Door striker adjustment

[NotApplicable]

I decided to take it upon myself to adjust the alignment of my driver’s door when it’s closed (it sits maybe 1-2mm lower and 1-2mm too far inward in my opinion, and you have to close it with a little more force than other doors for it to latch).

After watching some YouTube’s, this looked fairly easy. However, when I loosened the bolts holding the striker in place, there was no horizontal/vertical movement, as if the threaded portion behind the plate was fixed in placement somehow. I was under the impression that the striker typically attaches to a plate behind the body that has some movement for this exact type of adjustment, with the bolts passing through holes in the body that are wide enough to facilitate this type of adjustment as well. This either doesn’t seem to be the case.

Anyone have experience with adjusting other modern Fords in this fashion that could maybe shed some light on what I’m doing wrong?

Thanks!

Sponsored

 

[HBTFD]

There are a few specific tools used to fit doors. One is a hammer to knock the striker up or down. There’s another bar that fits the latch to adjust. Also to twist the door a nylon block is inserted in the opening while the door is shut. I watched all of these techniques for years on the final line and in pre delivery but have never fit a door (only hoods and lift gates). I would highly recommend letting the dealer handle it. If you watch the process you’ll think the fitter is going to destroy the vehicle, all of the moves take a considerable amount of force.

 

[Deleted member 3063]

There are a few specific tools used to fit doors. One is a hammer to knock the striker up or down. There’s another bar that fits the latch to adjust. Also to twist the door a nylon block is inserted in the opening while the door is shut. I watched all of these techniques for years on the final line and in pre delivery but have never fit a door (only hoods and lift gates). I would highly recommend letting the dealer handle it. If you watch the process you’ll think the fitter is going to destroy the vehicle, all of the moves take a considerable amount of force.

First time I watched door fitters I cringed! They're a violent bunch lol.

OP, consider talking to a body shop about an adjustment.

 

[shoelessjoe]

I decided to take it upon myself to adjust the alignment of my driver’s door when it’s closed (it sits maybe 1-2mm lower and 1-2mm too far inward in my opinion, and you have to close it with a little more force than other doors for it to latch).

After watching some YouTube’s, this looked fairly easy. However, when I loosened the bolts holding the striker in place, there was no horizontal/vertical movement, as if the threaded portion behind the plate was fixed in placement somehow. I was under the impression that the striker typically attaches to a plate behind the body that has some movement for this exact type of adjustment, with the bolts passing through holes in the body that are wide enough to facilitate this type of adjustment as well. This either doesn’t seem to be the case.

Anyone have experience with adjusting other modern Fords in this fashion that could maybe shed some light on what I’m doing wrong?

Thanks!

Take it to your dealership and have them fix it.

 

[Gilligan]

I decided to take it upon myself to adjust the alignment of my driver’s door when it’s closed (it sits maybe 1-2mm lower and 1-2mm too far inward in my opinion, and you have to close it with a little more force than other doors for it to latch).

After watching some YouTube’s, this looked fairly easy. However, when I loosened the bolts holding the striker in place, there was no horizontal/vertical movement, as if the threaded portion behind the plate was fixed in placement somehow. I was under the impression that the striker typically attaches to a plate behind the body that has some movement for this exact type of adjustment, with the bolts passing through holes in the body that are wide enough to facilitate this type of adjustment as well. This either doesn’t seem to be the case.

Anyone have experience with adjusting other modern Fords in this fashion that could maybe shed some light on what I’m doing wrong?

Thanks!

I decided to take it upon myself to adjust the alignment of my driver’s door when it’s closed (it sits maybe 1-2mm lower and 1-2mm too far inward in my opinion, and you have to close it with a little more force than other doors for it to latch).

After watching some YouTube’s, this looked fairly easy. However, when I loosened the bolts holding the striker in place, there was no horizontal/vertical movement, as if the threaded portion behind the plate was fixed in placement somehow. I was under the impression that the striker typically attaches to a plate behind the body that has some movement for this exact type of adjustment, with the bolts passing through holes in the body that are wide enough to facilitate this type of adjustment as well. This either doesn’t seem to be the case.

