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Fixed the door slaming issue..


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Seems to still be working for me. After doing this mod, keeping the mechanisms lubed longer term was a bigger issue. For some reason WD-40 worked better than lithium grease *shrug*.

 

Funny this thread is STILL around! lol I was just looking at my car the other day and since I figured this out, it has worn a bit more, but I never did jet around to fixing the door pins (drivers side) which are not so good.. and the pass door is still perfect, so I'd say once it's working, just keep it lubed and it should last.

 

BTW,Trumpet, your sig pic looks a LOT like my Z when I first got it..same slotted rims and everything.. it's weird!

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  • 1 month later...
has anybody tried welding to the worn area then filing it to shape?

 

Yeah, I just got done doing this and it worked! I turned my MIG way down and ran a couple passes to build up the area where the door first hits then ground the top and face flush. Works surprisingly well. I put more on than I expected to... probably added 3/16" on the driver side! Only added about 1/8" on the passenger side and it works but has a very slight rattle so I need to either add more or replace the weatherstripping.

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Yeah, I just got done doing this and it worked! I turned my MIG way down and ran a couple passes to build up the area where the door first hits then ground the top and face flush. Works surprisingly well. I put more on than I expected to... probably added 3/16" on the driver side! Only added about 1/8" on the passenger side and it works but has a very slight rattle so I need to either add more or replace the weatherstripping.
Good glad to hear it worked for you.. I think welding is the better alternative.
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After reading this post I took a look at my 260's latches - Ya, I have to slam the doors shut too. I cleaned them up and decided to to go the "OEM route" rather than welding additional metal onto the striker or cutting metal off the backside...

 

I found a piece of plastic tubing (I'm a plumber - think 3/8" water tubing, not soft plastic or rubber) and trimmed it to fit over the oblong knob on the door latch that first hits the striker plate on the body. (to replace the nylon piece that's on it from the factory - referred to above) With the latch still on (in) the door, the knob faces down when the door is open and rolls back inside when you press it to the "door closed" position but it's still not hard to get the plastic piece on it. Just make sure it's the proper length and fits securely to both sides of the knob so it stays in place.

 

(The additional "width" of the oblong knob with a nylon or plastic covering causes the "latching knob" to roll properly into the notch on the striker plate. Without it, the latching knob hits the back side of that notch and causes the problem most of us have... That's why grinding down the back of the striker plate works.)

 

Anyway, It worked! And it's so simple. And EASY to re-do if this one rots, cracks, falls off, or whatever. Both doors close and latch securely with minimal effort and have stopped "popping open a notch" when I hit a bump.

 

Edit: Sorry - for those not used to working with pipe or tubing: Cut 1/4" or so off the end of the tubing (about the same width as the knob) then slice the side lengthwise so it's NOT a complete circle anymore. Now it'll go over the knob (and it's already curved...), just make sure it's the right length to fit securely...

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I did follow this thread to help closing the doors nicely. It helps a bit but my definitive fix was to replace the weatherstripping with some modern ones I pulled from a donor car from a junkyard. I looked for something either straight or with one 90° bend.

 

They usually are bigger unloaded and smaller when clamped due to their hollow profile.

Left one is stock, right one is modern stuff (moreover it clamps instead of being glued)

p1110010.jpg

 

It works now like a charm ;)

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  • 1 month later...
Is this a bad problem with 280s as well? It just seems like its mostly 240 and 260 guys that have posted issues, not trying to be a jerk just trying to find out what I need to buy after I finish painting my Z

 

 

Quit being a jerk!! I have or had this problem on my 280z as well. I beleive that the 75-76 280z have the same door design as the 240z and 260z. Later models are different.

 

This fix has helped on mine. Its still not perfect but atleast it closes ok. Now I just need to reallign the door and maby buy a new striker plate.

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has anybody tried welding to the worn area then filing it to shape?

NismoZ: I have also used the weld and file approach. I used it extensively on the drivers door and it works. There is an optimum configuration for the humps on the latch and I will do some more work on it to get the passengers door to close better.

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Quit being a jerk!! I have or had this problem on my 280z as well. I beleive that the 75-76 280z have the same door design as the 240z and 260z. Later models are different.

 

This fix has helped on mine. Its still not perfect but atleast it closes ok. Now I just need to reallign the door and maby buy a new striker plate.

 

Thank you for the reply but I own a 78 with the different style door strikes, does anyone has know of it being a problem with the 77 and 78 styles?

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  • 1 month later...
  • 3 months later...

Carl's right, I found this sleeve to be the solution to slamming the door. After looking at several 240z (and 510) doors in the yards back when they were still to be found there, I noticed some had a little black cover over the lobe. I managed snag a few, and found that the thickness of that rubber (they're definitely not nylon as they're very soft and flexible) made all the difference. I don't have a 240z anymore, but I still have a couple of those sleeves left. One is torn and could be used for someone to reproduce, while the other is still perfect.

 

Hi datsunlover:

Just an interesting side note:

That first "bump" on the "latch" when new (at least on the 72 240-Z) - had a nylon sleeve on it (kind of a horse shoe shape). Over time, they either wear out or get brittle with age - crack and fall off.

 

At one point I attempted to find a plastics shop - that could reproduce the nylon sleeve ... but the cost of the molds needed for injection molding were just too high. In the process of attempting to remove that nylon sleeve from the one good latch I had, we managed to break the original sleeve.

 

After that nylon bumper falls off - then the metal to metal contact between the latch and the catch start to take effect. At any rate, your solution should work fine...

 

 

FWIW,

Carl B.

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  • 5 weeks later...

Hi, sorry, I don't have a camera that works. What did you have in mind for reproducing them?

 

There are several good urethane products that would be suitable to reproduce hard rubber parts. If we could get some pictures of the missing rubber pieces it would be helpfull.

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