How do I become unhinged?
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 1,166
Likes: 0
From: Tulsa Ok
How do I become unhinged?
Hi guys and gals. I'm a long time lurker first time poster. My baby is a 77 bright yellow L-48 that I'm working to restore to it's former glory. The paint is oxidized and chipped most notibly at the front of the doors where it has been striking the body when they're opened. I've relieved this problem to some extent with my handy dreimel but I can't do a proper job of it with the doors on. So my question is, can the doors be removed by driving out the hinge pins only? This is my daily driver so I need to do this in a timely fashion and hopefully without having to readjust everything when putting them back on.
Has anybody done this and how many beers should I budget? :smash:
Has anybody done this and how many beers should I budget? :smash:
Melting Slicks
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 2,043
Likes: 1
From: Elkhorn WI
Re: How do I become unhinged? (FeedVaal)
Click here
go to interior ...click on door spring replacement.
hope this helps !
[Modified by ylose, 1:18 PM 10/3/2001]
[Modified by ylose, 1:19 PM 10/3/2001]
[Modified by ylose, 1:21 PM 10/3/2001]
go to interior ...click on door spring replacement.
hope this helps !
[Modified by ylose, 1:18 PM 10/3/2001]
[Modified by ylose, 1:19 PM 10/3/2001]
[Modified by ylose, 1:21 PM 10/3/2001]
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 1999
Posts: 2,845
Likes: 2
From: Apex NC
Re: How do I become unhinged? (FeedVaal)
I haven't tried removing the hinge pins. It's not too hard to remove and reinstall the door by removing the door from the hinge. Remove the door panel and the top hinge access cover, then the 4 bolts top and bottom. Pull the door rearward and off the hinge. It makes replacing the spring much easier.
Shannon
Shannon
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 17,102
Likes: 7
From: Fair Oaks, OK
Re: How do I become unhinged? (FeedVaal)
Hey FeedVal, mine has done something similar. I found that my door spring was broken. Does your damage look like the picture below or is it different?
I sure do wish we took better care of my car when it took its 18 year hibernation in the garage, but we didn't. :cry :sad:
My dad had so much junk piled on top of the car at one point that it even warped the hood!!! Now when it is closed the left edge of the hood sits below the edge of the left fender. :eek: :eek:
[Modified by Simon Alexander, 1:55 PM 10/3/2001]
I sure do wish we took better care of my car when it took its 18 year hibernation in the garage, but we didn't. :cry :sad:
My dad had so much junk piled on top of the car at one point that it even warped the hood!!! Now when it is closed the left edge of the hood sits below the edge of the left fender. :eek: :eek:
[Modified by Simon Alexander, 1:55 PM 10/3/2001]
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 1,166
Likes: 0
From: Tulsa Ok
Re: How do I become unhinged? (sb69coupe)
Thanks for the timely replies and welcomes. Coupe, that option is the one I was hoping to avoid as it seems like it would require a lot more time to reset the door to its original position. My doors close with the solid clunk of perfect adjustment at this time and I'd be :cry if I couldn't refit them in the same spot. The problem is, from the looks of the door curvature, that the upper pin will not clear the hinge before it strikes the door. Perhaps some judicious twisting and cussing will work but it looks like a two man (six beers) operation and there ain't nobody here but this chicken.
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Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 1,166
Likes: 0
From: Tulsa Ok
Re: How do I become unhinged? (Simon Alexander)
Simon, that's a bad ouchie you've got there. My damage is not quite that severe and seems to be caused by the bond of the fender loosening and sliding back into the door reducing clearance to near zero. Body work on these cars is darn near as fun as the models I built in my youth but the glue was better then. :crazy:
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 17,102
Likes: 7
From: Fair Oaks, OK
Re: How do I become unhinged? (FeedVaal)
but the glue was better then. :crazy:
You also might want to look into Tulsa Vette Set. Its our local vette club.
Racer
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 440
Likes: 0
From: Corvallis OR
Re: How do I become unhinged? (FeedVaal)
I recently replaced my hinge pins, they would NOT come out. Ended up unbolting the door anyway. The pins would still NOT come out. I had to cut them out with a cutoff wheel... Readjusting the outside hinges isn't really that hard.
BTW, since you do have them out, might as well replace the brass bushings, they're probably worn and they're cheep.
BTW, since you do have them out, might as well replace the brass bushings, they're probably worn and they're cheep.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 2,310
Likes: 1
Re: How do I become unhinged? (FeedVaal)
Welcome to the forum!
I was hoping to have a quote from an article (that I'm sure I've read :crazy: ) about removing the hinge pins with the door still attached, but I can't seem to find it. I hope it can be done because that's my next project (the doors -- springs, hinge pins, door handle, and some weatherstripping). If you get it done before I do (or find the article) please post how.
Good Luck.
I was hoping to have a quote from an article (that I'm sure I've read :crazy: ) about removing the hinge pins with the door still attached, but I can't seem to find it. I hope it can be done because that's my next project (the doors -- springs, hinge pins, door handle, and some weatherstripping). If you get it done before I do (or find the article) please post how.
Good Luck.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 1999
Posts: 2,845
Likes: 2
From: Apex NC
Re: How do I become unhinged? (FeedVaal)
Removing the door doesn't really make hanging it too tough. The adjustment range on the door-to-hinge bolts is fairly limited, and only in one direction. I'm going from memory here, but I think that the door-to-hinge bolts only allow for up/down adjustment, not fore/aft. So you shouldn't have too hard a time getting it to line back up. If you shoot a light mist of spray paint over the bolts at both mounts before you remove them, you'll be able to see where to line them back up when you put the door back on.
Shannon
Shannon
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 1,166
Likes: 0
From: Tulsa Ok
Re: How do I become unhinged? (sb69coupe)
Shannon, you read my mind! If worst comes to worst tonite, that's exactly the way to insure realignment if those bolts have to come out. That's also a good trick for hood removal which is upcoming as I hope to shoot paint before temps become problematic.
Again, thanks for the replies.
Again, thanks for the replies.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 2,107
Likes: 14
From: Lancaster PA
Re: How do I become unhinged? (FeedVaal)
FeedVaal; Welcome, I have found the easiest way to remove a door that you want to back with the same adjustment is to support the rear of the door with a padded jack. Then knock out the lower hinge pin. Then spraypaint the bolt heads on the door side of the upper hinge and unbolt it. The upper hinge pin comes dangerously close to the fender when you remove it. Good Luck, Craig :chevy