ok so iv cracked the metal around the door striker in my 1987 2 door s10 blazer. i know why it cracked. but my question is how should i go about fixing it? i was thinking about welding a plate on. it is going to crack again. the door striker has a little play and im worried it will rip out if not addressed soon. any one know what the striker mounts to behind the metal? i cant reallt get back there with out a lot of work.

 

There should be a cage nut behind the sheetmetal.

If it were me, I would remove the striker, remove the paint around the affected area, drill an 1/8" hole at the end of each crack to stop it, weld the cracks up including the holes, then smooth it back out before priming & painting.

I would only do that after repairing the door hinges though.

 

Given that there already is a washer under the striker, you should be able to weld a plate of the same thickness as the washer on once you get the cracks drilled & welded up again. Going the plate route, I would drill a bunch of 3/8" holes for plug welds to tie the plate in with the original sheetmetal more securely given the abuse you're putting it through.

 

the door hinges are still fine. someone else i talked to said to drill holes at the end of the cracks aswell. its breaking from the stereo. is welding a plate on a bad idea? was thinking a thin piece of steel?

 

Now THAT is certainly not your normal striker issue! What's your hatch latch look like?
Considering that, I'd do the plate with additional plug holes as suggested.

 

the hatch is holding up pretty well. the lock gets loose a lot. the rear window hinges are getting abused pretty good tho. i need to find some of those next-