repairing door dovetails

Jon B
Jon B Administrator
edited November -1 in HUDSON
If I asked this before, I apologize!



The door on my coupe (convertible) has a terrible and constant squeak, which I believe is the metal latch rubbing against the strike plate as the door itself moves up and down while the car goes down the highway. I am attributing this to a loose dovetail (the pocket portion, within the door post); the triangular shaped male portion (on the door) isn't bottoming out in the pocket, thus the door is able to move up and down very slightly as the body flexes.



I'm wondering if anyone else has experienced "loose dovetail" and knows how to deal with it? I've removed the offending dovetail from my car and find that it's simply a thin metal V-shaped spring held between two blocks of rubber (which have probably lost their tension). Maybe I can just remove the blocks and shoot some silicone (or other type of rubber) in there, and make new blocks? If there is sufficient tension on the V-shaped metal, I think it would hold the male portion of the dovetail (which is fastened to the edge of the door) tightly and the door would not be able to move.



This constant squeaking is most annoying!

Comments

  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User]
    Jon, The rubber on my 36 was hard as a rock so I found some thick rubber

    and carved out some new pieces for my dovetails. So far they are working fine. Howard
  • Jon B
    Jon B Administrator
    Thanks, Howard! Actually, I was thinking of maybe making new rubbers for mine by removing the old rubber cushions and simply squeezing silicone sealant into the steel housing (using the metal spring as a dam). This should have a certain "spring" to it. I'll smear a parting compound of petroleum jelly onto the springs and walls of the housing, so it'll be easy to remove the silicone if my idea doesn't work.



    What sort of thick rubber did you use? Does it "give"? Where did you buy it?
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User]
    Jon, I used a piece of 1/2' thick rubber and shaped it to fit. It does not have

    much give to it ( like silicone ) which is what you want. I found it at a local

    rubber materials supplier. It is like a heavy conveyor belt material. I may have

    a little of it left. I used a band saw to cut it to approximate shape and a

    grinder to trim to fit.

    Howard
  • Jon B
    Jon B Administrator
    That sounds like a great idea. However, the rubber in my dovetail is still solid. I may try to stuff a thin shim between the metal spring and the rubber, to squeeze it together a bit, and see if it holds the door any tighter. If it does, that means I need a "tighter" rubber cushion. Then I'll try either your method, or I might try casting new rubber bumpers with liquid urethane.
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    Jon, just weld the doors shut and paint a number 07 or something ont he door and you're ready to go . Oh wait, you wanted NO more squeaking. Sorry, wrong advice.

    Might be down your way around the 12 of Sept.
  • Geoff
    Geoff Senior Contributor
    Try a little dob of vaseline. Should stop the squeak!
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