Door Hinge Repair

[Jhn824]

Hey guys...Question...is there something different about the early b body door hinges? need to rebuild the ones on my 65.. but not really finding a repair kit...what am I missing?

 

[MoparLeo]

The hinge body is heat treated and you usually need a carbide drill to drill it. Then you need an oversized pin to go in the bigger hole. Anyway, this is what I do. There are really no rebuild kits, never were. I also have the springs and steel rollers. All custom parts. Prices good til June 1. Forst price increase for over 15 years.
https://www.forebodiesonly.com/forum/threads/mopar-door-hinge-restoration-service.20402/
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[Runner 68]

The hinge body is heat treated and you usually need a carbide drill to drill it. Then you need an oversized pin to go in the bigger hole. Anyway, this is what I do. There are really no rebuild kits, never were. I also have the springs and steel rollers. All custom parts. Prices good til June 1. Forst price increase for over 15 years.
https://www.forebodiesonly.com/forum/threads/mopar-door-hinge-restoration-service.20402/
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View attachment 953510 View attachment 953511 View attachment 953512

Agree on the oversized pin kits, that's the way to go. We did my sons Duster like that, slicker than snot. (Can't speak for a 65 though).
Too bad I sprang for new hinges on my Bird before I found the oversize option.

 

[MoparLeo]

More to hinges than just pins though. Hope they were not AMD or Goodmark new. Taiwan.. not lasting

 

[Darter6]

I bought from other vendors and they were garbage. Do yourself a favor and go with MoparLeo.
He helped me out !

 

[conv67bdere]

I went a different way to fix the hinge . . . fabricated the work myself . . .

Notice the "small" contact surfaces for holding these heavy doors . . .

Changed the hinge to this instead . . .

The hinge should no longer sag on me . . .

 

[Jhn824]

I went a different way to fix the hinge . . . fabricated the work myself . . .

Notice the "small" contact surfaces for holding these heavy doors . . .

View attachment 954385

Changed the hinge to this instead . . .

View attachment 954386

The hinge should no longer sag on me . . .

nice work!

 

[Detroit Iron]

I'm building mine now. I will post photos of the progress. I bought this repair kit.
https://www.classicindustries.com/product/1964/dodge/polara/parts/md8058.html

I like the additional bracing that 67convbdere added. I may do something like that too.

 

[MoparLeo]

The contact area of the pin didn't change, so what is the advantage of putting a piece of tubing in the middle of the door side hinge body ? Looks impressive but it doesn't change the area of the pins contact unless you drill out the whole hinge to the new pins diameter and then weld the tube to the hinge so that now the pin is rubbing on the entire length of the tubing/hinge body.
Detroit Iron don't all for the "pin/bushing" kit. The entire weight of the door will now be supported by a small, brass bushing as opposed to a steel/steel contact. There is no room for the bushing unless you modify the hinge by grinding/filing it. Once you do this "mod" your hinge is now un rebuildable properly. Here are what parts are used for a proper rebuild, not just pins and definitely not bushings. These parts are all custom and not sold by anyone. Also included a picture of a "bushing job" someone wanted me to fix. Too bad...

 

[Runner 68]

I went a different way to fix the hinge . . . fabricated the work myself . . .

Notice the "small" contact surfaces for holding these heavy doors . . .

View attachment 954385

Changed the hinge to this instead . . .

View attachment 954386

The hinge should no longer sag on me . . .

That's f@cking brilliant Conv, simply f@cking brilliant.
I'm going to split my new hinges and make the same mod.
Thanks.

 

[Runner 68]

The contact area of the pin didn't change, so what is the advantage of putting a piece of tubing in the middle of the door side hinge body ? Looks impressive but it doesn't change the area of the pins contact unless you drill out the whole hinge to the new pins diameter and then weld the tube to the hinge so that now the pin is rubbing on the entire length of the tubing/hinge body.
Detroit Iron don't all for the "pin/bushing" kit. The entire weight of the door will now be supported by a small, brass bushing as opposed to a steel/steel contact. There is no room for the bushing unless you modify the hinge by grinding/filing it. Once you do this "mod" your hinge is now un rebuildable properly. Here are what parts are used for a proper rebuild, not just pins and definitely not bushings. These parts are all custom and not sold by anyone. Also included a picture of a "bushing job" someone wanted me to fix. Too bad...

View attachment 954652 View attachment 954654 View attachment 954655 View attachment 954656 View attachment 954657

Farm boy engineer here but it seems to me that the tubing would displace the load across a larger area thus decreasing the stress on the hinge halves, causing less sag.

 

[MoparLeo]

The load is still on the contact points. That didn't change. The tubing would need to be welded to the body half of the hinge and the hole in the tube would need to be the exact same ID as the holes on the ends so that the pin would be rubbing on the entire length of the tube. The load is being carried by the small portion of the pin that is pressed into the door side of the hinge. The factory pins worked for over 50 years with no "extra tube needed". You can lead a horse to water.... I have been rebuilding them for over 25 years using factory type parts, just oversized, hardened pins. Probably a 1000 sets in that time span. Never a problem.
I do have a few good cores in stock after you "fix" yours when you need them.

 

[Jhn824]

Just got mine back from Leo...they look and work great!...I HIGHLY recommend !!

 

[Detroit Iron]

I drilled out the holes to accommodate the bushings, then reinforced the area (welded). Installed new pins and lubricated with silicone grease. Solid.

 

[MoparLeo]

Congrats, you just did the "pin and bushing" job. The inner hinge(the part that bolts to the body) can now not ever be used without using a brass bushing because you drilled the hole out to about .420 . The standard oversize is .375 and the max oversize id .409 . The brass bushings never intended to support weight. Ever wonder why the factory only used the oil-ite bushings on the top hinges ? Bet you had a hard time drilling the door side of the hinge, wait you don't have to with the bushing kit because it goes on the soft body side hinge half. Another reason for those "kits", they are not factory for sure, on 62-65 hinges is that the door side hinge half is hardened like plate steel and can't be drilled with standard bits and reamers. I have to use solid carbide drills and reames to rebuild these hinges properly. Most people don't know that and will ruin a few bits to find out. They also don't want to pay the expense of using the proper tools, which I have. You just did what too many of my customers have done and later regret because now their cores are not properly rebuildable anymore. The oe hinges worked for over 50 years without "bushings".

 

[dvw]

I agree the door side upper for early B's is tough stuff. I just wanted to drill 1/8" location holes hinge to body. No way. Now on E body different story. Used factory GM S-10 pins and bushings. Cut the pin as it was too long. I put tubes in between the half's of my E body hinges. The reason? Drilled the tubes for a grease zerk. Then it was easy to lube, less mess.
Doug