Damn Door hinge fix!!!

[XJ4IV]

Ok so after a few weeks of my driver door getting worse and worse today was the breaking point... almost literally!
So I had contemplated several ways of HOW to fix this thing, during my research I found the chrysler issued a recall up to 100k miles for this issue however it did not include my year model for some reason.
Anyhow enough babbling here is my list of material
1 5/16 Metal Drill Bit 4" in length
2 5/16 4" grade eight bolts
4 5/16 washers
2 5/16 nuts
and 1 inch angle iron 5 inches in length (optional)

FIRST and FOREMOST this repair is MUCH easier if you have done the doorless conversion which I have already done.
Step one: remove your driver door

http://i372.photobucket.com/albums/oo167/seivey/HPIM2774.jpg

Step two remove your fender... or all but the front bolts
Step three Pull fender back to access the hinge better

http://i372.photobucket.com/albums/oo167/seivey/HPIM2773.jpg

Step four Drill two pilot holes in the flat part of the hinge
You will have three pieces that you will be drilling through the hinge is the first the inner fender is part two and the interior kick panel is the third part.
Once you have figured out that this should have been drilled out with a GOOD drill you will place the two bolts and washers in place as shown

http://i372.photobucket.com/albums/oo167/seivey/HPIM2775.jpg

Next once you have pierced the three pieces of metal you will look under your dash to find out WHY you needed a 4 inch bolt as you will see this

http://i372.photobucket.com/albums/oo167/seivey/HPIM2776.jpg

At this point my INTENTIONS were to use the angle iron as a backing plate and help spread out the pressure but as you can see I didn't have much thread to show through also there was VERY minimal clearance as you can see just above the upper bolt.

NOTICE: DO NOT overtighten these bolts as they will pull the hinge deeper into the body and make the door not line up properly... I figured taht out the hard way. Anyhow if you can find bolts longer than 4 inches then you can use the angle iron as a backing but I used just the washers and nuts and it did a pretty good job.

[cantab27]

cheers for that, have to fix one of my doors soon :thumbsup:

[XJ4IV]

they say it ONLY happens to the top hinge... and USUALLY only the driver side... don' know if thats cause of repeated use or just a weaker point

[cantab27]

they say it ONLY happens to the top hinge... and USUALLY only the driver side... don' know if thats cause of repeated use or just a weaker point

mines top hinge ...rhd but, its the other side thats gone, which would be the drivers side over there .....so weaker point maybe....:thumbsup:

[TeXJ]

nice job! ....

[XJ4IV]

Im so happy that I wasn't embarrased at some parking lot and opened my door and it fell to the ground...
:OMG:

[XJ4IV]

mines top hinge ...rhd but, its the other side thats gone, which would be the drivers side over there .....so weaker point maybe....:thumbsup:

Ive got a question cause Ive never been in a RHD
In a standard transmission is your clutch pedal still left side? and is your gear box still the same? meaning

135
24R
or is it
531
R42

[TeXJ]

the clutch pedals and the way the tranny shifts are the same, its just that you use your left hand.

[4.3LXJ]

seems awkward to me, I can't do much of anything left handed

[XJ4IV]

the clutch pedals and the way the tranny shifts are the same, its just that you use your left hand.

I could do it then lol I thought it was a total mirror image

[rguignard]

good job that is a way to fix it without a welder :thumbsup: this should help out lots of people

[cantab27]

Ive got a question cause Ive never been in a RHD
In a standard transmission is your clutch pedal still left side? and is your gear box still the same? meaning

135
24R
or is it
531
R42

only thing is i get a sunburnt right arm in summer you get a left arm sun burn :smiley-scared002:

[4.3LXJ]

Drive topless and burn both arms:thumbsup:

[XJ4IV]

I opted for the bolts cause I could cinch it tighter rather than just hit it with a hammer and hoping it was in the right spot

Plus I didnt trust my welding

[TeXJ]

yeah, so first is now far to the left and up, then 5th would be close to you and up. In other words the pattern stays the same

[XJ4IV]

good job that is a way to fix it without a welder :thumbsup: this should help out lots of people

I was nervous about welding here being that the sheet metal is known for being weak and I dang sure didnt wanna blow through it and be totally screwed!!!

[rockcrusher]

Is your door fix still holding up ok?

[XJ4IV]

Is your door fix still holding up ok?

Its doing great I have noticed that my passenger door is doing the same thing So i think Im gonna do that over THERE as well... but yeah its holding up with NO issues Im very happy with it

[toebee97]

Hey guys, sorry to bump an old thread. Just wondering how this held up long term. My top driver side hinge weld broke recently and I'm about to attempt this fix. I just got back from buying the hardware. Man I really need to get a cheap buzz box for this kind of stuff lol.

