The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk Installing doors

Trying to get the drivers side door installed for a test fit/adjust, I managed to strip some threads.

One of them is in the top hinge of the door - the threaded plate cracked - However, I think that there is enough room to drill out the plate and use a nut behind it and still have the glass move. Anybody done this? Did it work OK?

The other one is in the door jamb and I can't see how to fix it other than cutting an access hole in the sheet metal - I need some ideas here. Thanks.

Gord,
The top hinge strap can be welded and re-tapped if need be. I have a couple of extra hinges though if you need one. The other problem is a bit trickier to solve. The hinge basket in the door jam is not reproduced but I also have a couple of these saved from a previous donor. Try to run a regular size tap through it and see if that will work. If not you can jump up a size and try that. I think those are 3/8 threads.

I was lucky because I ran a tap through all of mine and they all cleaned up. However, I have given some thought to the potential problem that you now have experienced. I am wondering if there are some metric sizes that are in between the standard sizes such that one could tap it out just a little.

Helicoil.
http://www.toolsource.com/ost/product.asp?sourceid=googlehelicoil&dept%5Fid=500&pf%5Fid=72428&mscssid=UJCR5W7EV8C28LETPFWJ38MX099N2W9D

^^ Yup. Heliocoils are good things. I have not used them on something as big as a door though.

Thanks everybody.

Houston, thank you for offering replacement parts. However, I think I can make do with the ones I have. The threads are in a plate welded to the inner door skin - the holes in the hinge strap are slotted for adjustment. Looking at it again, I realize I forgot about the ventipane window - so it looks like a installing a nut wouldn't interfere with the window or latch mechanisms.

I thought about helicoils for the stripped thread in the jamb cage. I heard some engine builders drill out perfectly good threads in engine blocks and use helicoils for the head bolts - supposed to give more even torque :confused: So, I know they will work if I want to install the door once and forget about it. However, I expect that I will have to install and remove the door many times before I done (for modifications, painting, adjusting, more modifications etc...) Will helicoils stand up to multiple assembly/disassemblys and all the tighten/loosen/tighten cycles during adjustment? Sounds like they are just the ticket if they will take the abuse...

Yes, Helicoils work great with repeated bolt remove/install cycles.