Door Adjustment

[Greg D]

Hi All

This one is really bugging me! I have read through most topics on this but have come to a dead end. My passenger side door will not compress the door seals at the top corner of the door which leads to annoying wind noise. I have replaced the rubber seal (new one) which attaches to the car. I have not replaced the one on the door as it looks in very good condition. I have adjusted the door as much as possible by loosening the two window frame bolts and moving it in as far as I can while maintaining good window operation. When closing the door against a single strip of news paper as a test it does not compress it. Any ideas for further adjustment? Or is this a feature of the car?

[andydclements]

I spent a whole day aligning my door, the difference was fantastic.

You can sorth that top corner out but yo need to identify what part of the alignment is out.

Get the fibreglass section perfectly aligned, you may need to remove interior trim (not door trim but A pillar) to remove the nuts from the hinges then retract the hinges from the body and remove some packing washers (leave at least one abrasive type in there to grip the GRP) to allow the door beam to move in, or if it's fine you can pack the GRP part of the door further in from the beam by the washers between it and the beam.

Now the bottom half is right.

The top half can be adjusted by a few things, there's a single 10mm headed bolt on the door edge just above the lock, this helps secure the frame, if you loosen this then gently push the top of the door frame inwards a bit you should see the bolt head move, re-tighten and this may solve the top gap. If it doesn't you may have to adjust the spacers between the door frame and the door beam, you'll have to remove the door trim and find the 10mm nuts that fix to the captive bolts in the beam, you can undo those then use shim washers to move the top further from the beam (into the car body further) or remove some spacing pieces from the lower ones to do the same.

Andy

[Advantage]

Or.............

Wind the window down. Place knee on inside of door at around exterior door handle height. Grab hold of top of window frame and 'adjust'. *

There, with a combination of my and Andy's techniques you're bound to have a snug fitting door. Please be aware that one of these procedures carries a risk of something bad happening.

* I may or may not have used this quick bodge in the past.

[ozontour]

Great Advice GKP!...lol

Is this how the first frameless windows in Esprits were invented?

I would put that method in the same file as the "just keep putting more silicone in there" method

... and then follow Any's methods

Justin

[Greg D]

Thanks all, have had a good look at the door Andy and will need to put some time aside to fix it correctly as you recommend. Still if it gets rid of the noise it will be well worth it.

Cheers.

[gumin]

I have it on good authority from a Lotus trained mechanic that they used to do the "Knee on the inside of the door and pull " technique for minor adjustments.

[Dave Freeman]

Hi, if its the window frame that needs adgusting then the best way, only way it to remove the door card and use the adjusting bolts on the window frame, do it evenly or you will have problems with the electric window mechanisum, ie the window will be slow to go or down.

This is the only way to do it properly

Dave

[Bibs]

Talking of door adjustment, my drivers side door can be 'sticky' and need a right good tug to open sometimes. Is it an adjustment thing or shall I lube up the rubber?

[sanj]

I'd lube the latch mechanism first.

[andydclements]

Bibs, rather than "rubber" please state "door seal" as it leads to a lot less confusion, or mental anguish.

[ozontour]

Hey I had the same issue with mine Bibs, I just sprayed some silicon lube on the latch and now no need to slam it or use two hands to open it.

Justin

[Günter]

Bibs, no jokes about Lotus door adjustments -here you can see why i like Lotus so much, it's so common

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tRX7E0yZxh0 the good old days..

[andydclements]

You do realise the difference between the Trabant method of panel fit and the BL of the seventies method don't you?

Trabant- does it fit? No. Adjsust it

BL- time for a mug of tea then.

[Günter]

@Bibs: just prove that your door latch stays in the middle of the 'catch'. On your flexible backbone-chassis it is naturally that the doors get more stresses and can move a bit over the time.

@Andy: good tea had to be imported [for international money, not our aluminum coins..] , so go to work again was the best way to solve problems..

