Door Hinge Rebuild

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Jim Kueneman

FABO Gold Member
FABO Gold Member
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Anyone know were to buy a rebuild kit, or who rebuilds, early A-Body door hinges?
 
Hi, any machine shop should do that. They might even make you custom bushings. Usually aftermarket bushing sets are junk.
 
Hi, any machine shop should do that. They might even make you custom bushings. Usually aftermarket bushing sets are junk.
Yea I get the later kits from RestoRick with larger hardened pins and no bushings. These are different though. I have a question in the Rick to see if maybe his newer kits can be used with a bit of machining...
 
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Contact MoparLeo on B bodies only. I bought kits to do my own plus he will rebuild for you with your hinges or exchange. Good work done right. I found out after buying from Mr. Moparts. Their replacement springs had no "Spring" in them, were very weak and were useless.Nothing worse that doing a job twice.
 
Never use bushings unless they originally came with them. There was a reason that the factory didn't use them. The hinges support a lot of weight. I only use over sized, hardened pivot pins. Drilled and reamed to fit. Over a 1000 sets done over a 25 + year time period. Mopars only. Member discounts.
Since most Car shows and swaps have been cancelled across the country, we will ship all purchases for free in the lower 48 Thru the month of April. Get working on those project while you are staying at home. Stay safe.
Thanks
Leo
 
thanks to moparleo.

I did my drivers side door by myself when I was haveing the car painted , used bushings off ebay , they have held up quite well . The hardest part is putting the door back on by
yourself !
If I ever have to do it again , I`ll just make some oversized pins and drill accordingly-----------
 
Of course those hinges will now have to be replaced because of the excessive hole diameter that you now have. That is another draw back to bushings, You should not use a hinge that has a pin hole diameter larger than .406 . Most bushings require at least a .409 size hole or larger. Bushings are sold because oversized pins require more precision ream to fit tools. Bushings just a drill and hammer.
 
Of course those hinges will now have to be replaced because of the excessive hole diameter that you now have. That is another draw back to bushings, You should not use a hinge that has a pin hole diameter larger than .406 . Most bushings require at least a .409 size hole or larger. Bushings are sold because oversized pins require more precision ream to fit tools. Bushings just a drill and hammer.
I don't want to argue about bushing or no bushing, but can you explain to me then why my 92 dodge ram truck with a door weighing 12 pounds more than my 66 dart have a bushing in them? Or my 07 Caravan or my 09Caliber or my 2017 challenger? Have you ever seen the weight of the long door challengers? they are all bushed.
 
Hi, The drawback is that you weaken the hinge . The hinge was designed without a bushing for a reason. They could have used bushings. Hardened steel pin inside of a steel housing. What could be stronger ? Brass bushing acting as the bearing for a small. standard sized pin that requires an oversized hole to be drilled so the bushing can fit the big hole ? Best alternative is to use the smallest diameter, oversized pin that will fit properly. No soft or modified parts. Bushing kits are not factory but cobbled together by people. GM pins and generic bushings with no instructions.

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I worked for used car dept' at a ford dealership late 80s into early 90s. Replaced a lot of hinge bushings in Regals, Mustangs, you name it. Parts dept manager at the GM dealer told me GM sells about 10 thousand of these little bushings per year. Same applies to Ford. Even high end Cadillac and Lincoln had the same pizzy little bushings in their hinges. The weight of the door on such a short and thin walled bushing is one factor but the pressure that comes from the detent spring is another additional factor. Thats why the bushings held up fairly well in upper hinges but failed regularly in lower hinges. And if its not repaired before the hole in the steel becomes egg shaped, a new bushing is a temporary fix. The new bushing will crack.
In a Toyota, the detent mechanism is a third assembly mounted between the two hinges. Smarter? Yes but it is a expensive bugger to replace when its worn out too.
 
Yea I get the later kits from RestoRick with larger hardened pins and no bushings. These are different though. I have a question in the Rick to see if maybe his newer kits can be used with a bit of machining...
Hey Jim - what did you end up doing to repair the door hinges on your Valiant? Did the Resto Rick kit work out? I'm getting ready to work on the hinges on my 66 Dart.
 
Hey Jim - what did you end up doing to repair the door hinges on your Valiant? Did the Resto Rick kit work out? I'm getting ready to work on the hinges on my 66 Dart.

Yes. The Valiant had more of a 67 type hinge. Take photos and measurements of the pins when you talk to Rick.
 
It is a good pin kit, ,but most of the time the door checks (rollers) are also frozen and worn off center which cuts the main springs. These parts are not sold in any kit.

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Contact MoparLeo on B bodies only. I bought kits to do my own plus he will rebuild for you with your hinges or exchange. Good work done right. I found out after buying from Mr. Moparts. Their replacement springs had no "Spring" in them, were very weak and were useless.Nothing worse that doing a job twice.
MoparLeo did mine, great job!
 
Then get those parts as well if he has them. That is the only way to actually do a rebuild. Just pins is only a patch/partial job.
I posted pics of what I deal with daily. My customers will all vouch for my product.
This is what I do and am very experienced at. Decide before you start to drill, or cut. We only work on virgin hinge cores. We don't fix mistakes.
Thanks to everyone for their business.
Have a Merry Christmas all.
 
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