[WalterLeeJackson]

The lower hinge on the driver's door of my 1987 Dodge Dakota clearly needs repair.

The door can be moved up an down several inches, and all the movement is in the lower hinge.

I suspect both hinges should be repaired, and it involves unbolting the door from the body.

Is there advice anyone can offer, espcially as to what kit to buy?

TIA

--Walt Jackson

 

[dana44]

Walt, you may be able to find the hinges at a collision parts store, there are several around my area in San Diego, so they have to be elsewhere. If that isn't possible then it would be a salvage yard. If that isn't a possibility, then there are repair kits from NAPA. They usually require pulling the hinge, drilling the pin holes in a drill press and putting a brass bushing in and new pin. They usually don't have the detent wheel with the kits so hopefully that part is OK. Last place would be a dealer. Taking the whole door off is the easiest way to do them, loosen all the bolts before removing and and have a helper if possible, the aren't that heavy, but awkward, disconnect the rubber jam and wiring first.

 

[tazdevil]

I do not reccomend rebuild kits. The original holes become oblong and their centerpoint shifts. Drilling for the bushing just shifts the center. This causes door misalignment. Been there, tried that. I put in new hinges on the Demon. There are many suppliers, just google search for the vehicle and part name.

 

[awyseguy]

I would also verify that it is the actual hinge and not the metal fatigue causing the issue.. I've had 3 Dakotas that had the metal start to crack around where the factory welded the hinge to the door.