How to Repair a Ford Car Door

There are a number of problems that can occur with your Ford vehicle doors. The door can fall out of alignment, usually because of bent or worn hinges that may need either alignment or replacement. Years of use can cause those problems. A minor accident can damage the door itself and force you to replace it. These tasks will usually require at least two people with the exact process depending on the year and model.

Instructions

Alignment

1

Loosen the bolts for the hinges at the door's end using a wrench.

2

Lift the door upward or downward to adjust the position. The door's top end (not including the window frame) must align with the tops of the front fender, other door and/or rear quarter panel while the bottom lines up with the lower rocker panel.

3

Tighten the bolts on the hinges while a second person holds the door in its correct position.

4

Adjust the striker on the door jamb as needed, loosening its screws with a Torx wrench, tapping it in the correct direction and tightening the bolts.

Door Replacement

5

Roll the window up all the way and disconnect the vehicle's negative battery cable.

6

Open the door and support it on blocks or jacks.

7

Pry off all trim bezels on the inner trim panel, including the window lock controls if equipped (for a manual window, rub a rag behind the window crank to dislodge it). Remove the door panel's screws with a screwdriver, lift it off the door and disconnect its electrical connectors.

8

Unplug all of the door's electrical connectors, ground wires and harness retaining clips. Remove the rubber conduit from inside the door and pull all the wires out through the conduit hole.

9

Mark the hinges' positions using a scribe or pen, then remove the hinge bolts on the door's side. Remove the door from the hinges with another person's help.

10

Position the new door using the old door's scribe marks as a guide and bolt the hinges to the door.

11

Feed the electrical connectors through the door and reconnect the electrical connectors, ground wires and clips.

12

Reinstall the inner trim panel and its trim bezels and handles.

13

Close the door and reconnect the battery cable.

Hinges

14

Perform all of the above steps in Section 2 to remove the door from the vehicle, just as you would for replacing the door. Have another person hold onto the disconnected door.

15

Remove the bolts for the hinge on the body side with your wrench and remove the hinges.

16

Install the replacement hinges in the same locations using their bolts.

17

Reconnect the door to the hinges using the steps in Section 2, starting with Step 6.