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Door hinges

smashbeat

Silver Level Sponsor
My series 4 came with a drooping passenger door.
A few screws were missing and one at the top broken into the back plate.
I removed the rest of the screws with a correct n2 phillips on a impact driver and removed the door.

The two plates are moving, but I guess that's normal to permit adjustment and will be secured against the body once the other screws are tightened.
Is that the way it is?

How do deal with this?
I feel like drill and tap for the broken one, re tap the rest and new screws is the way to go.
How to access the top plate for repair?
 

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DanR

Diamond Level Sponsor
If you are real patient the slider plate behind the A-Post that hold the screws for the hinges will come out so you can remove the rusty screw on the bench.
 

jumpinjan

Bronze Level Sponsor
I think if you can drill out that screw shank and get an easy-out on it, and it is loose, that would be faster. I have seen this before and someone couldn't get the screw out and drilled the head off. Usually what is left is loose enough to unscrew it out.
Jan
 

smashbeat

Silver Level Sponsor
I removed the kick panel. I see the bottom plate could came out. But the top one does not.
 

DanR

Diamond Level Sponsor
Like I said, patience pays off.... it will come out. Get you a small mirror if necessary to see the backside:)
 

smashbeat

Silver Level Sponsor
I was able to drill it out an get the last piece of the bolt out with a bolt extractor.
I did retap the threads on site, with a cordless drill. I'm ordering new bolts.
The door should be fixed soon. Another check in the long list
Thanks for the advices. As always you guys are willing to help
 

Jay Laifman

Donation Time
Awesome. Here is a tip when you go to put it back together. The hinges are like wedges. The more you slide/move them outwards when you mount them, the further they will push the door back, and visa versa. It's a hard balancing act.
 

Bill Blue

Platinum Level Sponsor
Awesome. Here is a tip when you go to put it back together. The hinges are like wedges. The more you slide/move them outwards when you mount them, the further they will push the door back, and visa versa. It's a hard balancing act.
The fore/aft adjustment is shims under the hinge plate or mash the plates together. A sledge hammer and rock will work, as will a hefty vice.
Bill
 

Jay Laifman

Donation Time
Personally, I'd rather slide the hinges first to see if that gets you enough, before resorting to hammers and rocks.
 

jumpinjan

Bronze Level Sponsor
or mash the plates together. A sledge hammer and rock will work, as will a hefty vice.
Bill
Bad advice!!!..PLEASE don't do an adjustment by trying to bending the hinge...You WILL ruin the hinge. Shims are the only option.
Jan
 

Jay Laifman

Donation Time
Jan, Agree 100% on the bending. But, shims are not the only option. As I said, sliding the hinge in and out also moves the door.

Remember the hinge, when it is in the closed door position, is a wedge: <. If the door and door frame are stationary, and that hinge is moved out - on both the door frame AND the door, that effectively pushes the door backwards. And if the hinge slides in, that pulls the door forward.

Yes, the amount of side to side play is not huge. But there is some, and if it is enough, definitely preferred to a shim.

Now, I grant you that this is very hard to do and get right. It's really a micro adjustment at a time.
 

jumpinjan

Bronze Level Sponsor
Have you ever wondered WHY the factory never shimmed the door hinges? From my sample of hinges here (about 30 or more), there are a range of two or three different widths (the width of it when closed). My theory is the line worker just selected the proper width hinge to hang the doors.
Jan
 

Jay Laifman

Donation Time
Makes sense. That's what they did with the speedos - in a way. They didn't have a simple gear to swap, they made a different speedo for each different car arrangement.
 

Tim R

Silver Level Sponsor
Jan,

Why do you think that the factory didn't shim the hinge? I don't have evidence to prove the they did but we have dismantled many Alpines and found an awful lot of similar shims behind the hinges that we assumed were there from new.

Tim R
 

jumpinjan

Bronze Level Sponsor
Tim,
Of all the hundreds of Alpine cars that Ian & I have salvaged.....NOT one that I can remember had ANY shims on the door hinges.
If you found some please show a picture of what you have found. I would like to see them.
Jan
 

Bill Blue

Platinum Level Sponsor
Bad advice!!!..PLEASE don't do an adjustment by trying to bending the hinge...You WILL ruin the hinge. Shims are the only option.
Jan
Jan, could you show us a photo of a shim that moves the door forward?? Also, how about a photo of a hinge ruined by flattening it?
Bill
 

Tim R

Silver Level Sponsor
Jan,
You have salvaged many more cars than we have and I can't provide a part number or other evidence to prove that the hinges were ever shimmed but we have found shims on several different cars (probably 4 or 5). The shims are usually light grey in colour and are different thicknesses. It may be that they are home made and were added during rebuilds. Below is a photo of two I pulled at random out of my store, one has red paint on it but under that it is the usual grey finish.

Bill,
I have seen hinges ruined by being flattened I have a couple in my attic. I will get a photo when I can.

This video shows how moving the door in and out also moves it backwards and forward.




IMG_8514.jpeg
 

volvoguys

Diamond Level Sponsor
I've parted a 100 or so cars and have never come across any hinge shims. And the ones in Tim's pic appear homemade to me.

Mark ..... v
 
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