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Door Hinges for 29 Roadster

Started by racertb, January 16, 2022, 10:05:29 AM

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racertb

Hi all,

Had the roadster out for some exercise yesterday and when I got back and was going over the car, I noticed I have a crack in my upper, driver side door hinge. When the door is closed the alignment is fine but you can tell it needs to be fixed.  Don't know if the roadster hinges are the same as others but, does anyone have one available, or has anybody had to repair one on their car? I'll try to post a pic later but wanted to get this out.

Ted

racertb


Touring29

#2
That looks very similar to the 29 Touring we are planning to buy and that I have been working on a little. All the hinges on it are pretty worn so I took one apart to see how to best fix it. My plan is to drill the holes up to 7/16 and install some bushings I found online. They have a 5/16 id and a very thin flange on top which I hope wouldn't cause a problem.

https://www.bronzebushings.com/amfinder/?find=1--oil-impregnated-sae-841-sintered-bronze-inch-flanged-5-16-7-16-3-8-9-16-1-16-ff-411-1-169376

The pins seem to be made into the door side of the hinge. I plan to drill them out and make new ones from whatever I find that will work. These I will probably tack on the top side with my mig welder.

If yours is broke where the arrow is pointing you will either have to find another piece or weld yours.

racertb

Thanks for the tip. I haven't taken it out yet to see exactly what I'm looking at, but you're right, that piece will have to be repaired or replaced if possible. I'll take a look at the bushings you're talking about and I'll have a better idea when I take this out and have a closer look.  Hoping some others might chime in as well who have repaired or fixed this before, or better yet may have a hinge to sell.

chetbrz

Ted, Wish I could help you but the hinges on the 29 sedan are simple strap hinges.  It sounds like Touring29 has a good handle on the issue.  A little welding and some bushings sound like a great idea.
http://www.1948Plymouth.info           Web Master - Forum Administrator - AACA member

racertb

Thanks Chet. That looks like the way to go unless anyone else has any additional words of wisdom. Like I mentioned before, I'll know more when I get into it. I'll keep you all posted even though it may not be real soon since I'm doing some brake work on my 51 Dodge truck.

Russ T. Fender

I am not a metallurgist and the bushing you are looking at may not be the same as the oilite bronze bushings I used to replace the valve guides on my 1910 Ford but, if they are, I would think about something else for the bushings.  I thought I was being smart using oil impregnated bronze as the original valve guides are exposed and required external oiling often.  Unfortunately they quickly wore out and I had to replace them.  If I remember correctly I think I used manganese bronze the second time and they have held up well.

Touring29

I used to have a automotive machine shop and never saw a oilite bushing used in a engine for valve guides. The material in bronze valve guides seemed to be better than any bushing. They are usually used in electric motors, generators, conveyor belt shaft bushings etc. The advantage over a regular bushing is that once installed and oiled they are pretty much maintenance free. I think pilot bushings for a clutch are oilite and they never get any lube after they are installed. I thought that might be a advantage in doors since they are hard to lube without making a mess. If anyone knows if a regular bushing would be better please speak up. The size of these would be a little smaller than the bushings used in G.M. door hinges from the 50's until at least the 80's but our doors weigh probably 1/3 of what a G body door does so I think they would last a long time.

Touring29

I decided to see if my plan to rebuild the hinges would work. The right front  door also had a problem with the latch so I started with it. To get the hinges off you will have to remove the kick panel and door panel. There are  2 1/4 X 20 square nuts inside on each one. There are also two wood screws.
The pin on the door side is stepped. The part that is staked to the strap is 1/4" and the hinge part is 5/16" so it will only come out one way. I sanded the staked portion off with a sanding disc and with a lot of wiggling and a little tapping with a punch it came out. I am having new pins made. They will be a little longer than factory and I can fit them as needed. I'll probably either Locktite them in or tack them where they were bradded.

The straps that make up the female part of the hinge fell apart when I removed them. They had had a 1/4" rivet holding them together. I cleaned up the surfaces I wanted to weld and bolted them together with the holes aligned. Then welded them together and added some material around the hinge hole.  I then got the part level on my drill press and drilled/reamed the hole to .437 (7/16). I tapped a oilite bushing in the hole that's .437 od .312 id 1/2" long with a 1/16" flange. I bought 10 of them for about $20 including shipping from McMaster Carr. These will hold the door a little higher than original but they all seem low so maybe it will help. The flange could be filed down a little if necessary.

With the bushings and pins being longer than original I am pretty sure to put the door back on I will have to assemble the hinges and then install it all together.

I hope this helps someone

chetbrz

Nice job.

Any chance of seeing some pictures. 
http://www.1948Plymouth.info           Web Master - Forum Administrator - AACA member

racertb

Thanks for the information, yes pictures would be great!

Touring29

I'll take some and get them on here when I get the pins made. My oldest is a tool & die maker and does a little machining for me but he has to work it in so sometimes it takes a few days.

racertb

For what it's worth, my roadster does not have straps and when it was restored back in the '80s they weren't put on if they were supposed to be there.

Touring29

Racertb are we talking about the same kind of straps? The hinges like the op ask about are called strap hinges but there really aren't any straps other than the hinges.

racertb

Maybe not. When I hear the word straps I'm thinking of something leather, like on a Model A door.  When I hear hinges I think of metal.