Crack surrounding door striker

toplscuda said
I did mine when I was replacing the quarters. I used a piece cut out of the old quarter and removed the cage behind it and welded it in around the perimeter and also with a couple plug welds in the middle area. Then welded the cage back in.

Good to know. I'm not sure if the quarters will need to be full replaced at this point but will check it out when the time comes this winter.

@str12-340 thanks, I will check it out!

FM3 Dart said
From 67-71, The door latch pillar on all A bodies was only one layer of metal, and the striker was bolted to it. Years of slamming doors cause this to crack. Chrysler knew this was a problem, so starting in 1972, A bodies had a reinforcing plate spot welded to the back side where the striker bolts on. Viola! no more cracking.

There's many ways to do a simple fix, but the best solution is to add a plate on the inside to strengthen the striker area. This does mean removing the cage for the threaded striker plate and transferring it to the new reinforcement.

What are the odds mine, a 72 built in Oct 71, has a reinforced striker already? It's not cracked, but I have reason to believe the mileage is low. Thanks again!