Door hinges- have rebuilt or buy repop?

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DA69RT GT

DA69RT GT

South Florida Member
FABO Gold Member
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http://www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/converse.php?u=5483&u2=10636
For those who have experience in changing out door hinges:
would like to get some feedback on rebuilding vs buying repop.

I read alot of past threads and sounds like its not that easy to buy/install the inexpensive pins/bushing kits etc yourself if never done before or have machining experience. Is it hard to re-bush/install new pins?
I see we have a member (res1vw21) who rebuilds hinges as an option but also notice AMD sells new reproduction for bit more $.

Basically it is my driver lower hinge thats shot... I guess my question is should I:

  • just take care of that one lower hinge
  • do both top and bottom on drivers side
  • do both driver and passenger side lower & upper and be done with it
Any input would be appreciated in regards to FBAO members success with the rebuilt hinges. As well any input in defense of spending the extra $ on new repops.


Thanks Doug
 

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Do them all! Its easy and cheap. Once you get the door removed (mark with a pencil around the hinge on the doorshell) from the hinge begin by knocking the original pin out from the bottom upwards. You may need to find the correct drill bit for the size of the new brass bushings outer diameter. Drill the part of the hinge left on the pillar. Knock the new bushings into the top and bottom of this part of the hinge. Take the top part of the hinge that bolts to the doorshell and give it a little squeeze in the vise and test fit onto the part of the hinge left on the pillar. You want a tight squeeze here. Once you get the hinge tight drive the new pin in from the top. All the hinges are done the same way. Install the door and your done. You may or may not need to readjust the hinge where it bolts to the pillar! If so the top hinge is a little tricky with the dash still in the car but can be done with patience.
 
CUUDAK said:
Do them all! Its easy and cheap. Once you get the door removed (mark with a pencil around the hinge on the doorshell) from the hinge begin by knocking the original pin out from the bottom upwards. You may need to find the correct drill bit for the size of the new brass bushings outer diameter. Drill the part of the hinge left on the pillar. Knock the new bushings into the top and bottom of this part of the hinge. Take the top part of the hinge that bolts to the doorshell and give it a little squeeze in the vise and test fit onto the part of the hinge left on the pillar. You want a tight squeeze here. Once you get the hinge tight drive the new pin in from the top. All the hinges are done the same way. Install the door and your done. You may or may not need to readjust the hinge where it bolts to the pillar! If so the top hinge is a little tricky with the dash still in the car but can be done with patience.
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No offense but Don't do that!

I have seen and fixed many hinges that people have installed the bushings in, it's going to lead to problems down the road when the hinge housing cracks because you over drilled it for the bushing!!! (not to mention that does nothing to fix the detent which is also part of the problem)

I do offer one hinge rebuilds pm me if interested.

Yes you can buy reproduction hinges, but why? They aren't as tight as mine and they cost more..... I also use only genuine made in North America original Mopar hinges with all made in USA parts. (where are the repops made?)

I would recommend at least a fully rebuilt lower hinge as for the upper the bushing kits are what you need, obviously it won't be blasted and epoxied primed but you can leave it on the car and put new bushings in and a new pin.

I also offer a core exchange program so you can do the job done in one day and then ship back your core at your convenience. Yes I would be happy to sell you the pin and bushings for the top one too for cheaper then you will find online, show me the best price you can find online and I will sell it for $1.00 cheaper and you won't have separate shipping.
 
I dunno, we just replaced all pins and bushings on a heavy azz door 69 charger. Cheap Napa kit. All we had to modify, was drill top hole; shave bottom bushings for length. Body shop/paint guy loved them.
 
green1 said:
I dunno, we just replaced all pins and bushings on a heavy azz door 69 charger. Cheap Napa kit. All we had to modify, was drill top hole; shave bottom bushings for length. Body shop/paint guy loved them.
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What about the detent?
 
res1vw21 said:
No offense but Don't do that!
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Not trying to ruin business but for $20 and a couple hours labor I have used these kits with great success. I have never had one fail in 20 years. Detents are another issue. Most detents are ok.

With the brass bushings there is no need to lube the area since brass is self lubricated in most instances. No more clinging dirt to the hinges from lube therefore extending the life of the hinges.

Jus Sayn':cheers:
 
Rebuild them all. I did it on my car and they work great. I did it on my ongoing project "1965 DartCharger" and result is excellent.

Do it right on time save you time and money.
 
Must be some low mileage cars if the detents are alright.... 9 out of 10 hinges that come to me are wasted in the detent region.

I am surprised you haven't seen any cracks in the housings. When I first started doing this I used the bushing method until I got comebacks then realized that on a daily driver it just wont cut it; not to mention doing work for free the second time. One demon didn't even make it to paint before it cracked; a friends duster however lasted 4 years with daily driving before the bushing, not housing cracked. (They however squeaked something fierce.) Yes I did the hinges on both the same way.

Admittedly I learned this current method of how to rebuild them from an old time mopar resto guy who did a set on a '70 challenger at 200,000mi and when the car came in for it's second resto at 400,000mi the hinges were still decent. (The detent was worn out again and the do have some slop but not much)

The key to rebuilding them is to add more surface are to the contact points, thus reducing load and wear by spreading out the weight.

