Replacing door hinge bushings

[Kansas Kid]

Well, I went and got some estimates on a paint job today and apparently my door hinge bushings need replaced. I know this is a fairly common problem with the C/K pickups, so someone here probably knows how to do this.

I have no clue where to start, but I would prefer not to pay someone ? to get it done.

So what is all involved in doing this? What am I looking at for the cost of parts? Thanks in advance for your help.

 

(Edited by Kansas Kid at 11:44 pm on April 17, 2001)

[76BBSub]

Well, I can tell you all about it on a '73-'87, but haven't done a newer model.

On the older ones you can buy new bushings at the dealership or at Auto Zone or other parts houses.  The new bushings are brass, and should last much longer than the original nylon bushings.  I recommend new pins at this time, they aren't very expensive and if your bushings have been bad for very long they probably took the pins out with them.

Open the door and use a jack and a block of wood to support the bottom of it.  It's best to have a friend or helper (girlfriend or wife?) to help support the door after you remove the pin.

The Trick is that the bottom of the pin is staked with a punch after the factory installs it.  You HAVE to grind the staking off before you can drive the pin out.  If you are using new pins it is easier to cut the pin in the center with a cut off wheel and tap one end out the top and the other out the bottom.  Regardless of your method, remove the pins from both hinges.

Now, while your helper holds the door balanced on the jack/wood, remove the old bushings from the hinges.  I like to use some chassis grease to lube up the new bushings and their holes in the hinge to give a little extra life to the new parts.  Next, reposition the door over the body hinge and install the new (or old if re-using) pin.  I also coat the pins with grease pretty liberally before installation.  Wipe off the excess grease when finished so it doesn't collect dirt.

If you want you can stake the new pins or re-stake your old ones.  I don't bother with it, neither does anyone else I know who has done this.

This will make your door hang straight again, and open and close nicely.  You may need to adjust or replace the door striker now that your door hangs correctly.

Parts for the old '76 cost me less than ?, with new pins and bushings on the drivers side, and bushings only on the passenger side.  I also replaced both strikers, they were like ? each I think.

Hope it works out for you!

Jeff

[MountaineerTom]

I replaced the drivers side pin on my '91 once. It wasn't too hard, but the pin I got at the local parts store kept bending when I tried putting them in.  I ended up going through 2 or 3 of them and then went to a different parts store and found sore stronger ones.

[gmcblu]

My mechanic scared me into taking my '92 to a body shop to have mine done.  He's done a few and says they're pretty involved.  The doors are very heavy, but the toughest part is getting the spring back into place.  He said that you need a special spring compressor tool for that.  That was enough for me to take it to the professionals.