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how hard is it to install door pins and bushings

  • Thread starter Thread starter fivespeedsteed
  • Start date Start date Jan 8, 2007

fivespeedsteed

20+ Year Stangneter
Oct 17, 2003
748
22
69
Richmond, VA
Jan 8, 2007
#1
  • Jan 8, 2007
  • #1
i need to get some and weatherstripping soon. how hard is it to install the pins and bushings? how do i ?
 

Glaze

New Member
Apr 3, 2005
133
0
0
Gainesville, GA
Jan 8, 2007
#2
  • Jan 8, 2007
  • #2
It will be extremely difficult to do by ones self, id recommend a helper with steady hand and floor jack (plenty of towels to protect bottom of door). If they are factory pins than you will need to shave off rivet end of pin, ive used a carbide cutting tool being careful not to hit hinge itself. Take note of position of bushings that get installed. Grease them before reassembly. Replace striker ping if the plastic is broken.
 
M

mightymidget

New Member
May 14, 2005
15
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0
Galivants Ferry SC
Jan 8, 2007
#3
  • Jan 8, 2007
  • #3
Thats right, they are a pain to remove

and a real B-- to get back in by your self

never could figure out how to install top pin without screwing up paint on my door

also you may want to consider having a few extra bushings handy
 

bretamo

Member
May 13, 2005
122
1
16
Jan 8, 2007
#4
  • Jan 8, 2007
  • #4
I've been wanting to know this too, so it sounds like a body shop deal for me. Thanks for the info, guys.

Ohh man, Ohio State just ran the opening kickoff for a TD over Florida.
 
D

dec322

Member
Feb 11, 2006
401
2
16
Bham AL
Jan 8, 2007
#5
  • Jan 8, 2007
  • #5
I just did a door the other day. It wasn't too bad b/c the pins didn't have to be cut (they had the clip holding them in). The bushings were a little hard b/c they went in between the two parts of the hinge. I scraped some paint on my door doing it.

If you would like to help fix the paint....look at my sig.
 

Turkey Sammich

I can't fap normal. I cracked a rib, then my ankle
Jul 12, 2006
0
59
154
Jan 8, 2007
#6
  • Jan 8, 2007
  • #6
I had mine done recently. I knew it was going to be a pain in the a**, so I choose to go the auto body shop route. Good luck.
 

jrichker

StangNet's favorite TOOL
In Remembrance. Thank you for your contributions
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Dublin GA
Jan 8, 2007
#7
  • Jan 8, 2007
  • #7
inge pin & bushing kits are available at many auto parts stores. Or see http://www.texasmustang.com/ or http://www.mustang-unl.com/. 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.

OOOPS!!!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 to 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.

The fix for the OOOPS was very time consuming and if you aren't up to some very interesting machine work, do it right so you won't have to do it again. I fixed the OOOPS but I had $43 worth of drill bit and specialized reamer plus pulling the fender off to fix it.
 

89streetbeast

New Member
Dec 4, 2006
365
1
0
horton,ks
Jan 8, 2007
#8
  • Jan 8, 2007
  • #8
no matter how careful you be your still gonna grind some paint off on the hinge lol. if you grind in a little get some spot filler putty. it dries quicker than bondo. just sand real light so that the grind marks are filled and get a sample of touch up paint with the brush and paint the part you sanded. i reccomend taping the sides of the hinge so just the top needs touched up. wont be able to tell as much. but to each his own . some body shops do the same thing, i used to work at one
 

fivespeedsteed

20+ Year Stangneter
Oct 17, 2003
748
22
69
Richmond, VA
Jan 9, 2007
#9
  • Jan 9, 2007
  • #9
so how many are there one one(1) door? do i need 2 pins and 4 bushings or what?

this kit:
http://www.latemodelrestoration.com/iwwida.pvx?;item?item_no=LRS-23204-KIT 1&comp=LRS

says will replace both upper and lower door hinge pins, rollers, and bushings. Includes 4 pins, 8 bushings, 2 rollers, 2 roller pins. ( i know the 2 rollers and pins are for the hinge, not striker) but is this for both doors isnt it?

im gonna have a bodyshop do this, maybe performance autosport, so should i have them do both doors, or just the driver, only the driver side sags.

then im getting 2 new striker bushings, 2 new door to body weatherstripping, and im going to have my friends dad help me move the striker in some to make the door close harder.

do i need to get any glue for the weatherstripping? how many doors should i fix? how many pins and bushings is that?
 

Flavadave4

Active Member
Nov 28, 2003
1,044
21
49
Utica, NY
Jan 9, 2007
#10
  • Jan 9, 2007
  • #10
Take it to the body shop......
 

fivespeedsteed

20+ Year Stangneter
Oct 17, 2003
748
22
69
Richmond, VA
Jan 9, 2007
#11
  • Jan 9, 2007
  • #11
i will. im thinking there are 2 pins and 4 bushings per door.. correct?
 

jrichker

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Dublin GA
Jan 9, 2007
#12
  • Jan 9, 2007
  • #12
There are two pins and 4 bushings for the door. The job is easy to do except for getting the old pins out.

