I've been replacing my door hinges every year for about 5 years and I can't even go that long anymore before the bushings fail. I'm also noticing the welds are beginning to fail on the actual hinge.
I can fix the weld issue, but I really want a permanent solution to the hinge pins and I can't seem to find one, nor can I figure out something that actually works.
Do you lubricate them? Helps to use oem pins if you can find them. Is someone leaning on the doors to enter/exit? My pins are 22 years old and tight as the day I bought it in '96.
I do lubricate them periodically. And I've never really leaned against them either.
I got the truck used and already having had them replaced once. The holes for the pins aren't even circular anymore. My truck also now has 285,000. I got it with 150k.
Yup, if the holes are egged out its just going to eat bushings. You have to add material by welding and filing or redrilling the holes. There's also a company that sells bushings with a larger outer diameter too but I believe they're only available .010 and .020 over.
For the washer method, did you get washers big enough to fit the brass bushings or just to fit the hinge pin? and did you put washers on the top and the bottom of each hole?
Seems kind of redundant when you can just weld a file the holes. I've never seen or heard of anyone welding washers to the hinges and eliminating the bushings. Good luck with that.
just the washers- took the pin in with me and match the diameter- been on for two years now on my 94- they were horrible- was owned by a painting company- worked great after i cut the strike plate off and put it back at stock height- they lowered it a 1/2 inch so the door latched- all good now- i just hit the pins with some white lithum now and then.
i have found the bushing arn't as strong as the used to be- and the dealer near me has eliminated all stock for s10's from his inventory, we "don't spend enough for us to stock that old stuff anymore".
if you insert a copper rod the same size as the outer part of bushing,into the hole,you can weld all around it and weld wont stick to it,but will stick to the hinge. Only touch up grinding needed then. Soapstone works also but is a lot weaker.
I have probably 100 pounds of various copper plate,fittings, rod etc used for backup when welding.
Copper when thick enough draws the heat away and when the puddle is directed properly wont hurt the copper.
This also works excellent as a backup when welding porous sheet metal
I had a friend mill some new bushings from brass bar stock. He even made some alittle bigger to fill a worn hole tight. The bushings are now better material than anything I could have bought and lasted many years until I sold that truck.
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