# Door Hinge Roller Repair Kit - Not What I Expected!



## Sick467 (Oct 29, 2019)

I bought the below hinger repair to rebuild my hinges...










...thinking that the original roller pin hole would have to be drilled and tapped for the shoulder bolt, but not so. If you remove the original press in pin, the hole is too big to tap for the 1/4-120 threads of the shoulder bolt (the bolt threades will just drop into the hole). I had already completely disassembled the hinges just to find out that you need to leave the original pin pressed in, cut it off flush with the hinge, then drill and tap it for the new bolt.

That sounds fine until you realize that the hole that is needed to be drilled is just slightly smaller than the original splined pin. IF you drill perfectly, you might keep the soon to be cut treads inside that pressed in pin. IF you drill just a bit off center, your thread cut will get into the hinge material.

Pretty poor design, if you ask me. Hopefully not a big deal as I will be trying my hand at the drilling and tapping soon. I just thought it odd.

Any experience with this repair?


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## ylwgto (Oct 27, 2009)

Was going to do this exact surgery on my lower door hinges that are also missing the detent roller and springs. 

I visited a local bodyman who has been in the biz for decades (for help with another door striker issue I am having) and he said don't even bother with this...just buy new lower assemblies. I guess he's tried it on several GMs and the failure rate is high even with professional air tools and a jig he built for this specific job. 

I've had the car since 1995 and never realized it should have door springs! Anyhow, I'm still pondering if it is worth the hassle to replace the hinges, but found the cheapest ones to be these:



https://www.opgi.com/door-handles-hardware/door-hinges/door-hinges-lower2/hinge-door-1966-67-chevelleel-camino-lower-chvc113.html



If you do go for the repair lmk how it goes!


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## GTOJUNIOR (Aug 7, 2011)

Same here, But I just picked up real good OE hinges over the years when I could, 
and have them prepped and painted and ready when or if they are ever needed.


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## Joes1966GTO (Apr 27, 2020)

Agree 100% with @ylwgto and @GTOJUNIOR - I was going to tackle the same job, and opted instead for a new lower hinge setup. I picked up a pair from Ames and they fit perfectly. I'm trying to keep as much original stuff as possible, but the PITA of replacing the lower hinge rollers made the decision easy. 
Agree with you too @Sick467 on the fact that is was a bad design and the failure to provide instruction to you (prior to you driving out the pin) was lousy customer support. Good luck! Looking forward to hear how it turns out.


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## Sick467 (Oct 29, 2019)

I have started an approach to fight the system. I will fix it or break it...that's my motto!

Here is where my mind is at up to this point...

I plan to try using a 5/16"-18 Socket Head Cap Screw that is 2" long instead of the supplied shoulder bolt. This 2" length is important so that you get the shank length the roller needs to spin on. Shorter than 2" and it's all threads and no shank. The roller ID can be opened up by about 0.005" so that it is a loose slip fit over the shank of the 5/16"-18 Socket Head Cap Screw. Otherwise, the fit is too tight and the roller will not spin. I sanded it out with this...










It's a 1/4" piece of rod with a hack sawed slit in it for a flap of 80 grit emery cloth. It took about 15 minutes per roller to sand the hole out to that slip fit. Most of the time was stopping and checking the hole size and swapping emery cloth.

The result was a roller that felt like the loose fit between the kit's shoulder bolt and unmodified roller. I did measure the kit's shoulder bolt and unmodified roller to find that 0.005" slip fit...










This is as far as I have gotten, but I plan to drill the hinge with a letter "H" drill bit (0.266") and tap for the 5/16"-18 threads. The "H" bit only enlarges the original hole by about 0.016" on the diameter. I hope to drill and tap the hole slightly deeper than original and then follow that with a slight counter drill so that the excess of shank length has a place to got into the hole. That SHCS shank is longer than the roller is thick and will have to protrude into the hole slightly to keep the roller from riding up and down on the shank. This machine work will not be real precise with the tools I have available and I imagine that I will have to custom cut the SHCS down in length so that it bottoms out in the new threaded hole...or maybe just cut the SHCS down short and drop a custom dud piece of rod in the hole to give the SHCS something to hit and bind against. Either way, it will be a lesson in trial an error with the hopes of sneaking up on the right dimensions and not going to far and having to start over with a new SHCS or dud.

For the record, here is the OER kit that I am using and the instructions that came with it...



















