There are a number of threads on fixing ovaled out holes.

 

Hi



The cheap way is to have the door some what closed and then use a jack to push the door up in order to bend the hinges until the door no longer sagging.

 

I keep forgetting this is the S10 forum where taking the easiest way out is the lowest common denominator. Bending the hinges isn't going to fix his problem.

 

Since the pins ride on the bushings and not directly on the hinge material you simply need a way to fill in the area that the old pins wore away after eating through the old bushing. Some guys get all carried away with welding in the side of the hole and reaming it back to the original bore.
Problem with that is you might end up moving the hole because the drill may cut into the original hinge material as its cutting away the excess weld.
What really works. Is simple and cheap is to pull the pins back out so there is no weight on the bushing. Push it tight against the unworn side of the hinge and fill the worn area with JB Weld or a similar epoxy. After it has dried 24 hours it is as strong as the metal it's replacing and the bushing will be where it belongs. Been there. Done it. It works and lasts.
Just be sure there is no grease or oil to prevent the epoxy from bonding to the steel. A good wipe with a lacquer thinner dampened rag will clean it.

 

I will have to take a picture but my hinge is wore out above the bushings area and the hinge on the door is wore to the point of letting the door drop.

 

both GM and dorman offer replacement hinges

 

The drivers door hinge on my daughters truck was broke and door was sagging. I fixed it with new hinges

 

I don't see any replacement hinges for my 1987 on for the newer style like my 1998 pick up are they the same ?

 

Doubt it. Completely different bodies.
You'd think after nearly 50 years of worn out pin bushings on nearly every model of GM car and truck they'd find a better design.

 

Honestly, the problem is more with the owners and not the hinges. Properly lubricated they won’t eat up the bushings in the first place.

 

Ok as you can see my top door hinge is wore the hole for the pin is wore out of round allowing the door to drop. So I'm thinking the only way to fix this is to weld the hole shut and redrill the hole or possibly make a bushing for this

 

Work smarter not hard friend. Welding is overkill. Just fill the hole with JB, put the new bushing in, cram more JB in around it, let it dry overnight. Boom.

I fixed mine a little different. This happens because the bushing wears out from dust in the grease, and then the pin wears into the steal. When i put the oreilly replacement bushings in it would crack and crumble after a couple days because it is weak in tension. The hole was still small enough to hold the bushing in place, but it put tension on the bushing, cracking it. I tried the JB weld but this was a colorado January and JB doesnt cure for **** in the cold not to mention, i dont have a garage to leave my door off all night.

So i measured the bushing and copied it on a lathe out of 6061T6 alu round stock and slapped that bad boy in there with no JB. It is stronger and wont ever crack, it still stays in its spot because the hole isnt completely ovaled out.

In your case thi the JB weld is fine solution and much better than really welding anything. Just clean the surface thuroughly with degreaser first.

 

drilling a weld is very hard to do accurately
not to mention the weld is harder than a preachers .....


Use chalk,soapstone or copper the same size as the pin,positioned the same as the pin would be and weld the gaps in the hole,not weld the entire hole.

 

I know when I did my first gen years ago you could get oversize bushings. Simply drill the hole to size insert new bushing.

 

thats not a bushed hole

 

I wonder if a PO put a larger diameter pin in to try and eliminate the bushing? Dumb move if they did.
Didn't you state in the first post that you put in new pins and bushings? Did you bust the new bushings installing them? They are brittle and require careful installation.

Read post 5 again. It works. Others have done it with success.

 

The bushings are tight and no I didn't crush the bushings installing them these appear to be oversized bushings as the ones I purchased from LMC were too small. This hole where it's wore is not bushed. It's the top of the hinge so JB welding the bushings will do nothing to help.

I will have to weld the side that's worn and fit it to the pin or make me a special bushing for the hole.

 

**** didnt see that part. That means the wrong part of the hinge is rubbing. Fix the other parts when you fix this so it dont happen again.

 

The correct dimensions are
.340" x 4.110" pin
.344" (ID) x .490" (OD) x .370" (Height) bushings

If those upper holes aren't .490 then something has been altered in the past life of the hinges. It left the factory with bushings in all 4 positions.

I'd remove the door completely, reinstall the upper pin and bushing as it is now, slide a bushing on from the top, then push the pin tight against the unworn side of the hole and scribe the outside of the bushing onto the hinge. Take a small die grinder burr and carefully open the hole to fit the bushing and re-install the door.

 

The hinges on the truck side are fine and nice and tight. The door side of the top hinge is wore out as shown in my previous post. This never had a bushing.

If I understand your post correctly then I should put the door on the pin and lift the door to where it should be and scribe around a new bushing, then take a die grinder and grind the wore hole to fit the new bushing.

Thanks

 

The door’s hinge is wore out? Go buy another door. That’s what I do...

 

Hi


Just weld a piece of steel that has the right size hole drilled in it, onto the top of the hinge. There is enough of the pin sticking up that you can do that.

 

Good idea. You can tack it initially to be sure placement is right.

 

I agree great idea

 

Thats what i did and I added extra thickness to it to boot. Mig weld is best but u could braze it.

 

My 95 Grand Am wasn't meticulously maintained by any means, but the hinges are still in great shape. Actually, it's only RWD GM products I see with hinges falling apart. G Bodies, S10s, Astros, C/K pickups...

 

True. But I'd rather repair hinges on a RWD than do any major repairs on a FWD. Just replaced the trans in my LS4 Grand Prix. What a PITA. Took about 40 hours. Probably could have done it quicker, but I OCD every nut and bolt. No parts left over for a change.

 

40hours? Good thing you’re not flat rate!:haha:

I was pretty good at the V6 Fwd GM transmissions. I can’t say I did a V8 model tho.