1971 Duster Driver Door Adjustment

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Hueydriver

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I am afraid I may already know the answer to this question, but is it possible to adjust/realign the door hinges on a '71 Duster? My passenger door is just fine but the drivers side sags a little. My initial inspection indicates there is some "slop" in the lower hinge pin.
 
The doors are completely adjustable but I would recommend getting the hinges rebuilt by the member from this screen shot. Once rebuilt reinstall and adjust to fit like a new Mopar door that closes with 1 finger.
 
I didn’t see my photo so I’ve tried to attach it again

F6A08EF2-B8CD-4239-B18E-5E556E0F5FC4.png
 
You can adjust for the slop and have a used hinge close the door just fine.

Don’t be afraid to LUBE your door hinges once a year.
 
Slop is from the bushing being worn or broken. Adjusting the door to fit a sagging door isn't the answer. Re bush the hinge and then adjust it. Broken door jamb strikers are a direct result of slamming a sagging door that needed bushings.
 
Rebuild the hinges and then adjust the door. The driver side is always the first to wear out for obvious reasons.
 
Thanks for the input. Once again this forum has come through with the information I need to tackle this issue.
 
The factory never used "bushings" in the lower hinges. They won't last because the lower hinge carries the bulk of the doors weight.
Those "kits" are cobbled together to make the seller a few bucks. Beware that after you Drill out your lower hinge to insert the bushings" ,the hinge is now un rebuildable.
because the hole is too large and the hinge is weakened.
I throw them away all the time when people want their hinges done properly and didn't know that the installing bushings ruin their hinges.
It takes more than a lower pivot pin to rebuild a hinge. The door check rollers are frozen most of the time as well and nobody sells parts for those. Mine are custom made for me.
Want your hinges done right, contact me.
 

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The factory never used "bushings" in the lower hinges. They won't last because the lower hinge carries the bulk of the doors weight.
Those "kits" are cobbled together to make the seller a few bucks. Beware that after you Drill out your lower hinge to insert the bushings" ,the hinge is now un rebuildable.
because the hole is too large and the hinge is weakened.
I throw them away all the time when people want their hinges done properly and didn't know that the installing bushings ruin their hinges.
It takes more than a lower pivot pin to rebuild a hinge. The door check rollers are frozen most of the time as well and nobody sells parts for those. Mine are custom made for me.
Want your hinges done right, contact me.
It's not the doors weight on the lower hinge that wears it out over time. It's the pressure from detent spring that wears that hinge. That is why they never put a thin wall bushing in that hinge. That load would have needed to be on a larger diameter pin, more hinge halve thickness and thicker wall bushing to survive. It all boils down to mechanical engineering. They didn't expect or want these cars to last 50+ years. Door hinges wear ( especially drivers door ). The door has to climb up onto the latch post, door bounces on that post, then latch starts to bind, sheet metal at the post fails.
Yes this is a classic mopar forum but I have to mention, GM did put these pissy little bushings in their upper and lower hinges. In about 1989 I learned from the parts manager at Bradshaw in Greer SC, that GM was selling about 10 thousand of the bushings every year, for vehicles that were around 5 years old, not 50 yrs. old.
Although the Toyota engineering is better design IMO ( they have a 3rd part, detent mechanism mounted in between the two hinges), ... that piece is a expensive part to replace.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07QMN9FP9/?tag=fabo03-20
Doors on my two 300K mile Camrys, a 2 door and a 4 door, still open and close fine but... they will close or swing open with vehicle angle.
Bottom line... As MoparLeo stated, aftermarket repair kit including 4 bushings and 2 pins should be for 2 upper hinges, not 1 upper and 1 lower. Those pissy little bushing simply will not survive the added force of that S spring. If the hinge halves were 1/2 inch thick and pin was 3/8 diameter, now your building a hinge for a military vehicle.
 
OK - this is how it played out. I ordered a hinge restoration kit from
Restorations by Rick Kreuziger - Product and Component Restoration Detailed Information (restorick.com) . As recommended I removed the door to access the lower hinge, used Ricks kit to ream the holes, installed the larger pin, installed the new "S" spring, checked and lubed the original rollers, and reinstalled the hinge and door. Total man-hours expended was about 45 minutes and the door now hangs straight and closes as it should. I almost think I should add a post to the "How to Articles" list for replacing/rebuilding A-Body door hinges. Thanks again for all the input and help.
 
Great. Glad it worked out for you so well. 45 minutes ??? What color is your cape ?
Post # 10, The detent spring (the S spring) I assume you me, never touches the door side of the hinge unless it is in the process of opening or closing. And then it "climbs" about 1/8" over the detent rollers. The detent roller pins do wear out because of lack of lubrication and the pin is intentionally a soft metal and the rollers themselves are a much harder powdered metal. I replace those pins with every build and the rollers are almost never worn and get used again.

A B LEFT SIDE HINGE.jpg
 
I guess I was just lucky it only took 45 minutes - no lie. Removal of the door was super easy using a floor jack to hold the door and a helper to balance it as the bolts were removed. Only took 5-10 minutes to ream out the holes and add the new spring. Most of the time was remounting the door and getting it realigned. But following all the advice I was given even that went well.
 
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