Re: Torsionbars/struts/gullwing doors

[jtrealty@xxxx]

This past spring I was in charge of "adjusting" the doors at our local 
Door Adjusting Social in New Jersey. Many of the new people attending 
thought it also meant adjusting the anchor pins on the doors and the 
locks. Most wanted their doors to open fast and "bounce". I tried to 
accomodate all requests but for the most part I was able to convince 
the owners that as long as the doors will stay all of the way up (even 
if you need to finish opening the doors with your hand) that it was 
the most preferable adjustment. (at about 70 dergees F.) I was very 
concerned that if I wound up the torsion bar too much and soon after 
someone replaced the strut then the doors would open TOO hard. Out of 
about 26 cars about 10 needed something, I adjusted about 7 cars and 3 
needed struts. about half of all cars needed either a lock adjustment 
or anchor pin adjustment or both with many either not closing good or 
having trouble with the locking mechanism. (If the doors are not 
properly adjusted ie; the anchor pins, 1 side is correctly latched and 
the other isn't). As important as the struts and torsion bars are I 
think it is more important to have the locks properly working so the 
doors won't jam trapping the occupants. (This has NOTHING to do with 
the locking module although a Lockzilla prevents you from locking the 
doors if 1 is not closed properly) Door guides cannot compensate for 
out of alighnment anchor pins. All they can do is properly alighn the 
doors so they will close if the car is not on a flat level surface and 
the car is "twisted". The replacement struts have speed control but 
they do not seem to have temerature compensation so the colder it gets 
the less force they have. I do not like to see the doors bounce 
because if you watch the "T" section everything flexes due to the 
leverage and the mass of the doors (they are heavy and if they move 
fast it takes alot to stop them) Just my opinion but if you adjust the 
torsion bars too much to compensate for weak struts when you 
eventually replace the struts, unless you loosen the torsion bars, you 
could over stress the door system. I would appreciate other comments 
but I think the ultimate solution would be a temperature compensating 
strut and ajusting the torsion bars to a specific load.
David Teitelbaum
vin 10757 


--- In dmcnews@xxxx, "Stian Birkeland" <delorean@xxxx> wrote:
> dmcrearHmm... Are my doors very strange or is this the way they all 
work on your DeLorean?
> 
> This summer I had a much needed torsion bar adjustment. The struts 
are also new. The adjustment was done by professionals. 
> 
> What happens is this: In warm weather (above 20 degrees Celcius) the 
doors open with no problems and stay up. Wow! I have never experienced 
that before. MAGIC! So far so good....
> 
> Now, if the temperature is below that, the doors don't open fully, 
yet you can help with your hand and the doors will stay up! (Earlier 
on - before the torsion bar adjustment - they drooped and wouldn't 
stay up)
> 
> Living in Norway, we have a mild climate yet the temperature is 
often below 20 degrees because of the cold winds and weather we have 
where I live. I drive my DeLorean only in the spring-summer-and early 
autumn. This means that on an average my doors won't open up fully 75% 
of the time, the last 25% being the hot summer we have here and where