door hard to close

[low86c10]

Originally Posted by 78-5.3

To replace the pins does the door need to come off ????

yes

[79gmc5.3]

Anybody have a web link to the striker and plastic bushing?

[nlped]

^^^The striker and plastic bushing come as one piece, but it can be had at any local parts store that has a HELP section. I paid $6.99 each for mine.

Yes, the doors need to come off to replace the bushings. It isn't really very tough at all though. 6 or 7 bolts per door ( don't remember exactly) and if it has power windows &/or locks you need to fish the wiring out of the door before removing said bolts. Once the door is off, just cut the pin in half with a cut off tool, saw zall, air saw (you get the picture) and pop the upper piece out of the hinge...the lower piece will just fall out. This is MUCH easier than trying to beat them out with a hammer, and plays less havoc on the hinge assembly. Next, knock out the the existing little bushing and just replace in the opposite order...minus cutting anything

[bumslie75]

I changed the door pin on mine yesterday works like a champ now

[78-5.3]

Originally Posted by low86c10

yes

so i remove the door but leave the hinge on the piller

[nlped]

^^^yepper

[C10Silverado79]

I love the info that comes across this board. Thanks to the responses from this thread my doors close great now. I picked up some new strikers with the plasticbushing at Pep Boys an put them on this morning. What is difference. I would not have thought the fix would be so simple.

Thanks Guys.

[78-5.3]

i have to remove the door the hinge is alittle sloppy moves up and down!!

[nlped]

Fear not, it's pretty straight forward. Just be sure and have some help to take the door off and especially to put it back on.

[Oldschool82]

I got mine at Advanced Auto Parts. They had the striker bushing combo which was about 7-8 bucks each ( they only had one on the shelf) or just the bushings for like 3-4 bucks for a 4 pack, which I bought and put on my old strikers.Worked like a charm, however I had to grind down the diameter of the striker for the bushings to slide on...good thing I have a bench grinder...lol. Can't believe the change that ,that little plastic piece made. Thanks for the info guys!

Originally Posted by nlped

^^^The striker and plastic bushing come as one piece, but it can be had at any local parts store that has a HELP section. I paid $6.99 each for mine.

Yes, the doors need to come off to replace the bushings. It isn't really very tough at all though. 6 or 7 bolts per door ( don't remember exactly) and if it has power windows &/or locks you need to fish the wiring out of the door before removing said bolts. Once the door is off, just cut the pin in half with a cut off tool, saw zall, air saw (you get the picture) and pop the upper piece out of the hinge...the lower piece will just fall out. This is MUCH easier than trying to beat them out with a hammer, and plays less havoc on the hinge assembly. Next, knock out the the existing little bushing and just replace in the opposite order...minus cutting anything

[C10Silverado79]

Originally Posted by Oldschool82

I got mine at Advanced Auto Parts. They had the striker bushing combo which was about 7-8 bucks each ( they only had one on the shelf) or just the bushings for like 3-4 bucks for a 4 pack, which I bought and put on my old strikers.Worked like a charm, however I had to grind down the diameter of the striker for the bushings to slide on...good thing I have a bench grinder...lol. Can't believe the change that ,that little plastic piece made. Thanks for the info guys!

The only bushings I could find were for FORDs so I ended up buying the new striker/bushing. I wonder if the bushings you got were the Ford ones?

[Oldschool82]

Nah , they were for chevy... I think they are just a generic one size fits most type thing...not very model specific , but thats ok...they worked out.

Originally Posted by C10Silverado79

The only bushings I could find were for FORDs so I ended up buying the new striker/bushing. I wonder if the bushings you got were the Ford ones?

[nlped]

^^^You are correct sir

[86 Rado]

Big ThANK YOU to all involved. I purchased bot sides at Autozone today $8.99 each. Doors shut great. Man, I thought it was more than that. KUDOS. They only had one set for GM vehicles and it worked perfect. They did not sell the sleeves by themselves like they did for the Fords, but mine strikers were wore anyways. Can't beat it for that price.

[swissarmychainsaw]

Originally Posted by nlped

It's not a plastic washer, he means a plastic "sleeve" on the striker itself.

Oh, and I can vouche for the "butta tool" It works great!

Is this the "butta tool"?
http://www.eastwood.com/e-z-store-do...parent_id=2343


The also have one that is about $20 more, but seems fairly similar:
http://www.eastwood.com/door-alignme...and-truck.html

Which one did you like?
thanks!
--Nick

[rudey737]

I love those little gray bushings. I just replaced both door strikers on my 84 - they looked to be the original 30 year old strikers by the way - and now both doors are easier to close. The best thing is no passenger door rattle when I go over bumps. Now I just need to grease the hinges.

[Desert1957]

I replaced all 4 striker insulator sleeves on both my trucks, the doors now shut with one finger.



Desert

[Dinos63]

not the best pic. but I went to home depot $3.05 in plastic tube not pvc. and it works like a champ

[Dinos63]

slip the pipe and install

[CoggedBelt75]

x2 on the pex tubing....works like a charm.

[riz]

Dino,

Did you use glue or adhesive of any kind or does the plastic tubing just spin free? Also, the pic is a bit blurry... is the tube 1/2" x 5" and does it come in black too?

RIZ

[kalbert]

Originally Posted by GMC Guy

i'm going to be buying one of the "Butta Tools" pretty soon. but i'm curious on how they work? does it just line up the latch and striker so you can tighten the hinge bolts?

No. Well... Kind of... You stick one end on the striker and the other end in the latch and then whoof on it with a breaker bar and bend the door, hinges, and striker until it closes good. Usually it takes a lot of up, some down, and a tad up again. Feels wrong when you're doing it but it works like magic. Keep an eye on the fender/door gap while you're whoofing on it, things that are way out of whack will let the door move so much that it contacts the fender and chips the paint off.

Using the plastic pipe for a replacement bushing is a neat idea, I'm going to give that a try! I assume it must push the latch just a bit further naturally so it clicks over to full latch and holds? I suppose it also keeps it from rattling on rough roads too.

[CoggedBelt75]

The tubing is 1/2". Go to a plumbing supply store and tell them you only need a tiny piece and they might let you cut it and take it for nothing, which is what the guy at Ace Hardware did for me. You'll need a piece 3/4" long per striker. Slit it down the middle, gently spread it open, and push it onto the striker. No glue...just arrange the slit so it is facing away from the door. I have read about this a while back and decided to try it. No more slamming the doors now. Only color around here is white, red, blue, and yellow. Sure bets replacing the striker. If this doesn't do you any good, then there is other problems, like the pins or hinges.

[riz]

I have been working on my K5 Blazer for a couple years now and hope to finish it next year if all goes well. I have replaced both door hinge pins and installed brand new door weather strip so everything is pretty tight. I just got back from Home Depot and bought 1/2" x 5' PEX plastic tubing, I cut two 3/4" lengths and put them on the strikers and the doors seem to shut much better now even with the weather strip I just installed over the weekend so I'm pretty happy how this simple $1.77 tip has improved my doors shutting better. These are the types of tips I just love. Thanks.

RIZ

[solidaxel]

I am looking for a used "Butta" tool if you have one laying around let me know.
How many times have you used one after you align everybody's doors?