My drivers door rattles at the latch end. I looked at the latch bar and it's ok so what can it be ? Is there a way to adjust it?
Gator.

 

Yours should have a striker bolt, If so then a deep well socket or a wrench will lossen it, then you can move it in or out and up or down.
WARNING.... You can easily jamb it til it won't release. That means you won't beable to get it open with out taking the door panel off. Which is a PIB with the door closed. Once door panel is off it's still a major PIB to get it to release from inside the door and not a guarntee then either. Extreme situations you might have to remove the fender to try and get to the hinges to take the hinges off to get it to release.

So if you adjust it then take your time.
1. Draw a circle with a sharp greese pen or a washable marker around the orginal location of the striker bolt. (This is so you can always go back to original easily, also give you a refernce to move it.)
2. Move it accordingly in 3/16 of an inch increments until desired door seal and fit are achieved.

Also check your hinge pins and bushings:
With door open, lightly lift on the outer edge of the door, if there is play in the hinge then that is the casue for the mis aligned striker. The door has actually dropped so have them replaced.

Hope this helps...
Good Luck!

 

You can hire me, I can help you find ur rattles!

 

NO!!!!

You stay away from it!



As a matter of fact don't even read this thread, you will curse him!

 

Try some thick silicone caliper grease on the contact points between the striker and latch first. Unless the door is visably out of alignment, try to avoid messing with the striker.

 

If the striker has moved the door lines will still be straight.
If the door is visably out of alignment, then it is your hinges that have either moved, or are wore out. DO NOT adjust the Striker at that point. You are very likely to jamb it shut if you do. But then that ussually throws it in a bind anyway, (ie: hard to shut, have to slam it, and/or hard to open) not loose and ratteling like that.

Did ford use those stupid rubber/neoprene bushings on the strikers in 97? If so then there is a good chance that is wore out and just needs to be replaced. They are dirt cheap like a couple of bucks at the auto store and it just slides on around the striker bolt. That's a 30 second job. Litterally takes longer to buy the part than put it on. Or longer to get your marker and a socket or wrench out.

 

If the striker has moved inward or (more likely) outward, the rear of the door where it adjoins with the B-pillar won't sit flush. I don't know what he's driving, but I'll assume it's a Ford truck, in which case especially if it's a '97+, I don't see the hinges being worn out. Haven't done very many IME. I advocate not messing with the striker if possible because even if marked, it is pretty easy to get it far enough to where as you said, the door will either jam shut or won't close. Not properly aligned, there may be a windnoise as well. If replacing the striker, do take care to see that the striker nut doesn't fall down into the B-pillar. It only sits on a little metal ledge inside the body, if you're dumb and hamfisted (like me), it's easy to knock the nut off it's ledge and send it spiraling down into the body. I'm not sure on a pickup, but I know on a Continental, you'll have to cut a hole in the B-pillar to fish it out. BTDT.

 

If it is his truck according to his profile it is a 97, this is suppose to be his sig.

__________________________________
1997 4.6 auto Vindicator.


BTW: Nice looking truck gator!



Your right Quinton, the striker is most likely and is most common for it to move outward if it has moved. That's from people leaning on the door when they drive. Causing a loose catch and wind noise, sometimes water leaks. Bushings and pins go out or get bent from not only age but from people standing outside of the vehicle leaning on the door, or leaning on the window seal with the window down while the door is open and they are chit chatting with someone. I have seen people sitting in thier vehicles with the door open, the window down, and thier feet proped up on the window seal too.

Since it is a 97 then that would not be necesarily unexpected, nor surprising, nor unseen to me for an 8 year old vehicle of any make to have wore hinge bushings or bent hinge pins from normal wear and tear. A 97 isn't a young pup anymore. 2 more years and it's 1/2 way to qualifying to be licensed as an antique.
I know, I know, it's hard to think of our babies like that, but it's the truth. Next model year my 2000 will be 1/4 of the way to being an antique.
But as long as we catch these little things and fix them as they happen then it will be a good vehicle into the 30 year mark when it becomes a classic.

 

WOW! Thanks for all the info !!
I picked it up about 5 weeks ago for 7G and am trying to work out the little bugs.
The door when I hit a bump will jump under my are and rattle. :o
And it driving me nuts whitch by the way is a small trip!

Thanks for all the help!

 

Sounds like a good deal!!!

If your feelling it jump up under you arm then that sounds more like hinge pins or bushings would be the most likely suspect. Although it coud be that the hinge bolts have loosened up too. With the door open have someone lift it up and down while you look and see where the play is at. It may be as easy as tightening the hinge bolts to either the door or the door frame.

Looks like the hinge kit is about $15 per door at O'Rielly's and I think that kit comes with everything you will need to replace on them "like the pins and bushings". It is best to have 2 people to replace them, one to hold the door and the other to remove the old and install the new parts. But it's not a hard job, I think a socket set, a torx set, and a hand grinder is all you will need.