drivers side door sags bad enough that it is difficult to open. where can i get hinge pins and bushings and are they difficult to replace?
door sags
- Thread starter oldolds
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Pins and bushings are available at any parts store. I like to buy them for a 2000 Astro van, the pins have a keeper made on them so you don't have to stake or tack weld them to keep them in
Not particularly hard, but the doors are heavy. When I did mine last week, I cut the pin out of the upper and left both hinge halves on the pillar and door, unbolted the lower on the door side. Makes realigning the door much easier as the upper gives you a baseline to work from.
Since the fenders were off on mine, I just left the rear latched and supported the front with a floor jack a few inches away from the pillar, but if the car is fully assembled, you'll have more room to work by removing the door. It can be done by pulling one hinge at a time, but takes more work to align the door afterwards. By using the method I did, there is only one attachment point that needs to be aligned, versus 4 when removing the hinges from the car.
Not particularly hard, but the doors are heavy. When I did mine last week, I cut the pin out of the upper and left both hinge halves on the pillar and door, unbolted the lower on the door side. Makes realigning the door much easier as the upper gives you a baseline to work from.
Since the fenders were off on mine, I just left the rear latched and supported the front with a floor jack a few inches away from the pillar, but if the car is fully assembled, you'll have more room to work by removing the door. It can be done by pulling one hinge at a time, but takes more work to align the door afterwards. By using the method I did, there is only one attachment point that needs to be aligned, versus 4 when removing the hinges from the car.
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Try the pins and bushings first. But if your door is that difficult to open, it seems your upper hinge atleast is damaged. When you get your old bushings out, check the holes for perfect roundness. I'll bet they're out of round. If that's the case, new repair kit is not enough. You either weld the holes up and redrill them, or replace the hinge altogether. I've worked on a few that the door sagged for so long that a new factory hinge didn't cure the sag 100% . You WILL NEED the V shaped spring tool to R&R the upper hinge spring first and last. 4 door hinges are the same as 2 door if you replace with used. That's what I used on my Elco. I even replaced the pins and bushings on the replacement hinges for longevity. As stated above its 10X easier if the fender is off, I only had to readjust my striker . There are alot of past threads on here with alot of different solutions. What I did worked great for me. Good luck
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