The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Paint and Body Shop Doors door hinge bolts

The 9/16 bolts that go through the upper hinge into the door go through a sheet metal "panel" with three holes cut in it, one for each bolt. But a 9/16 socket won't fit through that hole, which means the bolt can't be tightened down.

What am I missing? (And how did I get those bolts out at disassembly??)

What truck you working on?

Exactly....what year are we referring to? I just finished restoring hinges on a '50 and did not find any issues.

Sorry.
'59.
And now I'm wondering if the bolts tighten down on that panel, as opposed to going through to seat against the hinge wing. I see what looks like an indentation on the panel that suggests the built-in washer may have seated there.

Just took my doors off this weekend. First one took 4 hours or longer, second one took 20 minutes. Live and learn.

There are three bolts for each hinge, 6 total for each door.

For each hinge, there are two bolts that you get to from opening the door, they bolt into captured nuts on the other side. The third bolt is inside the hinge pocket. On the top hinge, the third bolt also turns in from the cockpit side, but the bend of the hinge keeps you from getting a socket to it.

There is a cover panel held on with about 5 Phillips sheet metal screws in the cab on the kick panel (vertically up from the foot well). Take that off and you can get a wrench on this third bolt, use a closed end wrench, and you can tighten it. Removing this panel also allows access to the captured nuts if they happen to turn free due to rusted sheet metal (mine did).

On the bottom hinge the inside bolt comes through from the fender side! I had my fenders off so I don't know if you can get too it from under the truck.

I can take pics and provide more info if you need, but taking that kick plate cover off is critical.

Hope this helps.

Hey VW guy, there is nothing on these trucks like trying to thread a new throttle cable through the pan and fishing it out of the pedal cluster whilst upside down with your head in the floor board.

Or having a case stud strip out and the thing leak oil all the time and you have a complete rebuild to fix....or having a fat guy sitting in the back passenger seat grounding out your battery and leaving you stranded in the middle of no where....well, they both have king pins!!!

Assuming you are an old school VW guy, you know what I am talking about....

Welcome aboard.