critique my door hinge replacement plans, please

[Sovereign]

My truck is all together and the paint is in great shape. I need to replace the lower driver's side hinge though. I've never done this on these trucks before so I'm not 100% what I can get away with during the actual work. I'd appreciate any feedback to my plans.

My plan, in general, is to unbolt the door from both hinges and move the door back or away just enough to get at the bolts on the lower hinge holding it to the pillar. I have power windows and door locks, and the conduit between the door and A pillar is intact and riveted. Is there enough slack in the wiring for me to move the door enough to easily get at the bolts for the lower hinge? Should I plan to pull the wiring back into the cab first? How are people removing the conduit? I'm guessing angle drill to remove the rivets but how do I get in there to put new rivets on? My rivet tool head doesn't fit between the door and pillar when the door is hung. Since my truck is largely stock and unmolested, I'd like to use rivets versus machine screws.

I appreciate the help. I know this topic comes up often. So many threads and videos though are for trucks without power options and for pin replacement so it's not quite the same.

 

[yevgenievich]

I have done it without unbolting the door from top hinge being creative with wrench. But the most easier way would be to remove the fender. And then it is just unbolting lower hinge and leaving everything intact.
Unbolting the door would work as well. Would need a hoist holding it and protect the edges

 

[Sovereign]

I've found threads where others have mentioned getting to those pillar bolts with wrenches. My concern is damaging the paint. I don't think I can easily get to those bolts. Especially, to put them back in without fear of damaging the paint.

I thought about pulling the fender, but that involves removing or supporting the hood. I thought it might be easier to align just the door than the fender, too.

Thanks for the reply

 

[yevgenievich]

Most annoying part will be the wire conduit and then aligning the door. Much easier to align with fender out of the way

 

[SDJunkMan]

Does it need new hinges or are the bushings just worn out? You can replace just the pin and bushings.

 

[Sovereign]

The hinge doesn't cost much and it's just as difficult to replace so I went with a new hinge. I'm pretty sure the bushing is rotating inside the hinge anyway. That makes it iffy if only a pin and bushing replacement would do the trick.

Thanks

 

[AuroraGirl]

The hinge doesn't cost much and it's just as difficult to replace so I went with a new hinge. I'm pretty sure the bushing is rotating inside the hinge anyway. That makes it iffy if only a pin and bushing replacement would do the trick.

Thanks

if the boss the bushings werre in are shot then i think it makes the hinge more or less have to be worked on to try and use it but its an uphill battle for proper machining wise to have it lined up etc etc and also work nicely but new ones are made.

some cars dont have that advantage tho rip

I have a lot of door hinge parts truck and car, sae and metric as my gpa spepcifically segregated them by that. prob because those nice large quality threads you wouldnt want to **** up?

 

[squarelyfe]

I tried the new pins and bushings and didn't work well. Sometimes the hinges have so much wear that the pin won't work because the hole has been worn slightly or egged. The pin/bushing repair is not a perfect science. I flipped for 4 new hinges and was worth it. Paid about $24 ea on eBay.

 

[AuroraGirl]

I tried the new pins and bushings and didn't work well. Sometimes the hinges have so much wear that the pin won't work because the hole has been worn slightly or egged. The pin/bushing repair is not a perfect science. I flipped for 4 new hinges and was worth it. Paid about $24 ea on eBay.

avoid using the door to get in or out, and make sure the door has no travel up or down in order to catch the striker. if you check again after some moderate use, you may need to adjust. doing that will keep the door from going up and down over time to latch and open which will save wear and then also nicely open and close

My gpa used the steering columns for years to get in and the doors and its seeming to show its face on the f150 both places. the hinge is bent not the pin so much, and the column broke...

 

[squarelyfe]

avoid using the door to get in or out, and make sure the door has no travel up or down in order to catch the striker. if you check again after some moderate use, you may need to adjust. doing that will keep the door from going up and down over time to latch and open which will save wear and then also nicely open and close

My gpa used the steering columns for years to get in and the doors and its seeming to show its face on the f150 both places. the hinge is bent not the pin so much, and the column broke...

Mine were already worn when I bought the truck, definitely og. Probably something to be said about 2wd vs a lifted 4wd and the need to pull yourself up/in. Getting new strikers with the new bushing helps as well plus alignment. Some people turn them around but the bushings are usually toast by then. I'll admit I used to be a steering wheel grabber in combination with my hand on top of the door guy. The truck has a 6" lift plus 33's , was 35" and was the only way to climb in for me. Finally I bought steps like an aging human. I use my left hand on the outer cab windshield frame/seal area to aid. Lmao never thought I would be explaining how I get in and out of a truck but here I am on the square body page, good point about pulling and leaning on things AuroraGirl.

