Loose door hinges can cause issues such as doors not closing properly, creaking noises, or damage to the door frame. To fix a loose door hinge quickly and easily, follow these steps:
Place a hex wrench into the socket at the top of the hinge and turn in either direction to release tension on the pin. Remove the pin with pliers. Tighten or loosen in small steps. Rotate the door.
Unstick your doors by doing a little work on the hinges and (if necessary) breaking out the planer. Use tools like a 4-in-1 screwdriver, belt sander, cordless drill, drill bit set, and ham.
Adjust the door hinges to see if that fixes the issue. If the door is slightly ajar, try adjusting the hinges to see if that fixes the problem.
Remove the tension ping from the hinge. Insert a hex key into the opening if the hinge spring opens at the top, or use a tension lever if it’s horizontal. Let it set up for an hour and then re-mount the hinges.
Lubricate the hinges by applying mineral or jojoba oil to the hinge pins and hinge knuckles with a oil dropper or lubricant spray. Loosen each hinge pin by gently tapping it free with a hammer or mallet.
Test the door’s operation by removing the hinge pin from the problematic hinge, placing a hinge shim between the hinge leaves, reinserting the hinge pin, and adjusting as needed.
📹 How To Fix A Sagging And Rubbing Door That Won’t Close! 5 Tips & Tricks That Works! DIY Tutorial!
On This episode I’ll be showing you How To Fix A Sagging And Rubbing Door That Won’t Close! 5 Tips & Tricks That Works!
📹 How to Replace Door Hinge Pin & Bushing ~ Fix Sagging Door
Does your car door sag when open? Does the door drop when you open it? Is the car door hard to shut? The door hinge might …
This was very helpful. A few years ago, I replaced the pins & bushings on only the driver’s door, on my 88 Dodge Aries wagon. I bought extra pin/bushing sets, and if the other doors need this, I will freeze the parts first. That is a good idea. I also will use the bolt-nut press tool for the brass bushings next time. It’s a good thing I had extra kits when I did it. I just tapped the brass bushings in, and broke one from hitting it too hard – lesson learned. I was working alone, so besides supporting the door from the bottom with a floor jack & wood, I used a YT tip I found at the time – place a step ladder over the window opening, and tie a rope to the top of the window frame, and to the ladder. Of course, you can’t do that if the door is frameless.
You saved me $1,500.00 Bro ! An AC Guy here in Fla. Came highly recommended to me by my friend and personal mechanic, so I went there, long story short, he wanted to replace the entire system ! Compressor, condenser and evaporator !!! Well I am not the brightest bulb on the XMas tree ! But common sense told me what are the chances of having all these parts fail at the same time ! Well, thanks to people like you, who share their knowledge with his fellow man, I did this test and it was the freaking relay fuse the entire time ! So beware peeps ! Goes to show you that you cannot trust anyone. TY Bro from the heart man,,I don’t have money like that ! Ugh ! 😁✌️😇🌝🙏💕😊
Thank you for the excellent article. I checked out a few others but their lighting and explanation of the process was poor. My son and I completed the install but didn’t have the spring tool. I tried the zip tie method but the spring strength was too much for them. The ties backed off when I loosened the vice. Cheap zip ties I believe. I ordered the tool which should arrive tomorrow. 😎👍🏻
I’ve had a few Chevy trucks with this problem and the pin kits always work, til this one. 90 model 3500. Easy fix. Got a piece of Xtra heavy-duty plastic,1/4 inch thick, nearly 1 1/2 inches wide 3 or 4 inches long. Fit the lower baseboard just right. Screwed it down, beveled the edge and the door shuts great. Just passing along a little tip if the pins don’t work. God bless America and FJB.
