Door Hinges -- Removing All

[MNAirHead]

Here's a common Thing Question.

END RESULT====
I'm sick of having the hinge pines corrode and break off (the rest of the car is in great condition)... I want to swap the hinge pins with the stainless ones.

CURRENT PLAN===
We have a vw shop with some machining capability -- they have a press. I was thinking of pulling all the hinges... getting the stainless pins and having them press in new pins.

QUESTIONS====
How do you remove all of the surface hinges without having the backing plates fall? If the backing plates fall, how do they get replaced?

Thanks for the smarts.

[Kubelmann]

I loosen both screws. Then I remove the top screw. Then I swing the hinge out of the way and replace the top screw to hold the backing plate in place. Then I remove the bottom screw. Finally I put the bottom screw back in just to keep it somewhere safe. I put the hinge back on in the same way only backwards in order. Let us know how the pin replacement works out. I also need to do this to my hinge pins.

Hope this helps. K-mann

[Mattt]

I think there is something there to hold the backing plates in place.

[Kubelmann]

I recently scored a pair of Thing Shop bronze hinge/mirror mount and had to use my impact driver to some of the screws on the original hinges. I used the earlier mentioned procedure. But you are probably correct that there is a retainer to hold the back plates in place. K-mann

[germansupplyscott]

the backing plates should not fall. they are designed to move so the doors can be adjusted, but they are held from falling by an extra bit of sheetmetal, like a loop that goes loosely around the bracket. if they fall there is something broken inside the door pillar.

it is also not necessary to have a press to do the pins. i used a homemade "press" - a big vice, some deep sockets and bits to press with, and a torch. the pins all came out with relative ease, they are small so they can't exert very much pressure.

i didn't use stainless pins, just hardened steel 6mm dowel pins, these are made for tooling and fixtures and are available from a place like mcmaster-carr. the original pins are splined, the replacements are smooth, but it doesn't seem to matter as they are a tight fit.

one thing you can do to prevent the pins from rusting is to oil them of course, but more importantly - get the hinge hole caps, they are unbelieveably still available from the dealer. there should be one in every hinge and they keep the water from getting into the hinge. without these caps water can enter and it just sits in there rusting the pin. they belong in the engine cover hinges as well.

kubelmann,

on my project '74 which had sat for almost 10 years, i broke at least 4 screwdriver bits getting all the screws out, it took me literally weeks to get them all - on and off of course. i was using screwdriver bits in a ratchet handle and they kept shearing off. the impact screwdrive was useless for me, as the bits in it were too soft. i ended up getting posidrive bits, as they seemed to fit better than the large phillips ones.

scott lyons

[MNAirHead]

Howdy.

Thanks for all the pointers

I was going to create a kind of press.... our local vendor is willing to press out and press in new ones for $20... I'm a fairly parts hitter -- can get some favors done inexpensively.

Thanks for the pointers about the backing plate... when it rattled around, I was concerned that the plate would drop.

Warm Regards
T.

[bugjamin]

MNairhead,

How is the MN VW club going? I live in Shakopee MN and I am currently working on a beelte project. Just wondering about the club scene in the cities area.

Bugjamin

[Michael Basso]

we sell used hinges for $6

what color do you want?
thanks,

[MNAirHead]

I'll take Stainless thank you.

T.

[Michael Basso]

STAINLESS SET OF HINGES, $145 8 OF THEM
SAVES YOU $35 OVER YOUR PRICE, + THEY WILL BE CORRECT.
YOU CAN REACH ME BY PHONE OR EMAIL,
THANKS!