Anyone know where I can source the curlycue spring on the drivers side upper door latch on a 53 Chevy 3100? I ordered two sets but both were only for passenger side (pictured) My catalogs dont list a separate one for drivers side. Thanks all....
As far as I know, they are the same part. Rebuilding my hinges, I noticed that the old GM springs actually worked better that the re-pops, and they looked exactly alike... I can figure that one out !
All the springs (3 of them, anyway, as one was MIA) were the same as the right hand one in your middle picture. I've never seen the pretzel ones, but haven't torn into too many hinges. I got a pair of replacements for mine from Jim Carter.
Kevin 1951 Chevy 3100 work truck Follow this saga in Project Journal Photos 1929 Ford pickup restored from the ground up. | 1929 Ford Special Coupe (First car) Busting rust since the mid-60's If you're smart enough to take it apart, you darn well better be smart enough to put it back together.
Per Jim Carter's site, there are two springs per upper door hinge. The springs are differently shaped from each other.
Craig
My '50 Chevy 3100 5 window, '62-235cu, 3:55 rear My truck ....... Respect The Rust If I'm not working on my truck, '65 m00stang or VW camper, I'm fishing with the wife or smoking Salmon.
The springs are differently shaped from each other.
Not from what I found. Here's the link with a picture of the pair. Link
Kevin 1951 Chevy 3100 work truck Follow this saga in Project Journal Photos 1929 Ford pickup restored from the ground up. | 1929 Ford Special Coupe (First car) Busting rust since the mid-60's If you're smart enough to take it apart, you darn well better be smart enough to put it back together.
Those two springs (at least in the picture) are not the same. One's ends are pointing in opposite direction of the other spring.
Craig
My '50 Chevy 3100 5 window, '62-235cu, 3:55 rear My truck ....... Respect The Rust If I'm not working on my truck, '65 m00stang or VW camper, I'm fishing with the wife or smoking Salmon.
There's an upper and a lower spring on the top hinge, but other than that, they're (as far as I've ever known) the same. Suggestion: if you can weld, close those original holes and then re-drill them...or at least partially close them and re-drill. They get wallowed out over time and that's what lets the springs go MIA in the first place. You can even braze the holes and re-drill, because these hinges are not getting the same amount of use as they did 40 years ago. Anything that restores those holes will help.
Another note: I've bought springs from 2 different vendors (not Jim Carter) and both were slightly different. One was clearly made in Taiwan. One was made somewhere else. The length of the ends that fit into the hinge were what was different. The ones from Taiwan were a bit (maybe 1.5mm) longer than the others.
~ Jon 1952 1/2 ton with 1959 235 | T5 with 3.07 rear end
Those two springs (at least in the picture) are not the same. One's ends are pointing in opposite direction of the other spring.
You are correct. There's a top spring and a bottom spring that are opposite "hand". I was referring to the "W" shaped one in Swami29's picture. I've never seen one of those before.
I agree with Jon's comment about welding and redrilling the holes for the springs. I needed to do that for both the hinge body and arm on one of my hinges.
Kevin 1951 Chevy 3100 work truck Follow this saga in Project Journal Photos 1929 Ford pickup restored from the ground up. | 1929 Ford Special Coupe (First car) Busting rust since the mid-60's If you're smart enough to take it apart, you darn well better be smart enough to put it back together.
