side of the front because one side of the car will stay on the ground while the other is jacked 1 1/2' in the air, there is that much flex in these verts. Also I replaced the door pins/bushings not that long ago so I know that is not the problem.

 

[Pop-Pops-Pony]

Find a level floor somewhere. A concrete garage floor would do, it's realitively level. Jack the car up and put jackstands under the front control arms and the rear frame half. Any twist should be apparent as long as the front stands are the same height and rear are the same height and the stands are under the same places under the car.....If theres a gap the bodies twisted. If it is let it sit on the stands awhile it might come down...

Saw Ranchero 50 put subs in one after it had a 1.5 inch gap on one of the rear stands...It came down...

If it's that much a trip to a frame shop should be in order to get it right...

Note: Verts are made stiffer in the body anyway since theres no support from the roof...

 

[gregpro50]

Note: Verts are made stiffer in the body anyway since theres no support from the roof...

They have reinforcements riveted to the unibody but they are nowhere near as stiff as a hard top. They twist and flex every which way over uneven roads. Full-length subframes will make a huge difference.

 

[BlackFox5.0]

With the door open, grab the end, and pull it up, does it move? It shouldn't if it does you'll need hinge bushings and pins. common problem.

 

[speed1972]

I put full sub frames under mine and it definitely helped but it still twists and tweaks a little. I wouldn't worry about the frame being bent so much as I would the doors sagging. Open the doors and lift up on them at the end by the door handle.....see how much play it has. There shouldn't be much..... LB