 

[AuroraGirl]

Mine were already worn when I bought the truck, definitely og. Probably something to be said about 2wd vs a lifted 4wd and the need to pull yourself up/in. Getting new strikers with the new bushing helps as well plus alignment. Some people turn them around but the bushings are usually toast by then. I'll admit I used to be a steering wheel grabber in combination with my hand on top of the door guy. The truck has a 6" lift plus 33's , was 35" and was the only way to climb in for me. Finally I bought steps like an aging human. I use my left hand on the outer cab windshield frame/seal area to aid. Lmao never thought I would be explaining how I get in and out of a truck but here I am on the square body page, good point about pulling and leaning on things AuroraGirl.

My 1980 has a manual column, and thank god it does. I think my gpa, which before he was very large and too old (50+) which I feel bad saying too old but he didnt do too well aging, Used the column slightly but the door the most. He went through at least 3 doors i know of. The current door is a older one becuase of the regulator length of the crank stud and the style of the vent window different from the passenger side which is a 1980 match at least. Anyway, the doors be worn af among rust issues, as well, but the column is pretty fine actually. He stopped using the truck when he got the f150 which has a seat that you cant just slide in as much, you have to crane over and plop down. so he used his door and his column, manual, too, but one made from ford parts and aluminum vs the steel of the square.
Then he also was older and fatter, plus, no idea about the first owners. Those fords are terrible that gen for gearbox problems but the broken column stuff... I havent seen the structural bracing break before lol. I broke a column shaft that was aluminum by refusing to fix my ps in time on a car, but not the **** that mounts it to the IP.

I Kinda hop in if I need help I use an arm and pull in from the side. The wood piece I have pretending to be floor helps have a footing.

 

[Raider L]

My truck has the bent wire thing that holds the door open broken on the drivers side. The way it looks like it goes I to would be better off taking the hinge off then try and put it back in. It's kinda sucks because I have to hold the door open with my hand if I'm inside doing something. I to had to take the lower hinge pin out and flip it over and drive it back in recently. It didn't seem to be that bad. I took hold of it with a big pair of needle nose pliers and hit them with a small ball peen.

@Sovereign, If you could do that without removing the hinge you could drive the bushings out. How loose are they? You said they were turning in the holes? Man! What about that spring wire thing I was talking about? That holds the door open. How do you plan on dealing with that? And I suppose your hinges and the front end of the doors are all painted to aren't they? Dang! Well, since you waited until the doors were painted to deal with this problem you'd better get yourself a can of your color touch-up paint from your painter so you can fix whatever gets scratched. Get hammering!
Just look at it this way, it's the least looked at part of the truck. Nobody's going to look in there, "Hey man! Your hinges are all scuffed and scratched up!" No. Nobody will see it.

 

[AuroraGirl]

My truck has the bent wire thing that holds the door open broken on the drivers side. The way it looks like it goes I to would be better off taking the hinge off then try and put it back in. It's kinda sucks because I have to hold the door open with my hand if I'm inside doing something. I to had to take the lower hinge pin out and flip it over and drive it back in recently. It didn't seem to be that bad. I took hold of it with a big pair of needle nose pliers and hit them with a small ball peen.

@Sovereign, If you could do that without removing the hinge you could drive the bushings out. How loose are they? You said they were turning in the holes? Man! What about that spring wire thing I was talking about? That holds the door open. How do you plan on dealing with that? And I suppose your hinges and the front end of the doors are all painted to aren't they? Dang! Well, since you waited until the doors were painted to deal with this problem you'd better get yourself a can of your color touch-up paint from your painter so you can fix whatever gets scratched. Get hammering!

Fortunately the door jamb is usually not the finished outside color anyway. its usually a few steps before that at least in my experience.

 

[Sovereign]

I appreciate the responses everyone. I already have the hinge and it's been painted with the correct color. I bought a can from Automotive Touchup Paints. The match is pretty dang good. Good enough for a door hinge anyway.

I've lowered the truck too much for the wheels I have so I'll be adding slosh tubz. I can take care of the hinge then I believe.

I'm just not sure how much I need to move the door to get the rivets in and out for the conduit that has the power wires. I guess I can reach them if I take the fender off. Otherwise, I'll have to play it by ear.