How hard is it to remove and reinstall the driver's door for a hinge rebuild job?

[cruiser]

Hi All: The driver's door hinges on my 1974 Duster are in need of a rebuild job. I'd like to send them out to Mopar Leo, but first I have to remove the door, which I've never done before. Can you do this by yourself, or do you need another guy to help? How hard are the bolts to remove? They've been there for 52 years without being touched, but don't seem rusted. How hard is it to reinstall and align the door once the rebuilt hinges are in place? Any and all ideas are welcomed. Thanks!

 

[Demonracer]

You will be better off with a friend helping, think about using two jacks is you have access to them. I did it myself with a lot of cussing, almost dropping the door and a couple of smashed fingers. Good luck!

 

[Icetech]

I did mine by myself.. did 1 hinge at a time and kept a jack under the door or the door closed while the hinge was off..

Mine were in for 60+ years and came out no problem. Hardest part was realigning the damn door which i am still not happy with.

I used the brass sleeves that are in the cheap kits, zero issues.. doors close like a new car. I will never put 20k miles a year on my car, maybe 500 tops.. so i won't be opening/closing the door thousands of times a year, so the repair kit was fine for me.

 

[Icetech]

BTW.. mines not a duster... so.. not 100% sure on them..

 

[halifaxhops]

Hi All: The driver's door hinges on my 1974 Duster are in need of a rebuild job. I'd like to send them out to Mopar Leo, but first I have to remove the door, which I've never done before. Can you do this by yourself, or do you need another guy to help? How hard are the bolts to remove? They've been there for 52 years without being touched, but don't seem rusted. How hard is it to reinstall and align the door once the rebuilt hinges are in place? Any and all ideas are welcomed. Thanks!

See if he has a pair he can exchange and get them and do them one at a time. Duster doors are heavy. Just a thought.

 

[DC 340]

Hi cruiser, there is a EZ Rest Door Hanger tool that can help if your floor jack is compatible. I bought one to help with the real heavy E body doors but I have not yet tried it. Here's a link at Summit but you can find them at several places, i.e., Eastwood etc..

EZ Rest Door Hanger

 

[matthon]

If they're anything like my 67, on each hinge, 2 bolts from the inside, 1 from the outside.

Remove the kickpanel for lower interior bolts.

Exterior bolts, shallow ratchet held straight down for the upper, straight up for the lower.

Having the fenders off is nice, but not necessary.

Make sure the door pin is aligned correctly and has not been bent or worn.
Make sure the door jamb around the pin is not damaged, cracked, or generally messed up.

Some say to drill small holes through the hinges before removal in order to line them up later, but if the hinge has ever moved, or been adjusted to compensate for a bad hinge, drilling is useless.

Doors are heavy, be prepared.

Similar to all the tree fail videos out there, it weighs nothing until it's no longer attached.

 

[toolmanmike]

Hi cruiser, there is a EZ Rest Door Hanger tool that can help if your floor jack is compatible. I bought one to help with the real heavy E body doors but I have not yet tried it. Here's a link at Summit but you can find them at several places, i.e., Eastwood etc..

EZ Rest Door Hanger

View attachment 1716488547

These work! They are made by Steck and I sold Steck products for 30 years. They are a little cheaper through Eastwood I see. E-Z Rest Door Hanger

 

[ProjectBazza]

Not a one person job, Bob. Heck, without a special holding tool such as those mentioned previously, may not even been a two person job on your car. Think about: If there are only 2 people on-site, one of them has got to be turning wrenches, leaving the other guy holding the entire load for a given amount of time….

I’ve done numerous, and equally heavy, ‘69 Mustang doors, and on my own, by using an engine hoist. Not an “approved” method by any means, but if you want to borrow my hoist (the same one we used to load your slant onto my trailer), I’m only 45 minutes away.

Jim

 

[azaustin]

Hi cruiser, there is a EZ Rest Door Hanger tool that can help if your floor jack is compatible. I bought one to help with the real heavy E body doors but I have not yet tried it. Here's a link at Summit but you can find them at several places, i.e., Eastwood etc..

EZ Rest Door Hanger

View attachment 1716488547

I have on of these and it worked well with an old Astro Jack with a lift out saddle. Haven’t figured out how to use it on my newer HF jacks with a bolt in saddle, which is too bad because my Astro died. POS only lasted 40 years and I paid less than $40 bucks for it new. I would buy them three at a time to sell off my tool truck.

 

[Dana67Dart]

I'm no he-man, but I removed a fully loaded passenger door from a 67 that sat in a scrap yard for 30 years or so 100% by myself. I got it into my Jeep, and down to my basement and up on top of a 6' tall shelving unit. Sonit can be done!

Advice...

Roll the window down.

Make some props (the right height) to support the door in a slightly open position.

