Hey fellow exploders. New here. Will have a post in new member forum soon with all the details of my exploder details and repairs. Thanks for all the help, It's nice to know there's a good community, especially since I plan on keeping my exploder, well, until it explodes. lol.
I have a 97 Ford explorer EB 4wd. V6 SOHC 155k miles.
As long as I can remember there has been this gap in between the driver door and the front fender. Never really bothered me, that is until recently when I had new hood struts and hood latch put in and tried to align the hood to the body. I have not ran into anything or run over anything since I have owned it (2006). Before that my step dad owned it since 2003 and he never abused it or was in any accidents.
here are some pics.
drivers side door:
as you can see its way out of whack, no clue how it happened if it happened after its been in my family. I know it has been there at least 3 years, before that I don't remember. Again, no accidents since at least 2003. Previous owner, I have no clue, I believe he was a friend or colleague of my step dad and had lived out in Arizona driving this Explorer before selling it to my step dad. (We live in FL.)
anyway heres the upper part of the door:
its like the fender was yanked from the bottom outwards... but wait! there's more!
drivers side hood. Did not have a noticeable gap until after the hood struts were replaced. (hood struts were dead for years and I just used an EZ curl bar to prop the hood up on one side when working inside)
What you dont see in that picture is the distance between the metal part that is in between the hood and windshield.
This is the passenger side and you can see everything lines up nice. If you look at the metal part the wiper cowls mount to you will notice a gap there between it and the fendor... Well on the drivers side there is no gap. its like that whole metal piece that the wiper cowls attach to was shifted a good 1/4" to the right...
any ideas on what could do that and how I can fix it? or is that something that is better done at a body shop?
Thanks for the help.
I have a 97 Ford explorer EB 4wd. V6 SOHC 155k miles.
As long as I can remember there has been this gap in between the driver door and the front fender. Never really bothered me, that is until recently when I had new hood struts and hood latch put in and tried to align the hood to the body. I have not ran into anything or run over anything since I have owned it (2006). Before that my step dad owned it since 2003 and he never abused it or was in any accidents.
here are some pics.
drivers side door:
as you can see its way out of whack, no clue how it happened if it happened after its been in my family. I know it has been there at least 3 years, before that I don't remember. Again, no accidents since at least 2003. Previous owner, I have no clue, I believe he was a friend or colleague of my step dad and had lived out in Arizona driving this Explorer before selling it to my step dad. (We live in FL.)
anyway heres the upper part of the door:
its like the fender was yanked from the bottom outwards... but wait! there's more!
drivers side hood. Did not have a noticeable gap until after the hood struts were replaced. (hood struts were dead for years and I just used an EZ curl bar to prop the hood up on one side when working inside)
What you dont see in that picture is the distance between the metal part that is in between the hood and windshield.
This is the passenger side and you can see everything lines up nice. If you look at the metal part the wiper cowls mount to you will notice a gap there between it and the fendor... Well on the drivers side there is no gap. its like that whole metal piece that the wiper cowls attach to was shifted a good 1/4" to the right...
any ideas on what could do that and how I can fix it? or is that something that is better done at a body shop?
Thanks for the help.