Door Sagging Solution
Door Sagging Solution The driver's door on my '95 Formula sags...when closing it, you can hear and feel part of the bottom inside edge of the door hitting the inside rocker area. This sucks, and I'd like to fix it.
Are new door hinges available somewhere? Is that the proper way to address the problem? Is replacing them a major PITA?
Thanks for your time.
Are new door hinges available somewhere? Is that the proper way to address the problem? Is replacing them a major PITA?
Thanks for your time.
On The Tree
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 153
Likes: 0
It's not that hard if you are use to doing body/repair work, but for the average Joe, it may be a pain in the rump. You will need to have a spring compressor for the spring, then unplug the wiring harness that runs into the door, and unbolt.
I have done them on the car, but better to take the door off. Sometimes it can be just one bad hinge, and not both, so inspect the problemed area first, to see what the exact issue is.
It's best to have a helper, but if you don't have that, you can use a floor jack and a 2x4 to rest the door on during removal.
Also, you should be able to order hinges at the dealer, or find some good used ones at a salvage yard for less money(although salvage parts obviously are used and may not last as long as new OEM ones will).
P.S. Tape the fender, edges of the door, and the rocker panel to avoid serious chipping of the paint while doing this procedure.
I have done them on the car, but better to take the door off. Sometimes it can be just one bad hinge, and not both, so inspect the problemed area first, to see what the exact issue is.
It's best to have a helper, but if you don't have that, you can use a floor jack and a 2x4 to rest the door on during removal.
Also, you should be able to order hinges at the dealer, or find some good used ones at a salvage yard for less money(although salvage parts obviously are used and may not last as long as new OEM ones will).
P.S. Tape the fender, edges of the door, and the rocker panel to avoid serious chipping of the paint while doing this procedure.
Originally Posted by transambandit
its not the door thats sagging its your car, put on some subframe connectors and you will see a vast improvement.
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Originally Posted by transambandit
its not the door thats sagging its your car, put on some subframe connectors and you will see a vast improvement.
12 Second Club
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 334
Likes: 0
From: Georgia
Originally Posted by transambandit
its not the door thats sagging its your car, put on some subframe connectors and you will see a vast improvement.
Originally Posted by Camaro477
Never heard that one before. Yeah, but anyways I have done this repair many times on cars and trucks and a simple pin and bushing kit will solve your problem man. Just get someone to set the door off and set it on something like a plastic crate, that's what I use and you won't have to undo any of the wiring while you perform this process.
Originally Posted by transambandit
just saw it the other day on an episode of horsepower tv, they were restoring a 74 nova and putting a sleeper engine in it, so they put on some subframes and they showed how it improved the sag on the car and how well all the gaps had fixed themselves and the doors lined up properly.
Why spend $300 when you can spend way less and get it fixed. As mentioned by others, he just has to pinpoint the problem area. This isn't a guess and check problem.
where do I get a pin and bushing kits? I think I remember a while back going to the dealership and they said I had to buy the whole hinge. I dont think I need the whole hinge, just the pins and bushings, right?
On The Tree
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 153
Likes: 0
Originally Posted by 96redcamaro
where do I get a pin and bushing kits? I think I remember a while back going to the dealership and they said I had to buy the whole hinge. I dont think I need the whole hinge, just the pins and bushings, right?
I believe the dealership only sells complete hinges, and not just the pin and bushing kits.
You can buy aftermarket pin/bushing kits at places like O'Reilly's, Auto Zone, NAPA, ect.. Although, we have used them at the shop, they are not as good as replacing with an OEM hinge. Alot of times these aftermarket kits are "universal", and are not as clean or fit as proper as the factory pins did. We have had to weld to fill in the pin holes to be tighter, or route out the holes and so on, to make them work correctly. Sometimes, the pins have even had to be trimmed as they were too long. You can make them work, but it's a hassle and not as clean in appearance as the factory hinges would look if you just replaced the hinge(although replacing the hinge/s will not be cheap). It's all a matter of preference, I guess.
Originally Posted by Tim Noel
I believe the dealership only sells complete hinges, and not just the pin and bushing kits.
You can buy aftermarket pin/bushing kits at places like O'Reilly's, Auto Zone, NAPA, ect.. Although, we have used them at the shop, they are not as good as replacing with an OEM hinge. Alot of times these aftermarket kits are "universal", and are not as clean or fit as proper as the factory pins did. We have had to weld to fill in the pin holes to be tighter, or route out the holes and so on, to make them work correctly. Sometimes, the pins have even had to be trimmed as they were too long. You can make them work, but it's a hassle and not as clean in appearance as the factory hinges would look if you just replaced the hinge(although replacing the hinge/s will not be cheap). It's all a matter of preference, I guess.
You can buy aftermarket pin/bushing kits at places like O'Reilly's, Auto Zone, NAPA, ect.. Although, we have used them at the shop, they are not as good as replacing with an OEM hinge. Alot of times these aftermarket kits are "universal", and are not as clean or fit as proper as the factory pins did. We have had to weld to fill in the pin holes to be tighter, or route out the holes and so on, to make them work correctly. Sometimes, the pins have even had to be trimmed as they were too long. You can make them work, but it's a hassle and not as clean in appearance as the factory hinges would look if you just replaced the hinge(although replacing the hinge/s will not be cheap). It's all a matter of preference, I guess.