Do the work on soft grass so if anything gets away less chance of damage.

Buying a second set (note they are handed) rebuild them or buy new replacements

Replace one hinge at a time

As noted there are bolts from the inside and outside, remove the outside bolts first then then the inside.

If you are sure you want to remove the entire door remove all but 1 inside bolt on the top and bottom, then with the door closed remove the inside bottom bolt then the top bolt.

Then push in the latch button and lift and pull the door open and out and then slightly backwards.

Places (Amazon, u-hual storage facilities, home depot) sell wide moving straps for moving heavy objects. They have arm holes at both ends and really work and help.

May want to protect the paint on the fender and door.

The door cradles and a helper can make the entire job MUCH easier and safer for the door and the rest of the car.

Side note. If you are going to use a cradle put the car up on 4 jack stands under BODY points so your body weight getting in and out of the car will not make the door move up or down relative to the cradle.

 

[azaustin]

BTW, someone posted how to drill your hinges and use a “pin” to re-align them quickly. I’d like to know how to do that. Lost the post.

 

[mopowers]

A floor jack with a few rags on the pad helped me get it done by myself. It wasn't too bad.

 

[72bluNblu]

I’ve taken them off by myself out in the wrecking yards, it’s not fun but it can be done and following some of the steps listed here so far can make it easier.

I’ve also used a HF motorcycle jack when I’m at home, it works pretty well. And they cost less than that EZ door attachment thing, although, they will not stop the door from tipping over so there’s that. Also, I’m not necessarily saying I’d buy one of these instead of the EZ door thing, I already had one because I have motorcycles. Just another option.

https://www.harborfreight.com/1500-...-lift-60536.html?_br_psugg_q=motorcycle+lifts

As far as the different models go, Dart doors are heavier if we’re talking ‘67-72 because of the wing vents. Which also make them kind of unbalanced and more awkward in general. ‘74+ doors of all types are heavier than that because of the addition of the impact beams, I don’t know that Dart or Duster doors 74+ are all that different in weight since they’re pretty much the same except for the shape of the glass. But 74+ with the crash beams are pretty heavy.

 

[missing linc]

I've done more than a few of them by myself, different makes and models, but I was much younger. I would probably try a combination of engine crane and ratchet straps at this point, mostly due to my back having suffered 60 plus years of abuse and counting. Your Duster will have the impact beam inside the door, adding a good 50 pounds to it's heft. The tips mentioned above are all good suggestions and I have used all of them.
Worst door I can remember was a 77 Trans Am, one heavy sumbitch, followed closely by a 71 Mustang.
Good luck, take your time, and ask for help if you're not confident, better to not damage what is really a very nice Duster.

 

[str12-340]

I think the top hinge is not adjustable and bottom one is. If this is true keep it in mind while reinstalling. It will take several tries to get the gaps right. Be patient.

 

[Professor Fate]

It can be done by yourself, but be sensible about it and don't rush yourself.
How I do it:
Clean the door and jamb thoroughly, then outline the hinge as closely as possible with masking tape.
Then wrap tape around all the door and jamb edges to help prevent contact/chipping the paint.
Roll the window down and wrap the door in a heavy blanket.
Then wrap a nylon tow strap or sling strap around it a couple times, with the loops "up".

Use your engine hoist to lift the door- just take the weight off it for now.
Loosen the bolts holding the hinges to the door, checking the weight and balance of the door in your hoist/sling. Remove the bolts when you feel comfortable with the balance and the weight on the hoist. Roll the door over to the corner or wherever you're going to store it, leaving it wrapped up for protection, set it on a couple of blocks and not directly on the concrete floor.
Repeat procedure for the other side.
Make sure all hinges are marked as to their original location on the car (Dr. side upper, pass. lower, etc.) and unbolt them from the jamb.
Rebuild or send them to Leo.
Reinstall hinges in their original locations, using your tape outlines to position them on the jambs and then the doors. It may not be perfect, but it gets you DARN close, needing just a few little finessing adjustments.
I usually work by myself, and use the same basic method for everything from doors to hoods and trunk lids.

 

[harrisonm]

I have done them by myself using a jack and a piece of wood to fit under the door. That was a long time ago. I would not even try to do it by myself now.
The EASIEST way to do it is with three people. Two people holding the door and one person turning the wrenches. I would not try it with only one person holding the door. You can try the one hinge at a time if you can find them ready to install. You will want to paint them, of course. If you want to rebuild them (a very easy task), you will need to pull the door completely off. I would use some masking tape to mark on the door and A pillar as well as you can to mark where the hinges go. That way you can be really close the first time when installing. It will take a while to rebuild the hinges, so your friends will probably have to come back another day. If you take the door completely off, you absolutely will need two people holding it.