My right rear door takes a lot of muscle to open and close. What gives? It was a little stiff the past 6 months or so, then all the sudden it got worse quickly. I haven't had any damage, crashes, etc.

Any ideas on how to fix this thing?

 

Try some WD40 or 3in1 oil first. The passenger front door on my beater max has always been hard to open, oiling did nothing for it. I think the door hinges may have been bent in an accident prior to me owning it.

 

Indeed, oil it up first.

I would also check to see if the detent lever is binding up (or check link, whatever you want to call it).

 

my doors are hard to open and close so i put wd40 on it the next day its much better i can close with my pinky.

 

my rear driver side door is hard to open and close to. Tried WD 40 and didnt seem to help much.

 

Replace or Oil is all I say. I need to replace my bottom Hindge because it seems to sag a little bit.

 

My rear driver side door is mostly ok but if my car is unlocked and I open the door about halfway (sometimes it sticks and my hand slips on the handle) then lock engages (only on this door). Not sure if lube will help the situation or not, I mostly don't use the rear doors"

General question for all: do you recommend WD-40, silicone oil or lithium grease for general lubrication?

 

same problem. tried wd40 & 3in1-- still nothing. no accidents, just lots of road salt.

 

I used some grease and just lubed up the door rods. At first it doesn't feel like it makes much difference. But after a week of use it definitely made a difference after a week of use.

 

I like to use motorcycle chainlube on high-load items like this. It goes on thin to penetrate and then thickens up to provide a good, strong film strength.

 

I would use this rather than oil or WD-40. Oil is too thin and provides only a quick fix. Grease is what you want to put on there.

 

white lithium grease in a spray can works pretty well. plus with the straw it makes very little mess and you can get it in tight spaces.

i wouldn't use a petroleum lubricant, like WD-40. those kind of lubes will gum up and need to be reapplied, over and over and over... as said above, grease is what you want

 

grease will fix everything. I had the same problem

 

lol same problem on 99 se wd should fix the problem

 

It seems my daughters Altima driver door exhibits the same problem. It seemed to me that I'll have to take the door panel off to fix it though. My best guess, as also mentioned above, is that the detent bar is causing undue friction within the door and I can't seem to get any lubricant to where it is needed without taking the door apart.