Can't get this dang door adjusted!

[MSHappyCampers]

The entry door on my Windsor is sometimes very hard to open! I know this has been discussed here, and I copied the instructions, but still have questions.

The two posts that come out from the frame on the left is where I believe my problem is. They have heads on them that a socket wrench will fit. The instructions I have say that these two posts and the plates behind them should move up and down freely. Right now they are both tight. If I start loosening the top one it moves the post AND the plate up and down but if I continue to loosen it then the plate stops and will not move. The bottom post and plate will not move up and down even with the post loose!

What am I doing wrong here?

[Dutch Star Don]

Joe....Funny you should mention this. I read a few posts in the last few weeks about adjusting the door and lubing it. I decided to look at the bolts on the door frame and found that the upper one moved okay, but the lower one was stuck. I took the bolt completely out and lubed the heck out of the plate in the frame. I replaced the bolt and just made it snug and then used a wrench to move the plates on both bolts up and down until they moved with little to moderate pressure.

I also tried a product my brother recommended and uses on his cars once a year. It's called Sil Glide by Napa. It's silicone in a tube (blue tube about the size of a large toothpaste tube). You squeeze it onto your finger and then rub it into the rubber seal around the door frame. The rubber absorbs it and you wipe off any excess.

Since fixing the bolts and using the Sil Glide, my door has never been quieter.

[crah]

Joe

I just did my fix not too long ago. If your problem is similar to mine try this.

With the door open manually close the 2 slam latches on the door itself. They are 2 position latches, so if you close them slowly, they will latch when partially closed, and latch again when closed all the way. While you have both slam latches closed fully, slowly pull the exterior handle and watch how the slam latches open. If one opens before the other, you need to adjust the interior locknut as discussed in the most recent threads. I kept repeating the manual closing of the slam latches and using the exterior handle. What I discovered was that the top slam latch was not opening when the bottom latch was open. I removed the interior door panel partially amd got to the top locknut and tightened and retested. I also added a little locktigjt on the nut to prevent it from happening again.

[MSHappyCampers]

Craig, I just tried what you suggested and both latches release at exactly the same time so I guess I'm OK there.

Don, are you saying that I can take the bolts completely out? I was afraid to do that thinking that there might be something on the inside that would fall down inside the frame! Do you think I could just loose them and squirt some lubricant behind the plate?

Thanks guys for the help!

[crah]

Originally Posted by MSHappyCampers

Craig, I just tried what you suggested and both latches release at exactly the same time so I guess I'm OK there.

Don, are you saying that I can take the bolts completely out? I was afraid to do that thinking that there might be something on the inside that would fall down inside the frame! Do you think I could just loose them and squirt some lubricant behind the plate?

Thanks guys for the help!

Joe,

One thing I noticed when I took the door panel off is that the exterior handle has a linkage rod that connects to the hardware to the interior handle. The interior handle has long linkage rods that connect to the top and bottom slam latches. I didnt have any problems opening the door from the inside. What I observed was that the interior handle has a longer travel distance than the exterior handle. When trying to open the exterior handle, the linkage rod that connects to the interior handle provides less travel overall. When there is resistance on the door (closed position), the linkage rods to the slam latches dont travel far enough.

Tightening both locknuts at the slam latches will fix this as well.

[MSHappyCampers]

Craig, I'm not sure I understand what you're saying. I don't have any problem opening the door with the interior handle.
Are you saying that even though both latches release at the same time I may need to adjust something inside the door? Thanks!

Joe

[crah]

Originally Posted by MSHappyCampers

Craig, I'm not sure I understand what you're saying. I don't have any problem opening the door with the interior handle.
Are you saying that even though both latches release at the same time I may need to adjust something inside the door? Thanks!

Joe

Joe,

I know it was long winded lol. You are correct, most people dont have problems opening from the inside. I would try Don's suggestion first.

The problem is that the slam latches may not open until you pull the exterior handle almost in the full open position (the linkage rod loosened over time) if you tighten up the linkage rod, the slam latches can open with the handle pulled only partially. When the door is closed, the resistance from the slam latches may not let the door open without fidelling with the handle. Hope that makes sense.

