Discussion
Hi gents,i might need to replace my door hinges.as through lack of use they creak.Ive sprayed the drivers door hinge with wd40 an it has stopped creaking.I fear the passanger one will be U/S as its never used 
I threrfore have three questions
1. How difficult is it
2. Where do i get the hinges from
3.Will i have any skin left on my hands
cheers all
I threrfore have three questions
1. How difficult is it
2. Where do i get the hinges from
3.Will i have any skin left on my hands
cheers all
My drivers side door has dropped a bit and a search in the forums suggested calling Adrian Venn at Exactly TVR. I did and from he said decided to leave it a bit as it's not getting any worse and sounds like it could be one of those "yeah, easy to do jobs" that can turn into something a bit more than expected......
I remember him saying that he can supply hinges if needed - may be worth ringing him for some advice?
www.exactly-tvr.demon.co.uk/
Hope it helps,
Longers
I remember him saying that he can supply hinges if needed - may be worth ringing him for some advice?
www.exactly-tvr.demon.co.uk/
Hope it helps,
Longers
I haven't replaced my door hinges, but I removed and refitted the lower one. I posted some pictures in this thread [url]www.pistonheads.co.uk/gassing/topic.asp?t=208823[/url].
Worry number 1 is that the captive nut becomes detached - that will cause big problems.
It is a fiddle to get out the small retaining nut near to the ashtray - I removed the ashtray which appeared to be glued in.
Though there were no particularly sharp edges I discovered that the glassfibre fibres can be quite painful when they get under your finger nails!
I understand that "LeeBee" on PH does/did do replacement hinges with stainless steel bolts.
I found that the use of a plastic washer under the door helped to raise it to it's correct height. I plan at some time to put one above the top hinge to prevent the door moving up and down.
Good luck!
Worry number 1 is that the captive nut becomes detached - that will cause big problems.
It is a fiddle to get out the small retaining nut near to the ashtray - I removed the ashtray which appeared to be glued in.
Though there were no particularly sharp edges I discovered that the glassfibre fibres can be quite painful when they get under your finger nails!
I understand that "LeeBee" on PH does/did do replacement hinges with stainless steel bolts.
I found that the use of a plastic washer under the door helped to raise it to it's correct height. I plan at some time to put one above the top hinge to prevent the door moving up and down.
Good luck!
I also need to do something about my driver side door. I've looked at Dark Matters thread but perhaps am missing the point somewhere. Are there two possibilities? Can you replace the hinge pin and bush, assuming you can buy these, and can you do this job without removing the door. Or, is it a matter of removing the door and replacing the complete hinge(s). Please advise on the best approach
eng622 said:
Can you replace the hinge pin and bush, assuming you can buy these, and can you do this job without removing the door. Or, is it a matter of removing the door and replacing the complete hinge(s). Please advise on the best approach
You do not need to remove the door. I found that it was possible to remove the lower hinge bolt, provided that the door is supported on a padded axle stand or similar. I imagine you could also remove the upper hinge this way too. I would not remove both hinge bolts at once though because there will be nothing holding the door in place, except the electric window, mirror, and speaker cables, which have insufficient slack. If you are planning on removing the door remember to detach the wiring first!.
The door hinge comprises of one bush housing (containing a plastic bush), this part is bolted to the door with two bolts (actually one threaded stud is used on the lower hinge because it also secures the window frame), through the plastic bush passes a bolt which screws into a captive nut which is fibreglassed into the body shell.
The bush housing mounting holes are of larger diameter than the securing bolts, thereby allowing fore, aft, and sideways movement to align the door.
I'm not certain how the vertical adjustment is made, I assume that it it by screwing the upper/lower hinge bolts into the captive nuts. My preference though is to pack the gaps between the bodyshell and bush housings because that will put less load on the captive bolts.
I found that it is ok to roughly align the door with it open, but it is better to have it closed when you finally tighten the bolts from inside the car. Door adjustment requires a lot of trial and error.
I'm sure someone will post to say where you can buy the bushes and hinge bolt - though as I mentioned before, if you lookup PH member "LeeBee" he sells a stainless steel replacement hinge kit with bush.
silverback mike said:
Interesting thread this...My nearside door has dropped, I think the lower hinge has snapped.
If you have the door partially open, and lift it up by the doorhandle, how much vertical movement is there? My guess is that about 1 cm of movement would indicate a worn bush or loose bolt(s). Any more might suggest that the captive nut is no longer captive.
The S series "bible" explains how to remove the door trim to access the hinge. I'd suggest that you have a go first and check that the two fixings holding the hinge bush are tight, then check the main hinge bolt ensuring that it is tight - if you can turn it without a spanner then it may be broken as you suggest, or the captive nut may have become separated from the body.
There are lots more threads concerning door hinges on the PH and TVRCC forums so it is worth searching for them.