I recommend you have a helper and a stand or jack to support the door. It is much easier to do that way. I didn’t have much in the way of a helper, so I made a door support out of a 2x6, two pieces of plywood, a big bolt and a cheap floor jack. Email me and I will send you the pictures if you are interested.

The good OEM type weather strip does not use any glue. You peel the old off and push the new on. It comes as a length of weather strip and not a continuous loop. You trim the excess length (1”-3”) off when you install it.

I recommend that you place the end of the weather strip about 3" up from the floor on the front edge of the door frame. This places the starting and ending point of the weather strip out of the traffic area. That way as you enter & exit the car, you are not stepping on the place where the weather strip starts and ends. That keeps it from being knocked loose or peeling up at the joint.
 

fivespeedsteed

20+ Year Stangneter
Oct 17, 2003
748
22
69
Richmond, VA
Jan 9, 2007
#13
  • Jan 9, 2007
  • #13
thanks jrichker.

also, my car leaks, i wanted to see if you knew of my problem. water goes on top of my door to the weatherstripping. somehow it gets around it and it sits in the trim that is inbetween the headliner and window, then runs down that, then down the a-pillar trim, then out where it ends, and down my door. ever heard of such a thing?

how can i keep it out of my pillar trim?
 

Turkey Sammich

I can't fap normal. I cracked a rib, then my ankle
Jul 12, 2006
0
59
154
Jan 9, 2007
#14
  • Jan 9, 2007
  • #14
Flavadave4 said:
Take it to the body shop......
Click to expand...
Body shop FTW.
 
S

Silvers

New Member
Jan 4, 2007
51
0
0
Jan 9, 2007
#15
  • Jan 9, 2007
  • #15
It seems like an air chisel could take the end of the pin off easier and with alot less paint damage. Has anybody tried that?
 
D

dec322

Member
Feb 11, 2006
401
2
16
Bham AL
Jan 9, 2007
#16
  • Jan 9, 2007
  • #16
Silvers said:
It seems like an air chisel could take the end of the pin off easier and with alot less paint damage. Has anybody tried that?
Click to expand...

My paint was damaged by moving the door up and down trying to get the bushings off and on. Pin was easy (it already used a cotter pin).
 

X302LX90X

New Member
Oct 25, 2005
29
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0
Jan 9, 2007
#17
  • Jan 9, 2007
  • #17
After grinding the head of the pin. If you have access to an air hammer, use a special punch that is actually crooked purposely to fit in that tight area. It makes the job much easier.
 

Jaswir

Member
Mar 31, 2005
578
0
18
Orlando, FL
Jan 9, 2007
#18
  • Jan 9, 2007
  • #18
i would say it isnt worth a body shop to do that job... cost about 18 bucks per door and maybe 2 hours tops to do it! you can do it by ur self but someone helping you is alot easyer! just kind of a pain...
 

Glaze

New Member
Apr 3, 2005
133
0
0
Gainesville, GA
Jan 9, 2007
#19
  • Jan 9, 2007
  • #19
fivespeedsteed said:
thanks jrichker.

also, my car leaks, i wanted to see if you knew of my problem. water goes on top of my door to the weatherstripping. somehow it gets around it and it sits in the trim that is inbetween the headliner and window, then runs down that, then down the a-pillar trim, then out where it ends, and down my door. ever heard of such a thing?

how can i keep it out of my pillar trim?
Click to expand...

Try some flour all over the weatherstrip than close door ***Spray water*** and look to see where water is getting by. Most likely the weatherstrip is not sealing as it once was. Also striker could be worn (due to worn hinges usually) along with door hinge allowing whole door to sink down about quarter inch or more.....enough to allow door to not make a nice tight press against the weatherstrip.

Take it to a body shop if you dont have the patience. If you do and you also want ot take pride in a job well done attack it carefully. Jricker offers good advice in post above...
 

Glaze

New Member
Apr 3, 2005
133
0
0
Gainesville, GA
Jan 9, 2007
#20
  • Jan 9, 2007
  • #20
jrichker said:
inge pin & bushing kits are available at many auto parts stores. Or see http://www.texasmustang.com/ or http://www.mustang-unl.com/. 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.

OOOPS!!!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 to 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.

The fix for the OOOPS was very time consuming and if you aren't up to some very interesting machine work, do it right so you won't have to do it again. I fixed the OOOPS but I had $43 worth of drill bit and specialized reamer plus pulling the fender off to fix it.
Click to expand...

Sorry i need some clarifacation & spelling lessons....

In the opps section, you mentioned pin is not supposed to turn? You mean while opening and closing the door after finished install of bushings and new pin? And lastly im guessing the hinge hole wore larger and you used an extra bushing inside of it? again forgive sp and gramitical errors. english is my first language and im from the states
 
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