I noticed that my passenger spring was broken and the door would not stay open. I also noticed that the window glass was rubbing on the car on the top rear (indicating a door sag). I decided to order new door pins, bushings, springs, and spring installation/removal tool from Willcox).

I rebuilt the hinges with the bushings and pins. I am somewhat satisfied with the door alignment...it is still not perfect but at least the glass is not rubbing.

Now for the problem: The spring wants to go on the wrong side of the rollers. That is, when I open the door all the way, it goes behind the rollers and the only way I can close the door again is to pry the end of the spring in the right direction as I close the door. Once I do this and slowly close the door it makes major creaking noises. I know the rollers work because I can spin them with a pliers. They are not finger loose but I don't think they are suppose to be. It is almost like the spring is just too strong for the application or that the spring needs to have a slightly larger hoop at the end so that it doesn't sneak behind the roller.

Any ideas??? Thanks in advance!

 

bump

 

man I feel your pain... I have made many many attempts to replace the spring on my driver's door in the 72. Everyone seems to make it sound like an easy fix but even with the bent screw driver "special tool" that came from the spring I can't make it work...


best of luck and bump to the top for you,

Sully

 

Now I have even more trouble! One of the new springs snapped when I was trying to make it fit. There is no way that these springs I purchased are correct...has to be wrong dimensions or something. Frustrated....

 

Installed new springs in both doors - couple times to figure it out tho!

 

Jason,

The springs have a notch in them and this sits on the lip of the hinge. Once in the proper place the springs hold themselves.

Original springs only had one notch and this made them Left and Right hand. The reproduction springs have a notch in both sides... but aside from that difference the springs are correct in size and detail.

Can you take a picture of the hinge area and maybe one of the spring installed and post it?

Willcox

 

Hi guys,

Thanks for the responses. I will not have time to work on this today. I will certainly post pictures for you, Willcox - that sounds like a good idea. I should be able to do this tomorrow (Sunday). I still have one new spring left and a functioning old spring. Thanks.

 

lurk

 

Ok...hopefully these pictures will tell something. It is a very hard area to photograph. Anyway, the first two pictures are of the new hinge spring that I am having trouble with. This door has new pins, bushings, and a spring. The door opens and closes fine without the spring. The final picture is of the drivers side. This is functioning and untouched. I have not changed the pins, bushings, or spring on this door.



http://i1235.photobucket.com/albums/...3/DSC01463.jpg

http://i1235.photobucket.com/albums/...3/DSC01470.jpg

 

bump

 

If you can spin the rollers with pliers I'd say they are in need of lube. I soaked the rollers on mine then used white grease after the spring install. I also had to grind an 1/8" off the S to get it to fit. No problems after that. Hope this helps.

 

I looked at the pictures, but it's very hard for me to see. I can't see the top of the spring either.

But the spring when installed has a groove on it that fits in the hinge. When you install the spring it is hooked in the spring groove and then bent with the tool until the end can drop in the other groove. Once you have it in place you tap it down until the on the spring is in place and then release.

Wow.. I hope all that makes sense. Any chance you have a picture of the entire spring you can post.

Willcox

 

Ok, here we go... Today I went out to the shop, had them blast this old hinge and paint it a pretty Jade Green... I figured it would show the spring installation better...

When you install the spring in the hinge.. you want to make sure that A is on top side... and you want to make sure you install it in to slot B. When you do this you'll actually have A a bit further down in the hinge then it will be when you have it installed, but this how it is done to get the spring installed properly!

Once you have the spring in this position, install the door hinge tool, or a large bent pry bar and twist the spring until the bottom edge can fall in to D. When you have the spring twisted to this point you'll see won't see it but it has to fall in to the pocket D! Simply tap upward on the spring at point C just a tiny bit and the spring lock in at the top of the hinge and lock in at the bottom in pocket D. This is what holds the spring in the twisted position and if it's not in the pocket it will interfere with the rollers.

Just remember, the side marked A and B is the top side, and the one marked C is the lower... This should help.. Just make sure when you have the spring installed that the lower end of the S is up inside the pocket D or the spring will not stay loaded and in place. It is critical that you make sure you have this locked in andI have seen a newly installed spring come through a customers door! This was from a mechanic not getting it tucked (tapped) up in the lip pocket D. In this instance the spring fell outward and when the customer shut the door the spring pushed through the end of it..

Hope this helps you.

Willcox

 

I am really at a loss with this. I can look at the other one and see how it is routed - I am routing it the same way. I loop the spring with the flattened part into the hole at the top, next I gently pry the other side of the top into the grove on the hinge and finally I pry the bottom part of the spring into the grove on the lower part of the hinge. It is just that the part of the spring that is to contact the rollers has too much spring in it and it goes slightly behind the rollers....so when I attempt to close the door instead of riding on the front side of the rollers, it slips to the back side and binds up. If it had a little less spring of if the loop was slightly larger - it seems to me that it would work.

Both rollers spin - I don't think this is a problem.

 

Willcox - Thanks I think we sent our posts at the same time...I am going to look at what you sent and see if I can figure it out. Thanks.

 

THAT WAS IT! I was missing "pocket D". I did not know it existed as you can't see it when the hinge is in place. Thank you so much - I am sure this will help many, many, more people to come!

 

Woo hoo!!!!! Way to go - Not sure I could do it again myself...

 

 

Willcox Corvette

 

No problem you guys and thank you. I'm keeping these pics and will make a new help page for the site.... Anyone need a Jade Hinge

Willcox