[DML] Re: Aligning Latch Pins

["David Teitelbaum" <jtrealty@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

There is a balance between the power of the torsion bar and the strut.
After a lot of experimentation and input from vendors I came up with a
rough way to tell if you needed a strut without having to try a new
strut. I called it the "hang" test. If the door hangs all the way down
to the sill and the strut you use holds it all the way open then IMHO
the torsion bar is set on the weak side and the strut is on the overly
powerful side. You MUST strike a balance, Too much strut is very bad
on the strut anchors and too much torsion bar is going to be too much
on the roof structure. Having the doors "bounce" is "a very bad
thing". The leverage and the magnitude of the forces is tremendous and
will eventually damage the roof structure. Pull the strut off and the
door should hang open between 2 and 6 inches approx from the sill to
the edge of the door. This is NOT temperature dependant. If the door
falls to the sill the torsion bar needs at least 1 spline tighter. If
it hangs open more than 6 inches release a spline. Now try the strut.
If it bounces hard the strut is too strong! If, when you open the door
it doesn't open fully push it open. If it stays all the way up without
droopng that is just the way I like it. It should not fall but it
CAN'T bounce (at around 70 degress F). I know it won't be enough for
those with actuators and want to see the doors pop open all the way.
You can't please everybody but bouncing the doors is BAD. Figure on
replacing the struts every 5 years like a battery. Also watch out for
the struts that were too long when closed. They wrecked many anchors
on a lot of doors. I think they are all gone by now but you never
know! If you don't get your struts from a Delorean vendor then YOU
must know if they will be the correct length and power. Never adjust
the torsion bar to compensate for a strut that is too weak or too
powerful. In fact once a torsion bar is properly adjusted it should
never need to be adjusted again. If the door won't stay up once the
torsion bar is set correctly then all you need do is replace the
strut! I have been doing the door adjustments for the local club for
years, In the past (before me) many cars were overtightened to
compensate for weak struts. Since I have done most of the cars more
often than not they now need struts, not torsion bar adjustments. If I
do have to adjust I now find myself loosening the torsion bar. Now
most of the door adjustment complaints are the latching pins because
of dead, missing, torn door seals or internal adjustments because a
door was slammed or forced.
David Teitelbaum
vin 10757



--- In dmcnews@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, "Todd Nelson" <todd@...> wrote:
>
> Bruce,
> 
> I've noticed this too.  When I first bought my car a couple of years
ago the 
> struts were long gone.  I bought new ones from a vendor and they
both opened 
> much better.  So much in fact the drivers side seemed to bounce on hot 
> summer days.  I then adjusted the torsion bars so they both open
nice and 
> easy, gliding to the top on an average day, 70 degrees.  But I've also 
> noticed when taking the struts off for storage that the doors will
fall all 
> the way down to the sill.  I've always figured this would mean less
of a 
> load on the roof structure since the T-bars are not as tight, so a good 
> thing.  But maybe I'm putting too much load on the ball-studs
because of 
> this?  Any opinions anyone?
> 




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