GMT400 door swap

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SDJunkMan

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I want to swap a door on my sons GMT400, but see that the hinges are welded on. Can I just knock the hinge pins out and swap the doors? Are there any tricks to removing the hinge pins? It doesn't look like there is much room to get at them.
 

bucket

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Nope, nothing special. Just remove the tension spring and knock the pins out. If the replacement door is several years older or newer, it may take some forceful adjustment procedures to make it line up.
 

SDJunkMan

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Nope, nothing special. Just remove the tension spring and knock the pins out. If the replacement door is several years older or newer, it may take some forceful adjustment procedures to make it line up.
Thanks Andy, that's what I thought, but wanted to be sure. Both trucks are the same year, I think.
 

AyWoSch Motors

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I want to swap a door on my sons GMT400, but see that the hinges are welded on. Can I just knock the hinge pins out and swap the doors? Are there any tricks to removing the hinge pins? It doesn't look like there is much room to get at them.
I've replaced the door on my 92 a few times, it's pretty easy. Pop the spring, the 2 pins, and the cannon plug (if it electric), instalition is reverse of removal. Door is heavy, so if you can have someone hold it up, that'll help.

Id suggest using either a drift or a socket extension to pop the pins

And if your going through the trouble of replacing the door, make sure you change the hinge pin bushings and pin. You can buy the set at a parts store. It's well worth it,and you cam avoid the famous gmt400 door sag for a few more years. Careful putting the bushings in though, they're a real soft brass pot-metal, and shatter real easy
 

Catbox

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We have done the door pins a few times on our Sub.
The cheap replacement sets you get at the parts store are just that.
The bushings may last a few years or a few days.
The last set of those we put in was just a couple weeks when one crumbled.

Then on this forum somebody piped up about this fully machined set of door pin hardware awesomeness. While they are not cheap, they are quality.
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@Maxwellvis has found that balancing the door on the roller seat makes the job much easier. Then we use the jack and a block of wood to move the door around for alignment of the holes.
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After putting these in on the drivers side and feeling the door close like it was a 50k body instead of a 225k body, I was sold and ordered a set for the other front door.
When I ordered my 2 sets, they were about $95 each set.

They have a grease zerk and the bushings are fully machined solid brass for long life.
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SDJunkMan

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I don't think my son will go with the fancy bushings, it's just a beater truck, but will keep them in mind if I do another GMT400years. I bought tne parts truck hoping it had a NV4500 in it (it didn't), but it has a good passenger door, and his is pretty beat up. Figure I have to use something off it before I scrap it.
 

Rusty Nail

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Yeah but that post was all win - right there. Those gmt400 hinge pins &bushing are all well known
PITA.
Part of the love they say.
Great trucks they rave on mmmhm.
 

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