[nickyg]

Drive topless and burn both arms:thumbsup:

I don't think it's ever a good idea for Wayne to be topless. Don't they have decency laws down there?

[bluedragon436]

Hey guys, sorry to bump an old thread. Just wondering how this held up long term. My top driver side hinge weld broke recently and I'm about to attempt this fix. I just got back from buying the hardware. Man I really need to get a cheap buzz box for this kind of stuff lol.

Can't speak for the OP and how this fix has held up on his XJ long term.. But from what I've seen or heard from a few other XJ owners who have done something very similar to this fix, and a few that have done the same fix.. it holds up quite well.. One of them did this fix, and then later had a friend weld up and beef up the area... and the weld let loose after quite a while, but the bolts and such were still holding strong.... so I'd say it's a pretty darn good fix.. I would say I wouldn't plan on trying to swing off or hang off of your doors, as I don't think it'd be all that strong.. but doubt you'd be doing that anyways... :smiley-scared003:

[prerunner1982]

Will be doing this to BOTH of my XJs..

[JENSSEN]

I have fixed this several times , I just pulled the weld up to the second skin on the "A" pillar,... never crack after that

[Cherokee01]

Hello Jeepers
This is my first post on this forum. Well im trying to find out how to view these pictures in this thread. You see my 95 xj sport door is about to fall off. And I want to get some information and ideas on how to fix this problem so any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

[4.3LXJ]

Welcome to the forum. Unfortunately we were all using a free hosting service for our photos. Then they quit being free and so now we have lots of blanks where there were photos. I understand there is an app you can get for Chrome that allows the photos to show up though

[Cherokee01]

Thanks for the info 4.3LXJ

[4.3LXJ]

So now tell me exactly what is happening with the door

[Cherokee01]

The top hinge on the driver side door is pulling away from the door jam... the story on this jeep its a 95 2 door 4 wheel drive automatic 3 inch or so lift 33x10.5 tires. I just bought it about 3 weeks ago for a 180 bucks. When I got it home it ran but very poorly and the fuel pump was hook to a toggle switch, trans pump seal and lines are leaking, needs exhaust work, upper and lower ball joints, interior is gross and dirty, door hinge breaking. After doing a compression test I did not have compression on cylinders 3 and 4 came to the conclusion I had blown head gasket and I did so replaced it and fixed the compression problem, then i start on the fuel pump no power to it without direct 12v with the toggle switch. Finally replaced the wiring harness and fuse/relay box under the hood with one from a 93 and it didnt work at first because a 95 does not have a ballast resistor so i didnt hook the 93s up which has one but i wire the two wires together and I have power with the key. So Thats crossed of the list and now to the door. Sorry for the long story. But thats it in a nut shell.

[4.3LXJ]

When you open the door, does the door go up and down when you lift up on it?

[Cherokee01]

Yep needs a new hinge pin athe bottom. I have it already. The top hinge is whats worring me. I'm not that hood at welding

[4.3LXJ]

It generally isn't the pin, it is the hinge itself that wears out. But if you replace it it wouldn't hurt. If that hinge is pulling out, you will need to push it back where it belongs and weld it with a plate behind it. You will need to remove the fender to get at it. But it will happen again unless you shim the door properly. There are some shims between the hinge and door where it bolts to it. Take one from the top and put it in at the bottom and go from there. You might be able to correct it enough to get you by for awhile until you can do some welding. It is that drop when you open it that is wrecking it

[Cherokee01]

Yeah thats what I have been reading. The door doesnt shut all the way either. Im going to try and do something with that or the trans this weekend. I just posted in the new member area as well.

[Pookapotamus]

Hey Joseph, start a build thread we would love to see pics of your Jeep and pics of your issues and of course your fixes!

Plus another 2 door being saved is always a welcome sight!

And this has prompt he me to check my doors since I took them off the other day!


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[MattybPDX]

I'm gonna have to try this. I'm almost at the point of paying someone to fix the damn thing.

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[TeXJ]

To see pictures that are being hosted on PhotoBucket you can use an add on in Firefox and Chrome. Just go to your add-ons and search for photobucket hotlink fix.

install and now all the pics show.

[Cherokee01]

I wanna say thanks to everyone for the information. I definitely will start a build thread Pookapotamus because if yall saw my list of things to do in my new member post. I gotta a long was to go. Thanks again

[Pookapotamus]

The list never really gets shorter, just more complicated!


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[4.3LXJ]

And expensive :D