Tips for rebuilding early-a hinges?

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socal_65dartgt

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Anyone seen a kit or have any hints on rebuilding early a-body hinges? I see that there are kits for later a-bodies but haven't seen any for the early ones.

Searching, I found that Layson's will rebuild them starting for $295. I want to do them myself and to get rid of the dreaded driver's side door sag.

Thanks!
 
There is a set of supposedly good hinges on ebay as of yesterday. I did at on epoint see a kit for the 65 Dart on ebay, but like everything else you can't find it when you need it. Also, check with NAPA, I got a set for a Chevy there.

Dave
 
I haven't done early A-body ones but I've done early Mustang and Camaro, there's really nothing much to it. If you're not removing the door you should support it somehow, I have a door dolly which is handy. You should be able to get new hinge pins and bushings or just get bushings and use the old pins. There should be a small cotter pin at the bottom of the hinge pin, pull it out, knock the pin out, press the new bushings into the hinge and put the pin back in, with the cotter pin. The mustang had an annoying little spring that had to be compressed, not sure if you have that or not. :-D Hopefully someone will chime in that has done an early A-body in case there is something odd about it.
 
Found a rebuild kit at Kramer Auto Specialties....$95.00..this seems pretty high for bushings and pins but.....
 
I looked at the pictures of hindge pins and bushings in that other thread. It don't look right to me. The knurled portion of the pin is about to be driven into a bronze bushing.
I rebuilt my hindges with a similar kit. I too had to run out for a drill bit to bore the holes for the bushings. Those bushings have flanges which should be sandwiched between inner and outer hindge halves. One installed from top down and other from bottom up. Therfore I had to grind a little clearance for those flanges from the inside of the outer hindge half.
The above may not make sense in reading. It makes more sense than vendors selling repair kits with no instructions (not even rquired drill size).
Just like the solid state I.V.R. ...
there is A right way and MANY wrong ways to do everything.
 
Bought a kit and the pins don't fit. Having trouble drilling the holes. That is some tough metal!!! Have a new titanium bit and am not making much progress. GRRRR!!!! Have to be to work soon. GRRRR!!!!! GRRRRR!!!! Oh well such is life these days.
 
how strange..... just drilled both holes like it was nothing...??? Used a masonry bit on high speed. Went through it like butter. Awesome!!!!
 
Well which was it, hard to drill or like butter.

You know that you "woke the dead"

Still not a bad one to wake.
 
I tried to get fancy and weld up the holes and re-drill them. Man, it was a b*tch. I had to anneal the metal to make it soft enough to drill. The originals are steel on steel, which is a good thing, since a bronze bushed hinge will wear faster.

Also, the pins on mine were worn far more than the hinge body. And, my springs are worn out, and the bushings in the rollers are totally gone.

I think for the front doors I am just going to buy some new hinges.

BTW the bottom hinges can be swapped with any year A-body. Not sure about the top ones, but the bottoms wear more anyway.

The later hinges are a better design without the plastic bushing and roller.
 
I have some repop lowers that are brand new I'm not going to use. $35 each shipped. So, $70 for the pair shipped.
 
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