Re: Door hinge rebuild--revisited

["Jim Blair" <carnuck@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

A: I have done mine in a similar way for years. I've used my engine hoist, a 
scissor jack, Comealong from the rafters and other ways to keep the door up 
while I mess with the pins and bushings. I used to have several special 
sockets (wobblies) and wrenches I custom bent to do the common jobs and not 
have to take the fender off each time I wanted to take the hinge from the 
car to work on it.


From: TABunsey@xxxxxxx
Subject: Door hinge rebuild--revisited
To: mail@xxxxxxxxxxxx
Message-ID: <ADVANCES622wL7LErkM00000516@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>

I confess that I've never rebuilt an AMC door hinge, as the local AMC/Jeep 
dealer had a mechanic that was very skilled at replacing the hinge pins & 
bushings ON THE CAR.

The mechanic is since retired but continues to work "on the side" out of his 
garage. He is now in his early 70's, and started with Hudson in 1953. So he 
has lots of experience with AMC & Rambler. Myself and the local AMC club 
members here in Ohio keep him as busy as he wants to be.

Anyway, as I said earlier, when he "rebuilds" door hinges, he does the work 
WITHOUT removing the hinge from the door. As anyone who has ever replaced a 
door knows just how much "fun" it is getting the new door aligned properly, 
it is certainly much easier to not remove the hinge unless absolutely 
necessary.

He opens the door to the farthest opening and supports the end of the door 
with a floor jack (rag between jack saddle and door). He works on one hinge 
at a time. He drives out one hinge pin using a home-made tool that looks 
like a pushrod bent into a "Z" shape, and fishes out the hinge bushings. He 
puts in new bushings and drives in a new pin.

After watching him do the job several times, I decided to try it myself. But 
I quickly concluded that I don't have the "knack"!

AMC provided both bronze and nylon hinge bushings. The nylon bushings don't 
seem to last very long. Bushings and pins are still available. I get mine 
fron Kennedy American, where they are sold frequently enough to be kept in 
stock.

If you need mechanical work on your Rambler or AMC product and are 
reasonably close to central Ohio, I strongly recommend this "Old Time" AMC 
Dealership mechanic.

Tom Bunsey

London, OH