Also you don't have to lube them, most people just feel more comfortable when they do. {Bob Crop who also rebuilds hinges ($180 a set of lowers) hasn't lubed his on his Suberbird since 1992 and is proud of it} I have never lubed the ones on my swinger, but did on my sisters scamp and see absolutely no difference.

I am not trying to say he has to buy them from me but simply don't forget all the factors, if you are going to go through the effort of pulling the door off to fix the hinges then fix the hinges don't just do half the job and call it good. The bushing would only "fix" half the hinge, if you could call it that.

Now for the sales pitch, not only do you get a nice tight hinge with no slop but properly working detent's. You also get a media blasted hinge that is in epoxy primer so it wont rust and you can easily paint it the color of your car. (Paint stores will mix your color in a spray can for a decent price if you don't have spray equipment) The best part is they are reman right hear in Seattle WA and are cheaper with better quality then buying a new set or anyone else's reman set.

DA69RT GT Pm me I do offer single hinges with core exchange and like I said up a few posts I can provide the pins and bushings for the upper as well at a better price if you don't want it blasted and primed.
 
dumb question but where do the bushings go in the bottom hinge. do they go into the inner or outer part of the hinge. or through both somehow. pics?
 
Bigredlid said:
dumb question but where do the bushings go in the bottom hinge. do they go into the inner or outer part of the hinge. or through both somehow. pics?
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The bushings are installed into the inner hinge. The one that bolts to the car.
 
Gyarsh, let's see here: Option 1: Support a good-guy contributing member of this community who's doing work in America. Option 2: Buy reproduction hinges made in China. Sounds like an easy choice to me!
 
I did mine years ago. I just tapped the old ones out and carefully tapped the new ones in. There was nothing to it really. If you have to have them pressed, then build your own press from a long bolt with a couple washers and a nut.
 
My bolt idea did not work out so well. Went to put the doors on but the bolt head is in the way of the bolts that hold the door on for the upper hinge. :wack: Need to either find some bolts and nuts with smaller heads or just go to the parts store and get a pin kit.
 

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slantsixdan said:
Gyarsh, let's see here: Option 1: Support a good-guy contributing member of this community who's doing work in America. Option 2: Buy reproduction hinges made in China. Sounds like an easy choice to me!
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Well, us do-it-yourselfers are capable of this easy repair. So we jump in our American car built with foreign parts and drive on foreign gas to the local parts houses who may be foreign owned and this is the foreign product offered to us consumers. Its kinda out of our control at this point.

The guy offered his services to the O. P. so he had his opportunity. We bloggers are fortunate to offer our experiences with one another. Now its his choice.

I don't know you but your location lists you in British Columbia. What the heck are you so worried about the good ol' USA for? From all of your recent posts you seem to be the Vancouver Grinch! Cold weather getting to ya?:cheers:

Lighten up a little.:goodman: Life here isn't that horrible! Down here in the South we have much larger problems.

Adios Muchachos! Our borders are being over run! I don't think its the Chinese either.:D
 
CUUDAK said:
Well, us do-it-yourselfers are capable of this easy repair.
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Don't forget to fix the detent!

CUUDAK said:
The guy offered his services to the O. P. so he had his opportunity. We bloggers are fortunate to offer our experiences with one another. Now its his choice.
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Yep, That is the beauty of living in the free world and I wouldn't change that for a thing.

I am about to make a vid of why people should either buy the new ones or or one of my sets and not wast their time putting bushings in, stay tuned.
 
I have rebuilt hinges in my truck,done by someone else,the wrong way,lol! Bushing's in upside down,no c clip's on the end of the pin's to keep em from falling out etc,etc. Typical G.M product. Run's good but the door's are falling off.
 
what did you expect? It's a GM. Now as far as Mopar goes, all the gotcha's are in the dive train.
 
CUUDAK said:
:-D May have to join ya before too long.
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Do yer homework! It's always amusing when people say things like "Oh, that's it! If ___________ gets in office, I'm moving to Canada! as if they can just pick up and move across the border as easily as moving from (say) New York to Arizona. In most cases it takes most of a U.S. presidential term to move to Canada. That said, please do come up to Canada (or at least to WA State) because I am soon to need the services of:

I-car Gold Trained
Certified in DuPont, PPG, Standox, Spies/Hecker
Perfected ALSA "Killerchrome"
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redbeard.gif
 
slantsixdan said:
Do yer homework! It's always amusing when people say things like "Oh, that's it! If ___________ gets in office, I'm moving to Canada! as if they can just pick up and move across the border as easily as moving from (say) New York to Arizona. In most cases it takes most of a U.S. presidential term to move to Canada. That said, please do come up to Canada (or at least to WA State) because I am soon to need the services of:



redbeard.gif
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Lol! Good painters are hard to find here too.

Wasn't directing it towards Government issues but that is a true statement indeed.
Our southern borders here in Texas are really getting serious. This is my immediate concern.

Oops! Sorry for the jack.:cheers:
 
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