How hard is it to change the door hinge pins? My drivers side door does not close unless I pull up real hard on it while closing. I notice that if I lift up on the door from the outside ( by door handle) it will move up/down about 1/4". TIA

 

Here is a post I put up about a month ago on the same subject.

The easiest method and what I will now deem as the correct (at least to me) way to install the pins:

Pull off the door panel; remove the hinge bolt access covers. Spray paint the bolt heads with a good quick drying spray paint.. (Red, Green, White, the color won't matter).

When the paint is dry, remove the door from the hinges. Once this is done the hinge pin can be driven out and the new bushings and the pin re-installed. Do this on the upper and lower.

Now why paint the hinge bolts..

So you have a witness mark for re-installing the bolts in the same place. If the door has not been messed with by a PO, then you should be in the correct place. Tighten the screws and then re-install the door panel.

You can attempt to install the upper pin by taking material off the head of the top pin and doing so will allow clearance of the door outer fiberglass panel. But to insert the bushings correctly, you must move the door outward off the hinge on the top (or the bottom) depending on which hinge you are on. When you use this method the door will get very close to hitting the back edge of the fender! In fact, it will get so close that it can and in most cases chip the paint from one or the other. One other issue is that cutting material off the top pin will also devalue the integrity of the pin.

I'm sure there are people that will try it the Grind Way and get it done without issue. But it's not worth the risk because the time to install the pins is 1 hour by using the remove the door method and I don't think a little extra time will hurt anyone's feelings over risking a chip.

You will need a second person to help you when you re-install the door and painters tape would be highly advised for either method. You can use a Cherry picker, or a hoist to hold up the door while removing it. You put a towel on the door and runt two straps around it meeting in the middle. This makes the door stable while you are removing it.

Another note: It is also advised to check the condition of the rear striker bolt. When a door is not striking it properly there is a good chance the rubber is worn from inside of it and/or you will find wear damage.

You may also find your weatherstrip is not fitting good after new pins and bushings are installed. If they don't then you will need to re-fit the weatherstrips at this time.

The hinge will come apart once you remove the pin. When you remove the door the D cut is not needed to install the pin.

And lastly, never put grease on the pins or bushings. This will cause premature failure.

Willcox

 

I've replaced a lot of hinge pins and bushings over the years and the approach I've gravitated to is to NOT unbolt the door hinges and simply grind away the top of the hinge pin with either a die grinder or a cut-off tool (provided you can fit it between the door and A-pillar). http://images.search.yahoo.com/image...mb=WeLCgO2vFiv Generally the die-grinder is the better way to go. It doesn't throw sparks and if you stand close to it, you can block most of the grindings with your body, and cover the car so you don't get grindings all over the place. You have to take care to stay on the pin head and not skate off into the hinge. Overall, this is a lot faster because you can spend a lot of time getting your door adjusted just right, and you don't have to remove any wiring, or even the door panel usually.

• Support door with a floor jack

• Grind hinge top of hinge pin head away with die grinder

• Tap hinge pin down through the door with a long punch or steel rod/bolt or whatever you have [Repeat with bottom hinge]

• Back the door off an inch or two.

• Tap out hinge bushings with punch

• Insert new bushings (if the bottom one has rounded out the hole, you can buy oversized bushings at Autozone that will work, or re-drill out to the right size)

• Lube and reinsert pins. Here's the secret: the top hinge HAS to be installed from the bottom.

• Hammer the pins until the heads seat. You won't be able to get a hammer in there very well, so I take a long crow bar and set that on the head and hammer a couple inches back where I can hammer w/o damaging the door paint.

You're done!

• Put a one-way retainer on the straight side of the pin which you can get from a hardware store so the pins don't work it's way out (because they WILL), or put a washer over the pins and tack the washer to the pin with the welder.

• Readjust door, Usually you don't have to readjust the door with this approach but if you do, then adjust accordingly.

Note: I don't do this, but it would probably be a really good idea to take some thin tin (like from a tin can) and drill a hole so it'll fit around the head of the pin so if the die grinder burr slips off, it won't damage the hinge surface.



Mark G

 

Either way you do it, it's labor intensive. I went the door removal method. And I did so because both hinges had to be rebuilt (new pins, bushings, springs). No problems doing it, but like I said - lots of work.

 

Hi Richard,

I thought you might be interested to see this video explaining the door removal method.
I thought it was very informative.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yAqsy...layer_embedded



Andrew

 

Thank you everyone, AAJC, that was a good video, I think I will try and do it that way.

 

Let us know how it goes.
If it really is as easy as it looks, I might give i go too.



Andrew