I have just refurbished the hinges on my S2 and can confirm it is a real pig of a job if the captive nut in the body comes loose!
The lower hinge on the passenger door was the problem. Access is possible from the passenger foot well and after much chipping away of the fibreglass which still retained the nut, but didn't stop it rotating, I finally got it out.
I got replacement bolts, plastic bushes and the all important replacement nut (a 2cm long brass thing with hexagon's at each end) from David Gerald (Top service
)
Bonding the nut back in was made a little easier because although it was the same thread size it had larger hexagons so I could carefully file the right shape into the sill to take it. It was then a painful matter of getting fibreglass paste on to hold it all in place - messy and f
g difficult working with your head buried in the footwell and no room to move but I got there in the end.
Haven't got as far as putting the doors back on yet so the alignment fun is yet to come, but why do we own these things if we don't want a few challenges??
Mick
The lower hinge on the passenger door was the problem. Access is possible from the passenger foot well and after much chipping away of the fibreglass which still retained the nut, but didn't stop it rotating, I finally got it out.
I got replacement bolts, plastic bushes and the all important replacement nut (a 2cm long brass thing with hexagon's at each end) from David Gerald (Top service
) Bonding the nut back in was made a little easier because although it was the same thread size it had larger hexagons so I could carefully file the right shape into the sill to take it. It was then a painful matter of getting fibreglass paste on to hold it all in place - messy and f
g difficult working with your head buried in the footwell and no room to move but I got there in the end. Haven't got as far as putting the doors back on yet so the alignment fun is yet to come, but why do we own these things if we don't want a few challenges??
Mick
This thread is proving useful but I had a look at the driver side door to ascertain where the play is. It appears to be the top hinge that has the play in it. Somewhat concerned as it looks like the play is in the part that enters the body and not the door itself. I cannot see how you can get at the part in the body, and looks equally difficult with the lower hinge as it looks as if it goes into the sill
eng622 said:
... It appears to be the top hinge that has the play in it. Somewhat concerned as it looks like the play is in the part that enters the body and not the door itself. I cannot see how you can get at the part in the body, and looks equally difficult with the lower hinge as it looks as if it goes into the sill
There is no access to the captive nuts bonded into the body. I'm sure I've read here of someone having to cut a hole in the body to repair the top captive nut. Until you remove the door panel and try a spanner on all of hinge bolts to see if they are tight or loose you cannot be sure but I have heard of the bolts coming loose so maybe that's what's happened to your door.
Good luck.
DarkMatter said:
Interesting thread this...My nearside door has dropped, I think the lower hinge has snapped.
If you have the door partially open, and lift it up by the doorhandle, how much vertical movement is there? My guess is that about 1 cm of movement would indicate a worn bush or loose bolt(s). Any more might suggest that the captive nut is no longer captive.
The S series "bible" explains how to remove the door trim to access the hinge. I'd suggest that you have a go first and check that the two fixings holding the hinge bush are tight, then check the main hinge bolt ensuring that it is tight - if you can turn it without a spanner then it may be broken as you suggest, or the captive nut may have become separated from the body.
There are lots more threads concerning door hinges on the PH and TVRCC forums so it is worth searching for them.
About 3 inches of movement.
I think it's proper buggered. 
Thanks for this informmation and a search revealed even more. I think I now have the picture regarding the hinge construction and how it is fitted to the door and body locations. It would seem the bonding of the nuts in the body locations is critical. Assuming the bonding is intact I take it that you should proceed with caution when trying to undo the centre bolt (hinge pin) i.e if rusted (even after copious quantities of WD 40) you are likley to dislodge the bonded nut. My NS door appears fine and I just intend to spray the hinges with waxoyl. I can see movement in the top OS hinge which looks as if it could be the nut as the play appears to be in the body. I will be investigating further. Need to remove the door trim (last item thank goodness) to proceed with the re-veneering job.
The brass nut is glassed into the bodywork. It can become loose which is then whole cutting time to refix.
The metal plate is fixed inside the door with the two short bolts. The holes in the plate for the bolts are about 20mm to allow for adjustment forward & backwards. The longer bolt acts as a pivot point, going through the bush & metal plate, through the bottom/top of the door and into the captive nuts. The fibre bush can wear, causing the door to drop, or like on the one I had to do, the long pivot bolt wore away where it threads into the brass nut. Strange but true. I would suggest that the center bolt M10x75, should be only threaded half way as the threads on the pictured bolt will cut into the bush. I had to slide a hacksaw blade between the door and body to cut the bolt, as it wouldn't unscrew. Its not an easy job to get done but well worth it to have smooth opening doors
Hope this is of help.
Thanks for the enlightening picture. In my case first inspection of the top hinge indicates to me that it is the hex flange of the brass nut that is moving slightly in the body causing the door to drop. I could be wrong so when it warms up I will need to investigate further and check the pin and bush
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