Door hinge adjustment

[OverHeight g]

Have a 2002 and the drivers door is sagging. How do I adjust the door hinge?



Thanks!

Matt

 

[Richard L]

Check and see if the door hinge has bushings. When the bushings wear (usually due to lack of lube) the door sags. Many vehicles use bushings that can be easily replaced. The hardest part is removing the door. Sometimes you can remove the hinge pins without removing the door. The bushings are just the tubular pieces that keep the hinge pin from contacting and wearing an oblong hole in the hinge.



If your truck does not have replaceable door hinge bushings, then you will probably have to replace the entire hinge assembly ...perhaps even both the upper and lower hinges.



...Rich

 

[OverHeight g]

Thanks Rich, I Think that is my question, are the bushings replaceable? If yes, how is it done?

 

[Richard L]

Matt,

I don't have a Sport Trac (Had 2 in the past) to check the hinges for replacable bushings. If you look at the hinge pin where it passes through the two halves of the hinge, you should see be able to see a flanged tube between the halves of the hinge that the hinge pin goes through. If you can's see it, you might have to take the door off the hinges and remove the hinge pins to see if the hinge pin hole has a bushing....That's why I said that the hardest part is removing the door..and you will need someone to help since the doors are pretty heavy.



I have replaced the hing pin bushings on several GM cars over the years, but never paid that much attention to my Sport Tracs.



...Rich

 

[OverHeight g]

Thanks, hopefully someone that has had the issue can let me know if it can be adjusted?

 

[Todd Z]

The Gen 1 has no bushings that i know of, BUT the bolts on the door are able to be loosened slightly and make adjustments....



AT the factory we see them hang on the door or "Rack" it with your weight to adjust...



It could be a simple striker adjustment. i also have used a block of wood wrapped in a towel and a jack to Rack doors back to alignment..



Todd Z

 

[Richard L]

Todd may be right that the Gen-1 does not have bushings, but sometimes you can't tell until you remove the hinge pins. Then you can inspect it for worn bushings, worn hinge pins, or see if the hinge pin hole is worn oblong.



Hard to say how to fix the problem until you know what you're dealing with. Bending the door back into alighment with jacks is not what I would recommend since that ultimately bends the hinge mounts or the pins and that often only makes the problem worse. Loosening the bolts and realigning the door is often a good choice if their is any adjustment room, but most vehicles don't have a lot of adjustment since that little bit is only for aligning door gaps not to fix a sagging door.



Even that can be painfully slow, labor intensive process since it is confusing as to which direction to move the hinge and so it becomes a long process of make an adjustment, test the fit, make another adjustment, test the fit, etc.



...Rich

 

[OverHeight g]

Its definately not the striker, the striker in fact is the only thing that levels the door as it closes.



Has anyone actually done this?

 

[Kent Holliston 2]

Matt,
I've got the same issue w/ my 2001.
Mechanic says the door hinges are welded.
He said if we can find a good set of hinges (not cheap) labor would be a bunch, so $5-600 dollars total for my sport trac worth $3000
Very hesitant to invest that much - I've had since 2003.
Anyone else ever had to replace the hinges with any luck?
thanks,
Kent

 

[Todd Z]

Matt,
I've got the same issue w/ my 2001.
Mechanic says the door hinges are welded.
He said if we can find a good set of hinges (not cheap) labor would be a bunch, so $5-600 dollars total for my sport trac worth $3000
Very hesitant to invest that much - I've had since 2003.
Anyone else ever had to replace the hinges with any luck?
thanks,
Kent

Your mechanic does not know what he is talking about....... The pin can be cut out, and a hinge pin kit installed.... Fixed.... Ive done about 10 sets over the past 20 years...