Dear God almighty! I saw the instructions from wilcox or from Zip.. whomever.... and it is no freakin snap to install one of these. My driver's side door spring is busted and I am trying to install a new one. Got the replacement spring and the bent screwdriver tool from Zip but I cannot get that stupid thing in... and to throw sand in my face those instructions from Zip or corvette magazine say " it's a quick snap" to install.... I have never done this before and it is a tight fit in there but after busting my knuckles for 1.5 hrs I gave up.... anyone care to enlighten me so I don't feel like I should ride the short bus to work?

thanks all,

Sully

 

That top loop of the "S" sits up higher that you think. You have to put some upward pressure on the spring as you snap it into place, or it will just fall out again.

Temvette72

http://i247.photobucket.com/albums/g...2/100_0599.jpg

This is the result of the PO's attempt. I found the spring under the driver's seat when I took apart the interior.

 

Another short bus rider here. No, it isn't as easy as they say and I took a nice chunk out of my door when installing mine so be carefull. Put a couple layers of masking tape on the leading edge of the door in that area just in case. I wish I could remember exactly how I did it but I was cussin' too much at the time.

 

The secret is getting the spring in the correct position, then it will fall into place. Two people can be helpful and it is more difficult with a power harness in the way if you have p/windows. Are you using your own bent screwdriver or the actual tool. Even though you can bent a screwdriver, you need the correct angle because its a tight space.

Before you try to rotate the spring with the tool, the spring needs to fit into the upper and lower grooves of the hinge. Put the top of the spring into the hole and the upper groove. This part of fitting it can be done by hand, but you may need some minor persuasion with the tool to work the spring into the bottom groove. The upper and lower grooves keep the spring aligned vertically after it's installed. You can see the top groove easily, but look underneath the hinge with a flashlight to see the bottom groove. When fitting the spring into position, play with different heights ie: all the way down or as far up as it will go to try and get it into the bottom groove.

Once the spring falls into the lower groove, use the tool to rotate it towards the pillar and tap the bottom of the spring with a hammer until it's all the way up into the crevis it locks into. It's easier with 2 people.

 

Yeah, I did mine recently too, it's no walk in the park like they make it seem. I tried on and off for almost a month before I actually got the drivers side in(a lot of cursing and busted knuckles during that month). Once I figured out how to get the driver's side in, the passenger side took me all of about 10 minutes to do. You first have to get the top in and then use the screwdriver to pry the bottom towards the interior and tap the spring upwards slowly until the bottom fits into the notch in the hinge(you may want to put a little grease on the hinge to make it slide up easier). Make sure the 2 rollers that rub against the spring are free spinning and lubed with white lithium grease or they will just push the spring back out again (asked me how I now). Be patient, take your time, it will go.

 

Its been a few years but I remember using a heavy brass puch(bar) to tap the spring in after I lined up the hole.

 

I too tried to install the darn thing myself. Bought the correct tool, read how to do it, etc. After about an hour of frustration, took the car to a local Vette shop and the owner installed it less than 5 minutes. He laughed and said I wasn't the first guy that had to admit defeat. Sometimes we have to swallow our pride.

 

My hinge was broken too and the spring missing, so I just replaced the hinge and spring at the same time. I know--- no fair.

Andy

 

I gave up trying to do mine and recently found both the tool and the new spring in the glove box of the '80 when I started getting things in order in anticipation of working on them soon, thank God the '82 has good door springs, Peace,,,Moosie

 

ttt, gonna try to do this again this afternoon... got plenty of beer for the frustration...

sully

 

I replaced the driver side spring in the 72 right after we bought it. I don't remember exactly how I did it but it went in very easily. It might have something to do with how far the door is open, but I remember thinking that the tool was bent at exactly the right angle to get the job done.



Rick B.

 

well I am doing a frame off and when I got to that point I did buy that (hinge tool) or gloryfied bent srewdriver

Anyway I did my hinges off the car in a vise and it took only 2-3 minutes a hinge with installing the new bushings

Maybe its easier off the door?

You could do one at a time and take off the hinges and support your door on the car??

Maybe thats what the Zip catalog was refering to?