This article is great BUT has anyone noticed that the “bronze” bushings supplied in certain repair kits are JUNK? I got some from NAPA and the “bronze” bushings literally crumbled when pinched hard by hand. Needless to say, this is some type of cost-cutting “sweep-alloy” that’s substituted for the original sintered bronze material put there by GM way back when. I’m just going to ream the holes and install STEEL BOLTS. Doctor Meatball to the rescue! -Steve Magnante
I really enjoyed this article I now know how to do this. My 1983 lincoln mark vi needs new door hinges on drivers side. Will I be able to do this on this car with the pins and what you showed me on your article? There aren’t very many people who can work on this car anymore and I’ve taken to trying to do repairs…on certain things myself. Thank you very much. Thanks Dana
Charles – I too have a DBP R32 – and the driver’s door has dropped a little bit (second time – got the garage to do it last time). It looks difficult to get tools in there to adjust the hinge and the door is long and very heavy. It seems that the door somewhat frustratingly covers the bolt positions. Have you come across this before? Can you do a article similar to this one – but with a 3 door Mk4 Golf, please.
The tutorial is pretty good; the problem is that these replacement bushings tend to crack/break in very short order. I’ve never seen one of these repairs last more than a few months. Complete hinge replacement, although a much more time-consuming job, is the only way to really ensure a long-lasting repair.
Excellent and informative article, you are very good at explaining things, which is a treat to watch. I would take the jack support method one step further and roll down the door window enough to attach a couple of soft-loop strap and tie-downs to the upper door frame so it’s lightly supported from the garage rafters, just it case the door slides off the jack (I work alone and like the safety backup to have a safety backup).
Replacing the hinge pins and bushings on my S-10 also solved the water ingress issue… no more mysteriously wet carpet. Even the slightest wear and play at the hinges translates to quiet a bit of misalignment at the top of the door frame where it meets the roof line, allowing water past the upper door seals. This type of leak is often incorrectly blamed on the sunroof if the vehicle has one. I have mentioned this to several people who were chasing what they thought were sunroof leaks that ultimately turned out to be leaky door seals due to worn hinge pins and bushings.
Thank you so much for this article. I am about to try this on my sister 1996 Chevy blazer. I bought the kits, 2 new springs and the spring compressing tool as the one in this article. You explained it so well. Thanks for the suggestion to put the parts in the freezer. I would have never thought of that. Thanks again, you are awesome.
Hmmm…I’m no technician, but I’m not sure if the whole freezer thing actually works with such small parts. I mean: you need to get it out of the freezer, carry it to your car, aim and adjust carefully, drive it in. That takes too much time and thus the part will be close to room (or hand) temperature again before you can tap it in place. Maybe some freeze spray right before putting the part in would work better.
Hehe. Here in the Northeast, you fix the hinge pins and a week later the flange breaks off the door due to rust. Or, you do one pin, go to lunch and find out one or both of those left side tires has a fast leak and your door is wrinkled, bent mess when you return. I love the comical possibilities, ‘sall.
Since you’re name dropping and advertising Advance, let me give your followers a little tip. One of those Dorman – Help Door Hinge Pin And Bushing Kits your holding, like you said, go for $10.00 each, but Doorman also has the kit that comes with 2 Door Hinge Pins, 4 Bushings and 2 clips for $5.99. If you’re like me, who has to do the 2 doors on my S-10, that’s a savings of $28.00. Those savings may not mean that much to some people, but every little bit counts in today’s economy. By the way, that kit of which I speak is Out Of Stock at Advance, has been for quite some time, so I picked my 2 kits up at Autozone. Who by the way, I didn’t partner with.😅🤣😂😆 Also, I used a bolt the was 4.5 inches long, that way I could install both bushing;s fully seated, no mushroom worries involved.
Those doors, had to be the shit of the shitiest design club. I’m a mechanic-turned-welder, own a ’94 C2500 and a ’92 C3500….the ’94 I’ve replace once, but will need it again after 10 years…the ’92? I replace EVERY year!!! Contemplating on having ones machined out of stainless, because the JOBBER/Dorman/ Shitbox repair kit, isn’t cutting it.
at the 7 minute mark, you “tap” the bushing in the rest of the way. That right there is when my Autozone brand bushings kept breaking. I went through four sets today without being able to get a full set of replacements in the upper hinge. I need to find a better brand of bushing, hopefully made of a better material that this die-cast looking crap.
14:25 – It is all I can do to keep myself from blowing on my screen to try to blow all those damned iron filings off of everything. Why, the holy heck, did you leave all those iron filings all over everything? Also, thanks for the article. The tape on the door edges is a good idea that I wouldn’t have thought of.