[fjmuurling]

Bibs, I had the same problem and like G

[Günter]

an other note to the 'catch the latch'-problem is what I've written in an post long time ago...

If there is an Opel/Vauxhall/GM type door handle & catch -than try to reshape your latch on the outside. It is not really rectangular and does not totally rest on the end-stop rubber pillow (look inside the catch ->here should be an black piece of rubber on the end of the 'latch-way')

That causes an more plastic and harsh door close sound, and if you weld some spots on the outer latch angle and reshape them with an angle-grinder or file, than you can get an door that sounds more *high-class*and solid -as the latch does not knock against the metal part of the catch on 'end-stop' with that plastic and hollowed sound...

[Mark T]

Good Day everyone,

Reviving this thread after more than a decade gone silent. Hope some of you are still out a about

Got a 1976 Lotus Elite 502 and, same problem as Greg D., my LHD driver door window frame does not compress the upper door seal. Been looking at the Elite/Eclat manual, but not really getting anywhere. 

Is there a trick to adjust the window frame without removing the panels etc.? 

Any good advice welcomes. Cheers

Mark

[andydclements]

Really you should remove that inside door trim and adjust the frame using washers. If it used to fit and now doesn't then I'd guess at the door hinges being worn which is a bigger job.  Flexing the frame with force may go wrong and be a lot more problems.

 

You could just get some DIY EDPRM seal strip and stick to the window frame.

[Mark T]

Thanks Andy. Though to do the later as you suggested. Appears the door adjusting job can be quite a challenge to get right. The entire door GRP part (lower) aligns perfectly with the body. Just the upper window frame flutters. Thinking of adjusting/sliding the striker plate slightly inboards.

[andydclements]

If the door aligns perfectly and window flutters, I think the "legs" of the window frame have rusted away where they should be bolted to the door beam. That's getting a bigger job (replace frame and re-glaze fixed part of window etc).

[Tony D]

As Andy says, the window frame can be adjusted independently of the door panel by using washers between the frame mounts and the door beam. There are a couple of bolts that fix the window frame to the door panel, but they are not the main alignment ones. IIRC, the quantity we're reduced around 1978.

You can get access to the 5 bolts (M6 so 10mm A/F) holding the frame by removing the inner door card and any local infill panels. Chances are though, the bolts will be seized in the door beam captive nuts and could well shear if you try to remove to add a washer or two. 

If your area of non contact is top near B post, you may only need to access the top bolt at the rear of the door beam near the latch. 

Tony 

[Tony D]

Just realised. There isn't a top bolt at the rear edge. It's just a short bar that bears on the top of the beam. 

What condition is your beam in? Can you twist the door along the axis of the door beam? If you can, you'll never be able to get a compression across the whole door seal. I have exactly this problem at the moment and water flooded in during recent heavy rain. 

 

[Mark T]

Thanks for your advice. The contact, or lack of, is along the top edge from A to B post, especially at the top front rounding near the Quarter light glass vertical strip. The door is quite rigid along the beam when twisting, so looks like this is OK. Will need to remove the inner door trim over the weekend and sneak a peak inside to assess the situation 🤞. Hope the lower window frame has not rusted away. 

Went for my first real drive Sunday after Swiss MOT pass...and what a joy!! This car is an import, so not MOT, no registration, no plates, no drive...So want to use it a bit before uncovering new areas of concern

[Mark T]

So...got the door trim off and was relieved to see the frame legs are still in good shape and very little rust visible. Luckily I was able to loosen all 5-6 frame bolts after a squirt of WD40, add washers to the top forward 2 bolts and tighten things up again.

The electric window was a bit of a fiddle, as an ideal frame angle resulted in the motor stalling when closing the window. Had to remove a 1mm shim washer to releive the strain. The frame-seal contact is better now, but not as tight as I'd like it.

Will add rubber strips to the inner frame race to increase seal compression.

You guys good advice was much welcomed and it worked!

👍👍👍