I'll have the rest of the story in the next few days, win lose or draw.


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## Sick467 (Oct 29, 2019)

Joes1966GTO said:


> ...
> Agree with you too @Sick467 on the fact that is was a bad design and the failure to provide instruction to you (prior to you driving out the pin) was lousy customer support. Good luck! Looking forward to hear how it turns out.


The instructions do tell you to grind the original stud down, but like most "real men"...I don't need the instructions. 

I can still tap the studs back in and follow the instructions, but I do not like the idea of the new threads partially in and partial out of the original stud. I know my drilled hole for the 1/4" threads would not be perfect. Heck, even if it was, the OEM hole measures 0.25" to the outer tip of the splines which means the new threads would still cut through to the splines of the OEM hole. That makes me think that the threaded hole would be weak at best...I just can't do it!


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## ylwgto (Oct 27, 2009)

Quite the solution…I hope it works! Let us know. Cool idea.


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## Baaad65 (Aug 29, 2019)

Wow that sounds involved, think I would spend the 60.00 instead but that's me....glad this thread came up because my passenger door on the '65 drops when opened and needs a good slam ( who doesn't ) to shut it. I've lifted up on the end of the door and hardly see any movement in the hinge but maybe it doesn't take much slop in the hinge pin, but what else could it be? Think I'll look at doing the entire hinge this winter but do they need to be replaced in pairs? and do I need the fender off to reach the bolts because it looks pretty tight to get to last time I looked. It's funny how the passenger door which is used less wore out first unless the drivers was replaced but it doesn't look like it.


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## Joes1966GTO (Apr 27, 2020)

Nice work, @Sick467 ! Looking forward to seeing how it turns out. I laughed about the instructions, though. "Who 'da hell needs dos instructions, anyway???"  Good luck


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## Sick467 (Oct 29, 2019)

Baaad65 said:


> Wow that sounds involved, think I would spend the 60.00 instead but that's me....glad this thread came up because my passenger door on the '65 drops when opened and needs a good slam ( who doesn't ) to shut it. I've lifted up on the end of the door and hardly see any movement in the hinge but maybe it doesn't take much slop in the hinge pin, but what else could it be? Think I'll look at doing the entire hinge this winter but do they need to be replaced in pairs? and do I need the fender off to reach the bolts because it looks pretty tight to get to last time I looked. It's funny how the passenger door which is used less wore out first unless the drivers was replaced but it doesn't look like it.


I may end up buying new hinges, but I tend to have more time than money so, I'll give it the ole' college try first. I have already spent the money on the kit and If I can perform this $100 trick on 30 or 40 task...it pays for a Gear Venders OD. 

It does not take much slop in a hinge to mess with the door alignment, but I would look into the striker at the rear and make sure that it is not set too high causing the door to need a "lift" to get it to latch. OR, you are more likely to find that the hinges are adjusted too low (door angles downward towards the back) and the striker is trying to correct it at the rear when the door is closed. The door should not have to be lifted up onto the striker with the "slam", but rather the hinges should be holding the door up so that the striker merely clicks into the door latch. If your door is adjusted low (meaning angled downward towards the back) and the striker is correcting that...you are adding additional wear to your hinge bushings.

I have not messed with my hinges with the front fender on, but I have read where they can be unbolted/adjusted by using the crooked wrenches shaped kind of like a boomerang. Certainly worth a try.


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## BearGFR (Aug 25, 2008)

Yeah, that sucks about the kit.

What about this for an idea?
Since you've already pressed out the pins, drill the holes -larger-, large enough to accept a thread insert that uses pins to lock it in place, like some of these for instance:

Keensert

...that provides a new threaded hole that's the right size for the threads on the shoulder bolts in the kit?
If you're careful, you should be able to keep everything on the same center without too much trouble.

Whatcha think?

Bear


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## ylwgto (Oct 27, 2009)

Baaad65 said:


> Wow that sounds involved, think I would spend the 60.00 instead but that's me....glad this thread came up because my passenger door on the '65 drops when opened and needs a good slam ( who doesn't ) to shut it. I've lifted up on the end of the door and hardly see any movement in the hinge but maybe it doesn't take much slop in the hinge pin, but what else could it be? Think I'll look at doing the entire hinge this winter but do they need to be replaced in pairs? and do I need the fender off to reach the bolts because it looks pretty tight to get to last time I looked. It's funny how the passenger door which is used less wore out first unless the drivers was replaced but it doesn't look like it.