[MSHappyCampers]

Originally Posted by crah

Joe,

I know it was long winded lol. You are correct, most people dont have problems opening from the inside. I would try Don's suggestion first.

The problem is that the slam latches may not open until you pull the exterior handle almost in the full open position (the linkage rod loosened over time) if you tighten up the linkage rod, the slam latches can open with the handle pulled only partially. When the door is closed, the resistance from the slam latches may not let the door open without fidelling with the handle. Hope that makes sense.

Craig, I've been out there trying to adjust the striker bolts. It seems that the bottom one is causing my problem. I loosened the bolts and sprayed behind the plates with silicone lubricant. I can move them up and down as long as the bolts are loose, but when I tighten them they will not move except with a rubber mallet. I just can't get them in the right spot for the door to release. The outside handle is almost all the way open before the latches release. I think the inside linkage adjustment is the only thing that will solve my problem.

The instructions I have sound like I have to remove the entire inside door panel! Can I not get to the adjustments just by removing the rectangular panel that the inside handle and deadbolt knob goes through??

[crah]

Joe

At first I removed the access panel and the interior window frame. I could bend the main panel up at the top to access the top slam latch nut because my top was the only panel.

At the end I decided to remove the whole panel and lube all the parts while I had access. Its much faster than anticipated if you just make up your mind to do it. I dwelled on it for a long time and the instructions of cutting the razor, etc made me concerned. In the end, all I needed to do was the following.

1. Remove access panel and deadbolt including handle black insert trim
2. Remove interior window trim
3. Remove door edge metal. The vertical metal piece at the very edge of door.

Once you have #3 done, the main panel will come off.

The process takes about 10 minutes once you make up your mind. I think I dwelled on it for an hour.

[MSHappyCampers]

Craig, THAT's SCARY! You do make it sound easy so I guess I'm gonna have to trust you on that one! I won't attempt it today but will give it a shot in a day or two. Thanks my friend!

[Dutch Star Don]

Joe.....The bolts should move some to let the door float. You can't move them by hand. Use a penetrating oil and keep working them. You can also adjust them with the rubber mallet until their in the correct position. My door was never really a problem, but the handle occasionally got hard to pull. I would lube everything and it would get better. Making sure both bolts had some movement helped.

[MSHappyCampers]

Originally Posted by Diplomat Don

Joe.....The bolts should move some to let the door float. You can't move them by hand. Use a penetrating oil and keep working them. You can also adjust them with the rubber mallet until their in the correct position. My door was never really a problem, but the handle occasionally got hard to pull. I would lube everything and it would get better. Making sure both bolts had some movement helped.

Don, I worked with those bolts for a long time, squirting them with silicone lube and moving them up and down with the rubber mallet. I tried tightening them up in different positions but nothing seemed to help. As I said, it seems to be the bottom latch that is hanging. I can pull out on the handle and press my knee against the door over the latch and it will come right open. You would think I could adjust that bottom bolt to correct the problem but I just can't get it right.

[38 Special]

Originally Posted by MSHappyCampers

Can I not get to the adjustments just by removing the rectangular panel that the inside handle and deadbolt knob goes through??

Sorry, no.

This has been on my to do list. Finally did it today. I found the top nut backed off 1/4" even though it was a ny-loc (nylon locking) nut. I also adjusted the bottom, which access to was harder. I finally used a short 7/16" ignition wrench.

My door has never opened this good. Took only about an hour and a half.

Many thanks for the through instructions.

[MSHappyCampers]

Originally Posted by 38 Special

Sorry, no.

This has been on my to do list. Finally did it today. I found the top nut backed off 1/4" even though it was a ny-loc (nylon locking) nut. I also adjusted the bottom, which access to was harder. I finally used a short 7/16" ignition wrench.

My door has never opened this good. Took only about an hour and a half.

Many thanks for the through instructions.

Are you saying that you had to remove the entire inside door panel?