The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Paint and Body Shop Door Springs

Howdy,
I'm reading some great advice on how to rebuild your whole door hinge, but has anyone come up with a good way to install the hinge springs while the hinge pin is already in place? I'm discovering this is pretty tricky.

Dave

Thanks, Tim. I figured you were supposed to put everything together at once using the pin to leverage the springs, but I was wondering if anyone has a good way to get the springs into the slots when the hinge pin is already in stalled? My other upper hinge pin is just fine and I don't want to replace it.

This was discussed last year and I believe the conclusion was that it's not possible.

That encouraging. Thanks, Woody!

If I'm successful I'll try to take pictures.

Well I did it. It was a learning process, though. I built a complicated contraption using a bench vise, C-clamp, 7/8" socket, large end wrench, a wedge, welded spacer, and a shaped boss to conform to the spring when pressing it. This still wasn't successful.

In the end I took 2 hammers, one was a long wedge like cross pein body hammer, the other just a ball pein, lined 'er up and wack...went in like nothing.

Got pictures?

In Ohio at the moment. Will try to get some posted next week.

I miss my stovebolt...

Thanks, this question gets asked every now and then and it would be nice if that info were available. Like I said, last time this came up I don't believe anyone had good news.

I was able to do the spring install without taking the hinge apart but it involved the help of another person.

Rotate one leg of the spring into its hole on the inner hinge piece (the bar portion that bolts to the door). Place assembly on the ground and have someone stand on it so it doesn't move about. Take a pair of channel locks (thin head style is what I used) for compression and a thick awl for prying. Position channel locks, place awl in the slotted spring hole. Start squeezing and prying at the same time. A steady pace worked best for me. After figuring out the first spring I had the other three installed in less than ten minutes with minimal swearing. :-)

And sorry, no pictures of the event. Ran out of hands to operate the camera.

EDIT NOTE: Forgot to mention this was done on a late '49 3100.