How about how this evolves into striker and latching mechanism? Where can I find info on a striker plate, jamb, and latch that’s loaded with debris from wd40 over the years and is now stuck to where it will not shut, the temporary flathead system only lasts so long. I do have some dry graphite powder. Anyways, any advice? Perhaps where I should start first? Pins and bushing kit? Latching mechanism? Striker plate?
My Datsun 1400 ldv suffered from that towards it senior years. I made sure to sell it on with that problem, that way it retained it’s authenticity. Amazing how badly some door hinges wear. The mK1 rabbit’s and Jettas were known for it. Worn door hinges is not a modern problem though, car makers have that sorted.
Problem with my truck is that the door hinges are beyond these pins. I now have 4 3/8 ss bolts holding the door up. The bushings in those pin kits are brittle and I don’t understand who would come up with such an ignorant idea. Anyway even with these bolts the door still sags. On top of that it’s a 90 silvy and the hinges are welded on the body. Don’t know what to do a t p
i did like your vid showed to my 1991 buick century-door still sags-looks to me like the door side hinge is wallowed out-the bushings were not bad but i replaced anyway-the door hinge is welded to the car so i cant replace less i cut them off-the ebay kit i bought has 2 other bushings which i have never seen a vid show replacing-maybe i will take back apart and drill out hinge so i can install those other bushings-anybody got any ideas or experiences likie mine
The first one you worked on, I accidentally put in upside down. It kept falling down the pin after I put the door back on. Today I put loctite on it. I’ll see if it holds. Time will tell. I don’t want to remove the door again. That little spring was a pain in the * to get back in without that tool. The masking the door part is a good idea, I’ve already knocked some on my new paint off the front edge playing with the door trying to put the bushing back in from the top. I gave up.
Nice, straight to point, precautions noted, expectations created, tips provided like freezer and lube. I would have added the roller for the spring position cam / lever for its condition and oil it. I bought a can of WD-40 in the spring of 1974. Still has some liquid in it. In other word’s, use motor oil and oil can to apply a drop or two once a week or month on the drivers side. Passengers side see very little use under normal condition. But oil these, it is maintenance and don’t depend on a quick lube joint never give these hinges, the hood or the grease needed on some steering parts. Very good article, easy to hear and well lit for those who have not done a couple of hundred because then, you get better! Right. DK. ASE Master Tech since 78, retired.
Well done article. I built a jack out of 2 X 4s to cradle the door to facilitate working alone. If you are also replacing the roller pin, I recommend working in this order: 1. Remove old hinge pins and spring. 2. Slide door away from vehicle 3. Remove old roller pin. 4.Install new roller pin. 5. Slide door back in place. 6. Install new hinge pins and spring
Great article for hinge pins without an oil can within 6 miles of them. Today, if doing this for the first time, take photos and indicate LU, LL, etc. pins and hinges look the same as some fit 1043 applications including Dodge, Jeep, etc. There are several part numbers so know what vehicle you have as there maybe 13 part numbers to pick from. Spring tool used to be cheap, got no clue today. Just be safe as doors get heavy & put some good shoes or boots on during this work. Don’t be called lefty. Check & measure bushings as they come out, some are not knurled, and keep on order, do one at a time. Tag them or bag them if interrupted. It happens!
What I’d like to know is actually repairing the holes for the body side of the hinge. When it’s like that for a very long time the pin actually makes the hole oblong and bends the bushing in a weird way to where the pin it wore at. I saw someone make a template and cut it and make a new hole. That’s cool but I don’t have welders to do that fix sadly, I did this actually not to long ago and I see a gap between where the hole is closest to the body. I’ll see how long the kit I got lasts till I have to do it again. I’ll probably then go to gm and buy a crap ton of them because those are the originals there too.