Anyone have experience with adjusting other modern Fords in this fashion that could maybe shed some light on what I’m doing wrong?

Thanks!

It's so easy to adjust you will not believe. My passenger side door striker plate was in 1/16" too much. Here what I did. Step 1. Mark where the existing location of the striker plate with a sharpie. Step 2. Loosen the 2 hex bolts just enough to wiggle the striker plate. Step 3. With a dead blow hammer, tap the striker plate to it's new location. It is adjustable. Here is a picture.

 

[WheresMyBronco]

It's so easy to adjust you will not believe. My passenger side door striker plate was in 1/16" too much. Here what I did. Step 1. Mark where the existing location of the striker plate with a sharpie. Step 2. Loosen the 2 hex bolts just enough to wiggle the striker plate. Step 3. With a dead blow hammer, tap the striker plate to it's new location. It is adjustable. Here is a picture.

It seems like it's the plate that the bolts thread into that's adjustable, correct? Did it take much to move it over or was it some fairly light tapping?

 

[Gilligan]

It seems like it's the plate that the bolts thread into that's adjustable, correct? Did it take much to move it over or was it some fairly light tapping?

Lite tapping with a dead blow hammer. What I did first, but didn't seem to work, was loosen the 2 bolts, shutting the door easy, and from the inside, just dumping the door out a little. This didn't work for me. It was easy to just tap it out a little.

It seems like it's the plate that the bolts thread into that's adjustable, correct? Did it take much to move it over or was it some fairly light tapping?

 

[WheresMyBronco]

Lite tapping with a dead blow hammer. What I did first, but didn't seem to work, was loosen the 2 bolts, shutting the door easy, and from the inside, just dumping the door out a little. This didn't work for me. It was easy to just tap it out a little.

Tried this out today and it worked but it made the doors stick out a bit too much on the exterior so the panels no longer sat flush together. I ended up reversing what I did and I'm going to take it to a dealer to see what they might try.

 

[Tabman10]

Anyone happen to tap out the rear striker? Just trying to think of how/what to use to be able to actually make contact since it is obstructed…

 

[JHenley01]

I was having the same issue getting my striker adjusted, spent quite a bit of time working on it and couldn't get it to budge. I needed it to come outward so there really wasn't a way to get a hammer in there and hit it that way.

I finally noticed that there seemed to be something putting pressure on the back plate it to keep it in place. I loosened the bolts about halfway out and while pushing inward on the bolts to relieve the pressure I was able to pull on the striker and get it to move.

 

[SilverStreak02]

It's so easy to adjust you will not believe. My passenger side door striker plate was in 1/16" too much. Here what I did. Step 1. Mark where the existing location of the striker plate with a sharpie. Step 2. Loosen the 2 hex bolts just enough to wiggle the striker plate. Step 3. With a dead blow hammer, tap the striker plate to it's new location. It is adjustable. Here is a picture.

I just followed this to adjust my right front door. It worked!! Mine was too far in. Adjusted it out about 1 to 2 mm and it closes great! Thanks!

 

[Zachv336]

It's so easy to adjust you will not believe. My passenger side door striker plate was in 1/16" too much. Here what I did. Step 1. Mark where the existing location of the striker plate with a sharpie. Step 2. Loosen the 2 hex bolts just enough to wiggle the striker plate. Step 3. With a dead blow hammer, tap the striker plate to it's new location. It is adjustable. Here is a picture.

So you’re not trying to get the outside plate to move cause I can get that to wiggle easy, you’re trying to get the screw holes into the correct spot in the body holes correct?

 

[Jfman]

It works very well.

I pulled the striker out all the way and put masking tape behind it to protect the paint.

I could not bring myself to hit directly on the striker so I put a small hammer up against it and tapped on it with another hammer.

When the stricken was juste where I wanted it, I back the bolts out some and peeled the masking tape off.

Sponsored