BUGA Community
Technical => Maintenance => Topic started by: BusyKiwi on August 05, 2014, 10:49:26 AM
-
The back doors can open by themselves when cornering. The main reason for this is structural rust, most likely at the bottom of the back door pillars. Also rust around the windscreen can aid in this as well.
#1 fix would be to fix the rust, even if just back pillars and weld in a gusset at the bottom (going from pillar to section under tail light)
#2 (band aid fix) is to get the longer door stays/latches/catches (whatever you want to call them) at the top and bottom of each back door. They come in two lengths, normal and longer. Most vans come with the normal ones, by swapping to the longer ones it can stop the doors from opening (van can't twist enough to pop them out).
I have never found a model, year or version of van that had these longer ones so you'll just have to keep your eyes open.
Even just replacing one on drivers side (main door) can be enough as that door has to open before the other one can.
I'll try put up a photo soon
-
Another way to stop the doors opening ;D ......
http://www.buga.com.au/index.php?option=com_gallery2&Itemid=8&g2_itemId=49114 (http://www.buga.com.au/index.php?option=com_gallery2&Itemid=8&g2_itemId=49114)
Think I better move the number plate.
-
I take the bottom stay plates off and cut 2 small square holes out so the stays
slide into the recesses deeper.
Then just refit the plates. (Only cut the square holes 1mm bigger than the square block that slips into it)
Works a treat.never had the doors fly open since.
-
My bottom guide has a piece of 4-5mm rod spot welded across it to rear side of holes that catches the back of the latch. This gives an extra few mm for latch before it comes out releasing door and is smooth so you don't get snagged.Will get pic.
-
The rod was a common fix, but the door can still come open with it on and as the rod is usually only mild steel it wears out
-
My back doors (in my main van) have luckily never opened by themselves however I would rather have a whole new catch setup. Something like the newer transits so that any old Joe can open & close them without having to know the special technique. I dont let anyone close them because of the handle scrape that will happen on the paint haha
-
Yeh Busy the mild steel won't last long on a daily but mine is a Sunday driver and the previous owner used stainless rod which should last a bit longer. My old lwb was a shocker for this and I tried a few options but the body flex was impossible to stop.
-
This works too....
http://www.buga.com.au/index.php?option=com_gallery2&Itemid=8&g2_itemId=40161 (http://www.buga.com.au/index.php?option=com_gallery2&Itemid=8&g2_itemId=40161)
-
Fiberglass one piece door that goes up so u can get our of rain when loading if need too.
That was one condition Ray said to me, that had to go, if we were to get another beddy...
the back barn doors have to go !
-
We took a beddy to Weipa far north QLD.
800 km of corrogations and dips..creek crossings.
Most of which where dry ...nearly every crossing the back doors came open as the creeks were no flat and the van twisted and flexed.
sometimes we wouldnt know the doors were open untill the bull dust became very think inside.
By the time we got to Weipa we were browny red...everything was covered in dust. :( >:(
so we emptied outhe van and hosed out the inside.
When we evetually left Weipa we covered up every conceiable hole and duct tapped up the back doors.
we were prepared this time!
only a small fraction of the dust we experienced on th eway up.
first two are in Weipa
third pic is when we left weipa and bought a catamaran in Mackay!
-
i understand your reasons for turfing the barn doors, personally i can't bear to part with them as thats alot of the look i like of the bedford .... maybe that will change once i start trekking with it hehehe!
-
I'm with you Sammy, I love my old school back doors. I've been lucky with this van and never had an issue with them opening on their own. I have experienced it with my previous van though.
-
I had a LWB with a pretty hot 400 chev in it.......the van was a bare inside and rear barn doors.....however, after taking it out for it's first real flogging after doing the conversion from a 202 to a 400......i returned to find the rear doors no longer sitting level......the 400 had so much torque it caused the body frame to move so much that it created a missalingment of about an inch!!!!!!! so it was out with the welder and i boxed in the bottom section and made the top half a lift up hatch.
-
I like it Kimbosound :o