I gotta give it to you,, you make it look easy!! I’m so angry with myself, but I won’t quit. Bushing absolutely suck, I broke 4 bushings, I used the bolt to compress in, top hinge went well, bottom not good . I put the pin and bushings in the freezer, my wife thought I was nuts …. bottom hinge hole were very small, no way to fit …..but bottom hinge is my problem now ….. Then hammered the roller pin ..omg ….had to grind mid way so it would fit, but could punch it in all the way to put the coder pin …..what task …but thank you article helped
So… don’t lean on your (open) doors, or use it to support yourself to get in or out of the vehicle. Ever. I see people doing this all the time… not a good idea. Doors are designed to hold the weight of the door. Not weight of door + human. Thank you Charles for more excellent vids! Positively brilliant with the “press” you rigged up! 😀
This article is pretty good, after reviewing a number of like articles I have two really good suggestions. 1. I have a flat warehouse four wheel rolling cart-means with four casters, 2×2 or better 4×3 with sides on each end-there is a slot made of spare wood to hold the bottom of the door in place and the door is secured cross ways by various ways to the ends of the cart to stabilize the door-these doors weigh 300 pounds or more-they can hurt-and tape the corners-two hour job-then 4 hours paint repair-I do not think so- 2-that bolt to insert the bushings is fine, but is only half used-where the nut and two washers are add some larger washers so the bushing coming thru can be bottomed out on the drive end of the bolt and the bushing is not crushed. from Mr Know It All
Love this detailed installation. Especially that, not so hard after all spring! Wish I’d found your article earlier. I’d been without the spring getting every part of my leg slammed on every time the wind or gravity launches the door. Owl! Weeeh! I had positioned the tool’s jaws on the outside thinking only about full compression, for dummies then gave up. It’s been somewhere on the to do list. Also, I wondered how many had done the same, don’t be shame? Now, where did I place that springs and tool? It’s probably still stuck together. Feb 2023, I had 1997 exchange offer for an 1998 LS with the same hinge issues, too. You will be in my digital tool box forever! I’m appreciative finding your door hinge article!😄😃
This guy is pretty much on point on changing these out. I would say to oil the bushing prior to install. Remove spring with pry bar, turn face and close eyes. LOL! If you don’t want to spring for the spring compressor you can put it in a vise and use strong wire to hold it. Install and cut the wire. It does work but a bit dangerous.
Hi my name is Jason and I own a mk4 at the moment I just changed my driver door lock Mechanism located in the door. I swapped it out and put everything back together. I closed the door and locked the car. It locked ! I was happy so happy that my car can finally lock all doors and I can sleep good at night. Now here’s where my problem comes in… I can not get my driver door to open at all. It just won’t unlock. I need help. I been trying to get The door panel off but I can’t . Driver seat and steering wheel is in the way. Idk what to do 💔
With your homemade press setup, you can use a longer bolt this way you can add a spacer before the washer and nut. The spacer is to allow the bushing to be pressed all the way in because the spacer has a big enough inside diameter to allow the bushing to extend past the hinge to be completely installed. No need to back the nut back off and pound it in, just tighten it all the way in the first time. If you have no easy access to different size spacers just use a socket as a spacer. It should be fine, it won’t hurt the socket. Thanks for the freezer tip.
My doors have the hinge backet on the door side that are wobbled out. The bushings were replaced but is squeaked really bad still. I notice when i pickup on the door it moves at the top hinge hole around the hinge pin. Anyone make a repair on the actual door side hinge bracket, where there is not bushing, its just a hole drilled in the steel. My only thought is to weld it up and redrill it. I am not sure how to get the hole redrilled in the correct spot. thoughts?
Humblemechanic you keep being humble and keep doing what ya do and I will brag for ya! Your the MF’n man! Love the way you line up them bushings! So simple but I never thought of that. Way to hit on all the important details and things that might have people chucking tools into the wall or hitting skids laying around with a ball ping hammer lol. Everyone needs to watch a article like this or better yet my man’s here is the one to watch! Thanks for taking the time to make this!
I got my S10 about a month and a half ago. Today I changed the pins and bushings on the driver’s side door, because the door had to be slammed in order to shut it and you had to roll the window down and grab the window opening to close it from the inside, so as not to break the inside door handle. The door does close a lot easier than it did before. The old pin was setting on the spring because it didn’t have a retaining clip and the old bushings we broken and/or missing. I still have a small problem. Both before and after the replacement, the bottom bushing on the top hinge is falling out of the bracket. The old one was only 2/3 of a bushing. Is is the new one falling out where I left it in the freezer for over 24 hours? The hole doesn’t look worn.