> Anyone who has jacked up a car at one wheel and tried to open a door knows that flexing is very real.
Have you tried doing that to anything other than a 1960s convertible?
My 90s junk handles that just fine (and they're not particularly rigid cars). Matter of fact I did it yesterday afternoon to change rear pads.
Generally speaking you need to get a floppy vehicle really bound up (think 80s Jeep Cherokee or minivan off road) in order to have issues with doors and even then it's usually rear hatch only. OEMs specially try to avoid having bodies that flex enough to be noticeable to consumers, let alone to the point of doors not opening. Heck, I'd be surprised if you can even design a car to pass modern roof strength requirements without also making it stiff enough to have the doors open and close regardless of how bound up it is. (Pickup tailgates are another thing since the bed is open top and bolted to a frame designed to flex somewhat and even then being able to open the tailgate with two tires off the ground is not unheard of)
When I gave a friend a ride in my 2001 Miata, the very first thing he said was 'huh, you have a rigid frame, if I'd done that turn in my old MG, you could see the frame flexing'
Have you tried doing that to anything other than a 1960s convertible?
My 90s junk handles that just fine (and they're not particularly rigid cars). Matter of fact I did it yesterday afternoon to change rear pads.
Generally speaking you need to get a floppy vehicle really bound up (think 80s Jeep Cherokee or minivan off road) in order to have issues with doors and even then it's usually rear hatch only. OEMs specially try to avoid having bodies that flex enough to be noticeable to consumers, let alone to the point of doors not opening. Heck, I'd be surprised if you can even design a car to pass modern roof strength requirements without also making it stiff enough to have the doors open and close regardless of how bound up it is. (Pickup tailgates are another thing since the bed is open top and bolted to a frame designed to flex somewhat and even then being able to open the tailgate with two tires off the ground is not unheard of)