Door hinge removal 1995 Thunderbird

[gfmarsh]

Does anyone know how to get at the (driver's) top stud on the top hinge on a 1995 thuderbird?
I presuming you have to take the foot parking brake assembly off to remove the black plastic/foam cover. I haven't found a manual yet that mentions it at all. It also seems low enough so that I won't have to take off the dash.

THANKS!!!

 

[gfmarsh]

Did the job myself in any case. If anyone wonders how, here's some helpful info...


Installing New Driver's Side Hinges on 1995 Thunderbird LX

It is possible to remove both upper and lower hinges from the driver's side door without taking apart the dash. One required chore is to remove the parking brake foot assembly. This has to be done so that you take out the inner black plastic/foam skirting that is secured behind the brake assembly. Other panels that need to removed first are the lower steering column cover and the side cowling. To remove the parking brake you need to create slack in the cable so that you can pull the end of the cable off the pulley arm. You can do this by two ways, either by releasing the tensioner near the rear axle under the car, or you can lightly clamp the front intermediate cable connector to the underskirting of the car located under the driver's footboard area. To clamp the intermediate connector compress the parking brake fully then C-clamp the connector to metal of the underskirting of the body. You don't have to clamp in very hard and you might want to use a small rag to protect the paint. Once secure you can release the brake and you should have plenty of slack to pull off the cable from the foot assembly. Use a 13mm or 1/2" box end wrench to compress the prongs of the retaining clip so you can pull the rubber cable away from the foot brake. Remove the wiring harness that's bolted to foot brake and the praking brake switch connector. Now you can pull the plastic skirting out by removing the upper tab near the firewall. For the access to the lower hinge nut you need to unbolt a switch box so that you can reach it with a socket extension (it comes off with two bolt screws.) You should now be able to access the upper and lower nuts with 12" socket extension on 13mm socket.

There is no need to remove the door panel since the wiring does not readily disconnect to fully remove the door. There should be enough slack in the wiring inside the door to rest the door of some sandbags. You need another person at this stage. Remove inner upper and lower hinge nuts. Remove the door side bolts first, then frame side. Bolt new hinges to the frame taking note of where you marked the placement of the old hinges. Bolt hinges to the door. You'll need a 3/8" universal drive (and a 13mm socket) to adjust your frame side hinges from the outside when the door is fully open . Use a floor jack to keep the door in position when installing and for adjusting the door (position the jack towards the end of the length of the door). Adjusting the door so that it fits right is perhaps the trickiest part, and requires some skill and a bit of luck to dial-in the door so it closes properly. Do not adjust striker pin as a way to compensate a misaligned door.

Reassemble in reverse order.

 

[Rolling-Thunder]

You may wish to consider this as an option, since it is less invasive to your car.

Here is what I learned from when I changed my hinge pin bushings.

Ford Part numbers;

Pins: D9ZZ-6643030-AA
Bushings: D9OZ-6522841-C
Striker plate: F3SZ-6322008-A

HELP Brand part numbers (AutoZone, PepBoys)
Pin & Bushing HELP Kit p/n 38410
Door Striker Bolt HELP p/n 38445
Roller Pin HELP p/n 38350

1. If you have never replaced the bushings since the car was new, you may
consider replacing the hinge too. Mine was so worn, that the bushing was
completely worn through, and the pin had elongated the hole in the hinge
plate. I used a 15/32 dia. drill bit, and opened up the hole, but the bushing
fits in there just a hair loose.
2. In spite of this amount of wear, the upper hinge bushings had no play in
them, so I am going to leave them alone.
3. When cutting the hinge pin, cut it closer to the bottom bushing, than the
top. You can then take a center punch, or drift pin, and knock out the lower
piece of the pin, from above. Then come up through the bottom of the lower
hole, and knock out the top piece of the pin. The original pin has some
knurling on it, and does not come out easily.
4. On my car, it was not necessary to make scribe marks, as it was obvious
where the hinge plate was. The plate wears into the paint enough to make its'
own marks.
5. For removing the door, I built a wooden cradle to support the bottom of
the door in two places. I made it the same height as the bottom of the door,
and put a couple of notches in it to keep the door from falling off. Use a
trolley jack to lift the car up slightly, so that you can slide the cradle
under the door. Put shop rags between the door and cradle, to protect the
paint. You can then slide the door away from the car, and tilt it forward, so
it leans against the back edge of the fender. I then propped the door in
place with a broom handle.
6. When installing the lower hinge pin, do not push it all the way down.
Leave it about 1/2" high. so that you can get the lower hinge bolt back in,
and tightened. Then you can tap it the rest of the way down.

Tools required:
13mm combination box wrench, Sawz-all with metal cutting blade, T50 torx head
bit (for striker plate), trolley jack.
It took me about 1 hour to do the total job, including making the support
cradle.

 

[gfmarsh]

Thanks for the advice. I actually didn't want to get involved with the cutting of the pins. Replacing the hinges altogether seemed to make more sense for me. When I checked with Ford about pins they said the just sell hinges complete.

On the factory hinges the pin ends are squashed or peened in to prevent them from moving. How do the pins that you mention sit in the hinges? They must be open at one end?

Thanks again Rollin-Thunder.

 

[Rolling-Thunder]

Yes, they are "open" on the bottom of the pin, but it has a hole in it for a cotter pin.