Body Alignment Help Needed

OwenP02 said:

So before I get into this, it’s worth knowing what I’m working with, I have a 1972 2.25L Petrol Series 3 88”. I have put this vehicle on a new galvanised Chassis from Marsland, and a new galvanised Bulkhead from Shielder.

My struggle is with aligning the body of my vehicle, having spent quite literally the entire week attempting to align the body, I thought I’d come here for some advice.

I am attempting to fit my new doors from SP4x4, they are non anti-burst. With the top half of the vehicle body, (top half doors and side panels) off, I am able to close the doors very very nicely onto the strikers, however, as soon as I add side panels the door tops hit the side panels. I’ve watched countless videos and here has been the process so far:

1. The bulkhead to chassis bolts were removed and the bulkhead support brackets slackened to add washers between the chassis outrigger and the bulkhead to create more space for the door.

2. All bulkhead bolts were left loose and ratchet straps were positioned between the front bumper and the folding windscreen brackets, we tightened the ratchet straps until a gap of 34.3/4” gap was achieved between bulkhead and tub just above the door strikers.

3. I tightened everything up and release the ratchet straps. The bulkhead did seem to shift back slightly but not by much, the ratchet straps were incredibly tight when released.

4. I fitted lower half doors, removed the striker to tub spacers and elongated the holes in the strikers to allow for more adjustment, the lower half doors both closed nicely and they have not been altered since.

5. I fitted top half doors and side panels, this leads me to where I am now as described at the beginning of the post.

There seems to be no more adjustment on the door hinge to bulkhead bolts, or the door bolts themselves.

It does appear that the angles of the doors are out but also the windscreen does not seem at the correct angle against the bulkhead either? Pictures attached, any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Apologised in advance for how close the pictures were taken, the vehicle is on a driveway inbetween my house and a fence so difficult to look at from afar.

Update: I have found a position where the bulkhead allows the doors to close using ratchet straps but even with all bolts tight the bulkhead slips back when the ratchet straps are released? Is it as simple as I need to do all the bolts up tighter? Picture attached below.

View attachment 289706

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Turboman said:

Put the tub on, and bolt it into position. Stand the bulkhead on the chassis, and insert the bolts, but not the nuts and washers.

Fit the doors, and close them, make sure the gaps are OK.

Then remove the bolts at the bottom of the bulkhead, and use the several washers to space the bulkhead into the correct position, as it is now located by the doors. Then fit and do up the nuts.

Don't use ratchet straps, and don't measure tha

Turboman said:

Put the tub on, and bolt it into position. Stand the bulkhead on the chassis, and insert the bolts, but not the nuts and washers.

Fit the doors, and close them, make sure the gaps are OK.

Then remove the bolts at the bottom of the bulkhead, and use the several washers to space the bulkhead into the correct position, as it is now located by the doors. Then fit and do up the nuts.

Don't use ratchet straps, and don't measure anything.

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That’s how I started out, tub first, then standing the bulkhead, but even with so many washers that the bolt thread can’t even touch the nylon thread lock on the nut the gap appears too small, is it possible that the top of the bulkhead is leaning inwards?

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dag019 said:

I have just been thoguh this with my 110 so I know your pain. My first observation would be that i dont think the bulkhead is in the correct psition base don picture IMG244.

As much as a pain as it is going to be I would break things down and start slowly piece by piece that way when things stop fitting you know which piece is the problem.
You have the correct process or fitting the tub and then adjusting the bulkhead to get the door to align properly but I would do this with the door bottoms fitted rather than trying to measure the gap. Although the 34 3/4" is important the door fitting the gap correctly is more important. once you have the door bottom tube and bulkhead properly aligned you can then tighten it all down and be done with that part of the adjustment. Remember the tub is the fixed point, the bulkhead gets spaced against the tub so the door fits, an then everything else is secondary to that and should not effect the tub and bulkhead adjustment.

Once you have done the above then refit the roof/windscreen etc. There should be adjustment on the side panels front to back and there is useful video from Britannica restoration on how to do that. LINK
You can also adjust the angel of the windscreen with the clamp bolts and the position of the nuts on those. you windscreens angle looks too far forwards relative to the door but that might be because the roof and sides are too far forward.

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marjon said:

I have never done it, but.
Is the roof on and bolted? (not sure from pics).
The front of the tub is too low or the bulkhead to high, is what I see from the pics.

If the front of the tub was raised a little it would open the gap at the top of the doors?

Land rover were never known for good gaps .

J

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Turboman said:

Put the tub on, and bolt it into position. Stand the bulkhead on the chassis, and insert the bolts, but not the nuts and washers.

Fit the doors, and close them, make sure the gaps are OK.

Then remove the bolts at the bottom of the bulkhead, and use the several washers to space the bulkhead into the correct position, as it is now located by the doors. Then fit and do up the nuts.

Don't use ratchet straps, and don't measure anything.

Click to expand...

OwenP02 said:

There is no roof right now but I believe it was on in the pictures. Is there a way to lift the front of the tub? I was always of the opinion that the tub was completely fixed?

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Turboman said:

@OwenP02 , I cant quote you, because you have messed up the quotes, but in answer to your question about the bulkhead leaning, the answer is.

Yes, But it wont be leaning if you use the whole doors to space it properly.

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OwenP02 said:

I'm just lost on how the fitting of the doors stops my bulkhead from leaning inwards still

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Shippers said:

The steering shaft and also the adjustable rod on the opposite side to steering shaft are there to stop bulkhead leaning towards tub...

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OwenP02 said:

Based on what you have said the plan I have formulated is this:

Disconnect hydraulic lines connected to pedal boxes and disconnect the throttle linkage.

Disconnect the steering box from the steering relay.

Completely unbolt the bulkhead. Fit the doors. Wrangle the bulkhead into a position where the doors fit nicely.

With the doors in place and latched on the strikers, fasten the bulkhead into position.

I already have four washers between the chassis outriggers and the bulkhead, is it possible I need more? This seems like a lot.

The bottom of the doors seem okay, I'm still a little lost on how the doors being fitted prevents the bulkhead from leaning inwards at the top as surely the bulkhead would then lean when the doors are opened if this was the case.

I'm just lost on how the fitting of the doors stops my bulkhead from leaning inwards still.

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OwenP02 said:

Based on what you have said the plan I have formulated is this:

Disconnect hydraulic lines connected to pedal boxes and disconnect the throttle linkage.

Disconnect the steering box from the steering relay.

Completely unbolt the bulkhead. Fit the doors. Wrangle the bulkhead into a position where the doors fit nicely.

With the doors in place and latched on the strikers, fasten the bulkhead into position.

I already have four washers between the chassis outriggers and the bulkhead, is it possible I need more? This seems like a lot.

The bottom of the doors seem okay, I'm still a little lost on how the doors being fitted prevents the bulkhead from leaning inwards at the top as surely the bulkhead would then lean when the doors are opened if this was the case.

I'm just lost on how the fitting of the doors stops my bulkhead from leaning inwards still.

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