Baaad, that’s a different issue. Sounds like your lower hinge bushings are shot. They sell kits for that also and I think it’s an easier job than the detent rollers. Tons of YouTube vids on it.


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## Baaad65 (Aug 29, 2019)

Good info, I did suspect the strike post but when the door is closed the lines are perfect so I thought messing with the strike wouldn't be the answer, but maybe the hinges are just angled down instead of worn...thanks I'll look into it


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## Joes1966GTO (Apr 27, 2020)

All good stuff. Regarding the door alignment, I was told to actually remove the striker (so that it doesn't "help" with the alignment) and adjust the doors so that the gaps are good WITHOUT the striker being in the mix. Once everything is properly lined up and tightened, replace the striker and all should be good. Worked for me.
of course, I have to take the doors off again to do some work on the bottoms, so I'll see if I can repeat the success.


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## Sick467 (Oct 29, 2019)

Those might have some promise BearGFR , reminds me of a fancy/better heli-coil. Here is my only minor concern. The boss that the roller pin lives in is not very thick. This might not allow for a big enough hole to be drilled and tapped for the Keensert. I wonder what size outer thread is needed for a 1/4"-20 inner thread?










I will definitely remember those. They would be great for more critical threads that have been damaged. They might help me fix a stripped hole in the upper hinge plate on the driver's side. I was thinking heli-coil for that, but will look into these.


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## BearGFR (Aug 25, 2008)

If you're concerned about the wall thickness of the metal after drilling, look into "Ful Torque" inserts. I wrote about them elsewhere here, on a thread where I talked about how I nearly screwed up my original engine block "forever", and they saved it. They're awesome. The outer threads on them a shaped different from normal threads, so that instead of pushing out on the parent metal under load, they actually pull inward on it. 

Bear


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## Baaad65 (Aug 29, 2019)

So I adjusted the strike post down a little and the door closes like a dream, it's down about an 1/8" according to the molding on the quarter but so is the drivers. I'm going to leave it alone, being a driver I just wanted the door to close nice...mission accomplished, thanks and good luck with yours 👍


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## ylwgto (Oct 27, 2009)

Baaad65 said:


> So I adjusted the strike post down a little and the door closes like a dream, it's down about an 1/8" according to the molding on the quarter but so is the drivers. I'm going to leave it alone, being a driver I just wanted the door to close nice...mission accomplished, thanks and good luck with yours 👍


having FITS with my driver door striker.3 hours of adjustment after adjustment and it still won’t close properly. Maybe someday I’ll share in your victory 😞


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## Baaad65 (Aug 29, 2019)

Oh boy, maybe a latch problem?


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## Sick467 (Oct 29, 2019)

The plan worked. Picking up where I left off with the roller holes opened up...I started with a drill bit that fit snug in the original hole for the roller pin and used it to align my hinge in the drill press vise...










This helped ensure that the hinge was properly clamped with the drill press and the original hole aligned. I stepped up through a few bits to get to the one required for tapping 5/16"-18 threads (H - 0.266"). Then tapped the hole, then counter drilled the hole to make room for the shank of the SHCS to protrude in since the shank is longer than the roller is wide, even with a washer I added for looks...










I cut the SHCS's down to be about a 1/4" shy of bottoming out in the hole. Both holes where a bit different in depth probably due to me drilling into the bottom, one more than the other. I decided that a dud dropped into the hole would be best to give the SCHS a place to stop and jam This way the shank is not pushing out on the boss when it hits the counter drilled hole. The counter drills where deep enough that the shank would not make contact when the roller was jammed tight and unable to spin. I estimated the length the duds would need to be and cut them from a 1/4" piece of round rod. I cut them long on purpose so that I could fuzz it off with the grinder until it was just right. One ended up being about 0.25" and the other about 0.3"...










Here's the tools I used along with the drill press, cut-off grinder, and a vice. I think the operation could be done without the drill press so long as the holes would be enlarged in small increments. And, you don't need the calipers. It's just easier for me to read them opposed to steel ruler...










I'd say it's a win. It took me maybe 2 hours total and saved me buying new repop hinges for $139 a pair. It's not very often I can make $70 an hour doing what I love doing!


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## jmd55 (Oct 30, 2021)

i took every thing to local mach. shop they made me some pins with to press in with a sholder worked good


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