dropping doors?

[DTT92LX]

I know 2 door cars have heavy doors. They tend to sag over time. but my driver side is dropping to the point that I have to lift it to close it.

A bodyshop I have used put a bit of weld on it but 2 months later its dropped again. I really want to reinstall it the right way...anyone done it or have any how to links?

Thanks!

 

[rd]

I know 2 door cars have heavy doors. They tend to sag over time. but my driver side is dropping to the point that I have to lift it to close it.

A bodyshop I have used put a bit of weld on it but 2 months later its dropped again. I really want to reinstall it the right way...anyone done it or have any how to links?

Thanks!

Been there done this. On my 79, the door side top hinge cracked through the door pin hole, at the top of hinge. I had it welded once in 1988 or so, and the crack broke open in like 99 or so. I ended up cutting the matching piece of a hinge off of a spare door, and welding it onto the 79 door, as a reinforcement, so that the hinge is two layers of steel thick at that point. I did it that way because there was not enough area left for me to just weld up the crack on the original hinge again. Took a whole day or so, as I had to practice welding for a while first. I have a small home style flux core rig, only weld a couple times a year.

Best tip is to very closely examine the hinges, most likely the door side parts, to see if there is a crack. Mine hinge was so worn, as well as cracked, that even replacement bushings were loose in the hole before the reinforcement plate was on. Pain, yes, but it has worked since then.

Check this out, also, you can adjust the hinge on the body side, and the striker on the door jamb.

A welding shop or body shop should be able to do the same thing.

 

[DCjuggalo]

could be your door pins and bushings are worn mine used to sag and i'd get water on me when it rained but new door pins fixed it its a PITA to do.. cost only 10 dollars tho

 

[DTT92LX]

Thanks for the feedback RD. DCjuggalo, looks like it's my lower pin/bushings. How the heck did you get the old one out?

 

[jrichker]

Hinge pin & bushing kits are available at many auto parts stores. Or see http://www.texasmustang.com/ or http://www.mustang-unl.com/lmparts.htm. Usually less than $7 for the kit with one pin & 2 bushings.

Th hard part is to get the old pin out. Some were spot welded in, others were hammered so that the end mushroomed. Either way, it takes a grinder or cutter bit in a drill or Dremel tool to cut the pin or grind off the weld. Once it is off, tap the pin out with a hammer. Only remove one pin at a time so that you don't have the full weight of the door to manage. I highly recommend that you have a helper standing by to hold the door.

Once the old pin is out, lower the door and tap out the old bushings. Put the new bushings in and have the helper lift the door in place so that you can slide the new pin in. It may have to go in differently from the way it came out. That's OK, as long as you put the cotter pin in the hinge pin.

The important thing to remember is that the hinge pin isn't supposed to move once you are finished. If it does, then you will end up like me - the pin moved, it wore the door hinge instead of the replaceable bushings. Now in order to fix it right, I have remove the whole thing again and drill out the hinge to the same size as the bushing and use 2 sets of bushings in each hinge rather than one set.

 

[Black 93 Fox]

I also did the new door pins and bushings. Fixed my drivers door. Now i just have to do the pass door which is gona be more diffcult cause it has the stock ones still in it and you have to drill in them to break it.

 

[DTT92LX]

Thanks again for the feedback. You guys are giving me good stuff!

Jrichker, unfortunately, the lower bushing on the lower pin is only 1/2 there. Looks like the pin did wear on the hinge. How did you fit 2 bushings in the worn hole? Aren't they the same size? Or can you get different sizes...