How To Make Car Doors Close Tighter – Guide

For a car to serve its purpose properly, a thorough maintenance should be put in place. Not only checking the engine, changing oils, checking tires, checking fluids, brake checks, or regularly washing your car. Your car doors are also essential!

Car doors not closing tightly may result in the entrance of particles, unwanted sound, and water. Imagine how shocking it could be to see your car door flung open while driving.

In this article, we’ll look into the reasons behind the car doors not closing properly.

Why Car Doors Don’t Close Tightly

1. Lock Actuator

An actuator is a motor that controls the automatic opening and closing of car doors by pressing a door button or the remote control. A broken lock actuator will deprive you of this luxury, and you are required to close or open your car door manually.

2. Handles

Check both the interior and exterior handle. A broken handle feels like it will come off or not firmly attached to the handle frame. When the handle is broken, the latch won’t rotate.

3. Striker Plate

The striker plate receives the latch and locks the door in place. It is a u-shaped anchor on the body of the car. A loose striker plate will tilt away from the direction of the latch and cause the door not to close tight. You might have to slam the door several times to close them properly.

How To Adjust A Striker Plate

Open the door and use a sharp pencil to mark the height where the lock passes in the door pillar. This mark helps to know the direction to adjust the striker plate; it might need to be raised or lowered. Loosen the bolt, don’t remove entirely, and adjust accordingly.

4. Hinges

Hinges attach the door to the body of the car. A too-tight hinge or too loose hinge could cause the door not to close tightly.

If the door hinge is too tight, the door occasionally ceases and closes with an annoying squeaking sound. If your car door sags and doesn’t close tight, the hinge is loose.

How To Fix Door Hinges

If the hinges are too tight, spray a lithium grease or any available lubricant judiciously on the hinge. This allows easy movement of the hinge and puts the squeaking noise in check.

If the hinge is too loose, get a screwdriver that fits the bolt’s head and tighten the bolt.

See also: The Best 6 Garage Door Hinge Kits (Review) + FAQ

What We Love About This Solution

It is a straightforward solution, and you do not require an extra hand. This is also a preventive method. If it’s done occasionally, your door will work like brand new and will not require any significant or minor fixing for years.

5. Latches

Latches are locks on the side of the door. Each of them has a prong that moves upward and downward in response to the door handle. The latch mechanism includes the latch on the side of the door, and a u-shaped anchor called the striker plate on the cars’ body.

How To Fix Door Latches

• Use a silicone spray on the latch and hinges to remove dust and prevent rust.
• Check the position of the latch; is it pointing downward or pointing upward? The correct position is the latch pointing downward. Although the latches mechanism differs between brands, some point inward and outward.

A simple way to check this is to open the door and lift the handle; if the latch remains closed, a correction must be made. Lift the handle, then use the tip of your finger or a screwdriver to adjust the latch downward simultaneously.

What We Love About This Solution

This solution is stress-free and requires no specific tools or professional help;

6. Door Alignment

Close the door to see if they align with the car’s body. Check if the side molding of each door is perfectly straight. Also, check if the upper rocker kit is parallel to the rear of the car. These are prominent places to notice a misalignment quickly.

How To Fix Misalignment

If the car door is lower than the body part, open the door and look on the hinge. There are two hinges – the top and the bottom one. Loosen the bolt slightly, but do not remove it (leave one of the upper bolts tight to hold the hinge).

Then, adjust upward, downward, or inward, according to the misalignment detected. When you finally reach a position, hold it in place, and tighten all the loosed bolt.

Note that you will need help as car doors are heavy, and it’s pretty tricky to handle them alone.

Another way to fix misalignment is to place a small wood block under the lower hinge of the door to level it. Also, you can push the door repeatedly from outside; this bends the lower hinge. Pause and check the alignment at intervals; stop when the proper alignment is restored.

What We Love About This Solution

Although this solution requires more power, it is the perfect solution for many types of cars.

What Is The Best Method To Make A Car Door Close Tighter?

All methods are relatively straightforward and harmless. Each method should be applied according to the fault detected.