Hello my driver door is currently very hard to open. I have to lift up on
the handle very hard to open it. Are the hinges very difficult to repace on
these cars. When door is open there is alot of play in door. Do the hole
hinges need replacing or is there replaceable bushings for it. Also do you
think replacing them is a DIY job or a garage job
HLS@nospam.nix - 01 Aug 2006 23:42 GMT
> Hello my driver door is currently very hard to open. I have to lift up on
> the handle very hard to open it. Are the hinges very difficult to repace on
> these cars. When door is open there is alot of play in door. Do the hole
> hinges need replacing or is there replaceable bushings for it. Also do you
> think replacing them is a DIY job or a garage job
I have attempted replacing the pins and bushings in some GM products, and
finally subbed the job out to a body shop. I just didnt have the
wherewithall
to do the job easily.
For many GM products, the bushings wear out quickly, especially if they are
not lubricated properly.
The biggest problem I found was removing and replacing the springs inside
the
hinges.
I got a body shop to do it for $35 per side. Cheap.
Mike Marlow - 02 Aug 2006 12:54 GMT
> The biggest problem I found was removing and replacing the springs inside
> the
> hinges.
>
> I got a body shop to do it for $35 per side. Cheap.
Having done plenty of these door hinges I would consider $35 to be a pretty
doggoned good price. Squirreling around with those hinges is one nasty pain
in the butt.

Signature
-Mike-
mmarlowREMOVE@alltel.net
Harry Face - 02 Aug 2006 06:07 GMT
The plastic sleeve insert in the bushing on my car disintegrated and I
relaced the whole upper hinge on the driverside on my 91 Bonneville a
few years back. Got a hinge off one from a junk yard car that had very
little wear. I got it installed & lined up pretty close myself, then
took it to a body shop for a final adjustment.
The door latch wasn't hitting the striker on the center post properly.
The striker on my car is non adjustable.
The body shop had these eight foot long pry bars and slide hammer and
one hell of a sledge hammer to knock the hinge back into alignment.
The guys at the body shop couldn't believe how close I got by using jus
two hands, then I told them - I didn't loosen the lower hinge when I
installed it, I sprung the door slightly out from the upper hinge, then
slid the replacement upper hinge in where I put a line up mark then
bolted it down.
Good Luck
harryface
Mike Marlow - 02 Aug 2006 12:55 GMT
> Hello my driver door is currently very hard to open. I have to lift up on
> the handle very hard to open it. Are the hinges very difficult to repace on
> these cars. When door is open there is alot of play in door. Do the hole
> hinges need replacing or is there replaceable bushings for it. Also do you
> think replacing them is a DIY job or a garage job
Look through this group for a similar thread on GM door hinges over the past
few days. You'll find a thread that explains the process. In short - you
need to replace the hinge bushings.

Signature
-Mike-
mmarlowREMOVE@alltel.net