Anyone leave their door springs off on purpose?

[Toad455]

I just got done rebuilding my door hinges using oversize bushings and new pins. My replacement doors are near perfect with no cracks around the door hinge area. My old doors had cracks around the door hinge area. I'm thinking about leaving the S springs off so the doors won't have the stress of the springs when being opened or closed. Has anyone done this or should I not worry about it? I guess I could remove the rollers and grease them up and run the springs if it will be a nuisance. Thanks.

 

[fast 99]

Haven't tried leaving them off but I did own a commercial company where SB doors were opened and closed more than anyone would in private use. As long as the hinges were lubed and adjusted properly never had an issue. Later R/V style was another story.

 

[PrairieDrifter]

I just got done rebuilding my door hinges using oversize bushings and new pins. My replacement doors are near perfect with no cracks around the door hinge area. My old doors had cracks around the door hinge area. I'm thinking about leaving the S springs off so the doors won't have the stress of the springs when being opened or closed. Has anyone done this or should I not worry about it? I guess I could remove the rollers and grease them up and run the springs if it will be a nuisance. Thanks.

The rollers don't do anything unless the spring is in there. The door will free float. I would recommend putting the spring in. Square doors like to close on their own if that spring isn't there. I've got smacked in the head a few times.

Keep the rollers and hinges lubed up and you'll almost have to fight to keep it open that way. They open and close very easily when properly lubed, you just have to be deliberate when putting it into the detents.

Would also recommend removing the door or fender to put the spring in. It's a stout little guy.

 

[Toad455]

The rollers don't do anything unless the spring is in there. The door will free float. I would recommend putting the spring in. Square doors like to close on their own if that spring isn't there. I've got smacked in the head a few times.

Keep the rollers and hinges lubed up and you'll almost have to fight to keep it open that way. They open and close very easily when properly lubed, you just have to be deliberate when putting it into the detents.

Would also recommend removing the door or fender to put the spring in. It's a stout little guy.

Thanks. I did mean grease the rollers while using the springs. I ground off the end of the roller shafts and removed them so I could blast the hinges and clean/grease them up good. I replaced the wave washers on the rollers with some I found at Mcmaster Carr since some were in pieces. I just tack welded the end of the roller shafts to keep them in. This truck is tore apart so I can get to the hinge bolts easy. My concern was the new doors cracking like the old ones but after these replies I decided to put the springs back in and keep everything greased up. Thanks.

 

[PrairieDrifter]

Thanks. I did mean grease the rollers while using the springs. I ground off the end of the roller shafts and removed them so I could blast the hinges and clean/grease them up good. I replaced the wave washers on the rollers with some I found at Mcmaster Carr since some were in pieces. I just tack welded the end of the roller shafts to keep them in. This truck is tore apart so I can get to the hinge bolts easy. My concern was the new doors cracking like the old ones but after these replies I decided to put the springs back in and keep everything greased up. Thanks.

I've only had two doors out of my squares that have had that crack around the hinge. I would attribute it to a lack of lubrication, maybe some overextensions. My grandpas truck is perfectly fine, it's been lubed its whole life, not perfectly but. It's got 400 some thousand miles on it. Those doors have been open and closed more than most as well, farm truck.

 

[Oldbear42]

The rollers don't do anything unless the spring is in there. The door will free float. I would recommend putting the spring in. Square doors like to close on their own if that spring isn't there. I've got smacked in the head a few times.

Keep the rollers and hinges lubed up and you'll almost have to fight to keep it open that way. They open and close very easily when properly lubed, you just have to be deliberate when putting it into the detents.

Would also recommend removing the door or fender to put the spring in. It's a stout little guy.

Or the door closes scaring the crap out of you when you have your back turned to the truck and the door bangs shut while the truck is a few feet in the air on the lift...

 

[PrairieDrifter]

Or the door closes scaring the crap out of you when you have your back turned to the truck and the door bangs shut while the truck is a few feet in the air on the lift...

That's a good one haha. Or just locked the door but didn't grab the keys yet lolol

 

[Oldbear42]

That's a good one haha. Or just locked the door but didn't grab the keys yet lolol

That's why I now have a spare set of keys hiding on almost all of my vehicles - we had to wait for CMA to open the car one evening when my roommate locked the doors with keys inside - bad part of Calgary and late at night