How to Adjust Ford Door Hinges

by Chris Moore

If the door on your Ford vehicle is having problems opening and closing, it could be because the hinges aren't positioned properly. While this might mean the hinges need to be replaced completely, you might be able to fix the problem by adjusting the hinges. This is not an easy task; you will likely need another person's help, and it may take several tries before you correctly adjust them.

Step 1

Open the door and make sure it's properly supported. The best way is to have a second person hold onto it. You can also place and raise a jack under the door, but place rags on the jack first to prevent scratching the paint.

Step 2

Loosen the mounting bolts with a socket wrench on one side of the hinge--either the door side or the body side. Move the door in whichever direction you feel it needs to be moved (up or down are most likely), and tighten the bolts with the door in its new position.

Step 3

Check the door's new position. It needs to be aligned so the top of the door lines up with the top of the fenders and the bottom lines up with the lower rocker panel. If not, repeat Step 2 until it is aligned.

Step 4

Use body alignment shims if you can't properly adjust the hinges by themselves. Loosen the hinge bolts, and insert the shims behind the hinges.

Step 5

Adjust the door striker on the door jamb if necessary. The striker's bolts should require a Torx or hex wrench. Loosen the bolts, tap the striker in the needed direction--up, down, left or right--and tighten the bolts back.

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