Nice hinge pin- bad hinge pin

[im02crazy]

DS was easy- too easy. A few taps up and down with some PB Blaster and WD40 walked the DS right out. The hardware went right on as well with a few adjustments. 30 minutes total.

Then there was the PS. About an hour to get it up 1/4 inch; tap up and down; PB and WD40, big hammer, bigger hammer. Four hours later, this is as far as I could get it. It won't budge any further.

Any thoughts on getting this all the way out?

[Tom Petroff]

Keep soaking it and drive it all the way down.
Look to see if the lower end of the pin is mushroomed.
Clean it up and try again.
TGP

[53Crusher]

Door Pin

I recently had the same problem on my truck. Was replacing old pin and adding new rear view mirror hardware. What I thought would be an easy job nearly took all day.

Finally bought a narrow brass drift that fit inside the hinge and drove it out without too much problem. Funny thing is, I tried to take out the new pin one day, and it had the exact same problem. Must be something inside my door hinge.....

[im02crazy]

Thanks guys. I'm not sure I can get it back down- it's bent up somewhat.

I also used a brass hinge pin - that's what moved it up as much as it is- then it stopped.

The long steel pin-point drift was not the smart tool- it probably mushroomed it as you suggested.

I'll keep spraying it. Maybe drill a small hole inside hinge center to get more lube to it. Also found a couple hinge pin removers that might work.

I don't wanna keep banging the hinge- bad stuff happens when pounding so hard for so long.

Can't heat the hinge unless I wanna re-paint!

[Clint Dixon]

Thanks guys. I'm not sure I can get it back down- it's bent up somewhat.

I also used a brass hinge pin - that's what moved it up as much as it is- then it stopped.

The long steel pin-point drift was not the smart tool- it probably mushroomed it as you suggested.

I'll keep spraying it. Maybe drill a small hole inside hinge center to get more lube to it. Also found a couple hinge pin removers that might work.

I don't wanna keep banging the hinge- bad stuff happens when pounding so hard for so long.

Can't heat the hinge unless I wanna re-paint!

You might try removing the whole door, hinges and all. Remove the eight bolts that attach the hinges to the body, after soaking, and you should be able to pull the whole assembly. Then, set the door up with the hinge in a vice somehow. Then you can hammer away without transferring any of the force to the sheetmetal of the door or the sheetmetal of the cab.

[grover26]

What are the chances of cutting off the head and try driving the pin out the bottom? I haven't looked at my doors to see if that is feasible option.

Also, what about trying to rotate the pin a bit using vise-grips or a small pipe wrench?

[Matthew Ziegler]

hinge

someone makes a tip that goes in an air chisel to take out hinge pins, shouldn't be too hard to improvise one. the trick is that it vibrates it out instead of driving it out, I've fought with a few myself. wish i'd known about this tool then.

[im02crazy]

Phase 2

All good ideas.

I like the idea of getting it off the truck to stop the shocks thru the body. Nothing good will come of that.

Tried turning it a bit, not sure if it was rotating or twisting.

I'm hoping to get a buddy to lift the door a bit and see if the pin is captured in the hinge because of the door/hinge angle.

Thought of drilling a small hole in the hinge from inside and using penetrating oil. I'm thinking at this point I've mushroomed the base enough to pin it in the assembly.

Really hammered on this to move it back down- Went a little, now it doesn't move.

Thought of trying a 2 ton bottle jack resting on the lower hinge, an extension, and a flat faced drift (steel pin) to force it up.

Heat would be my normal route, but don't want to mess up the paint. I think I'm beyond that hope at this point.

Next step: remove the door.

[quillc]

A slide hammer usually works well for things like this.

[Resto Ray]

I ran in to the same problem with my door pins.. I fought with them all day last saturday. What I finally did was once I got the pin up enough to expose the setting slots I used a side grinder to cut it flush with the dr hinge. From there I center punched and drilled a bore to fit my punch...applied a lot of heat and drove it back down the opposite way...it did not come easy but worked!!!

[gmharris]

Hammering on the pin is not a good idea. I've tried it before, then resorted to a C-clamp and socket to push the pin out. It's surprising how when hammering doesn't work, the steady force of a C-clamp and a rap with a hammer gets the pin moving.

Since you undoubtedly peened over the end of the pin, you have the pin stuck and maybe friction welded to the hinge. I would go back to the C-clamp setup and try to push the pin back the way it came.

It's probably going to take a bigger C-clamp than you would have originally needed and a lot more pressure. I have a heavy duty ball joint press that I would use. Don't forget to give the clamp a good sharp rap with a hammer to get the pin moving.

If you can, you may need to drill out the center of the pin to relieve some of the pressure on the pin. I don't remember if the pins are hardened. Once you get the pin back to it's original position, cut off the end. Then use the clamp, socket and short pieces of bolt to push out the pin.


Good luck

[im02crazy]

Pin is FINALLY out.

Nothing like being humbled by a 3" piece of 1/4" stock.

GMHARRIS you were right on the cold welded idea. And hittin this thing did NOTHING.

I tried a big C-clamp but it just didn't have the push with that big acme thread.

Finally put a bearing puller (Harbor Freight) on it, clamped it together so it wouldn't walk off the hinge and used three different lengths of rod stock to push it out. And it was an effort all the way to the end.

This is the way I will do these in the future. No pounding. As you all pointed out, it just doesn't work.

If you look at the end of the pin you will see why. Not exactly sure what happened here, but I think the end broke off sometime ago. When I started beatin it, I just mushroomed it out.

[gmharris]

Glad you got it out. Big relief, I'm sure.

Just thinking about it: A little anti-seize on the bottom of the pin and a squirt of oil on the top may be cheap insurance against the pin getting stuck.

I usually drive them out dry, but I'm going to learn from your experience.

[im02crazy]

You're right on target. I cleaned out the bore with tri-flon (gun bore lube) then used anti-seize on the pin and acorn nut at the threaded end.

What I learned from this experience:
1. Double all time estimates on a Power Wagon ( I already knew this, just confirming)

2. Use a flat-faced pin punch of same diameter (1/4) instead of a center punch. (I'm sure I mushroomed and distorted it more than it was).

3. If it doesn't tap right up (out), stop and use the puller.

4. Use some secure way to protect the paint finish from cross checking of the puller claws (maybe a small piece of metal stock. I had to cleanup and repaint the damage top of the hinge).

5. Most importantly: Have a buddy available when removing a hinge pin ( I do this for all other vehicles, what was I thinking?) to lift/lower the door to relieve pressure on the pin by the door side.

Although I had tried propping the door several times and ways, there was just a sweet spot that relieved all the pressure.

Once I did this- after the pin was removed- the new pin slipped in and dropped down to the straight knurling at the pin top! A few taps sent it home.