73 Passenger Door back on, Now how do I start adjusting it?

[WH23G3G]

I successfully got the door latch links on thanks to the help here. I hung the door back up and bolted the hinges up, but the new pin I put in the top has to be removed and trimmed because it covers the bolt going to the door. However, just doing some messing around with the door, I can't even understand where you start to adjust. The 73 Body Manual is vague in it's description on how to adjust it. The lower rear part of the door is rubbing the rear door pillar, and the rear top of the door is a little below the edge of the quarter window edge. So it needs to go up. I don't know which hinge to start with and what to do with the door. It looks like I'll have to be doing it by myself. How do you get the rear of the door to adjust up flush with the quarter window edge? When I open it drops even further. Should I be adjusting open or closed? The door opens smooth as silk, and closes easily, once you lift up on it.

[NHCharger]

I had to swap a door on my 72 a couple years ago. Your right, trying to adjust the door was a pain in the ass. What I finally ended up doing was removing the splash panel from the back of the wheel well, shut the door and had my son hold the door in place where I wanted it ( I left the bolts that hold the door on the hinges loose). I then used a long extension and reached through from the wheel well and tightened up the bolts.

[WH23G3G]

So you basically can't do it without another person? Well my fender isn't bolted down totally yet, so I just removed it. So I can get to all the bolts easy, I just can't hold one end where I want it, while I tighten the bolts up. So what you're saying is get someone to hold it in the door jamb, where it looks right and keep the hinge to door bolts loose and then just tighten the hinge to body bolts? Then will you have to adjust the hinge to door bolts orjust tighten them where they are. My biggest problem is finding someone to help, so if there's anyway to do it myself, I'd like to try it.

[Nacho-RT74]

I have done several times by myself. I don't have the perfect solution or explanation but I would explain how I did.
first you need to remove striker. Striker must have nothing to do helping on aligment. Altough you can support the door on striker to help you on bolt at first instance the hinges to body if you are alone.

Then just start with lower hinge trying to get the right gap between door and rocker panel, and then try to get it the same all along the door up to rear. Yo make that with the upper hinge. Of course, aligning with top of quarter also you get the right gap on lower gap

At this time you will need to play with both to get the right gap between door and quarter. at same time you need to align the door curvature with rest of body curvature.

Making without fenders is alot easier and will be faster even you will need then to aling the fender with the rest.

Definitelly is a play with patiente. Door aligning is the fisrt and most important step to get the glass aligning too.

two guys makes it easier, but I have done it alone.

[WH23G3G]

The lower hinge is tightened both on the door and the body. Tonight I tightened the upper hinge to body bolts and loosened the upper hinge to door bolts which was suggested. I then open the door enough to raise the back end up and then I tightened the upper hinge to door bolts and then I noticed it closed without having to lift up on it. However, it took minimal effort, so it's still not perfect. I didn't mess with the lower yet. I've noticed that the worst part is the rear lower edge of the door is just about rubbing on the door jamb. So the rear needs to come forward some. Which part of the hinges do I need to loosen to do that? I'm basically going to have to keep messing with it until it looks right, because I'm doing all this and can't see the logic about what happens when you loosen and move the door in/out/up/down. The only thing I can figure out is when you loosen the hinge bolts and lift up on the door and tighten it, it doesn't drop anymore.