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Torque spec for door hinges by fiero-iwan
Started on: 08-21-2005 11:48 AM
Replies: 6
Last post by: fiero-iwan on 08-21-2005 05:15 PM
fiero-iwan
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Report this Post08-21-2005 11:48 AM Click Here to See the Profile for fiero-iwanSend a Private Message to fiero-iwanDirect Link to This Post
Hi Guys
I rebuilt my door hinges. I took them off the car and doors. Now I want to reinstall them but cannot find the torque specs for bolting them to the door and the frame. Anybody able to provide the torque values please? (Note: the bottom hinge has a larger bolt which screws in from the "cabbin"-side)
Thanks for any help. Oh also any tips for correct allignment of the hinges are also welcome, as I cleaned the doors and frame too well I cannot see where the hinges used to be positioned...

Iwan

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FieroGT42
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Report this Post08-21-2005 11:58 AM Click Here to See the Profile for FieroGT42Send a Private Message to FieroGT42Direct Link to This Post
'86 service manual says coat the bolts with thread sealer, torque to 20 - 28 Nm (14 to 20 ft-lb), but I think I did mine tighter.

I aligned my door, with the skin off, by closing the door with a towel between it and the rocker panel for a spacer. Then I tightened the bolts, made fine adjustments, etc.

As for the door skin alignment, I'm confused. If my black molding, ground effects, etc. are all lined up, then the top edge of the door skin looks too high and is very close to hitting the bottom edge of my quarter window (fastback). I tried adjusting that door skin spacer bumper thing to make the skin more convex and thereby lower the top of the door skin, but no luck.

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Report this Post08-21-2005 12:03 PM Click Here to See the Profile for FieroGT42Send a Private Message to FieroGT42Direct Link to This Post

FieroGT42

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Also, I believe the adjustment for the hinges is on the door side (not the frame side) so I left the door-side bolts sort of loose, bolted up the frame side, and closed the door with the towel spacer. I adjusted the height by using more/fewer folds in the towel, then tightened up the door bolts. Then I tweaked how far in/out the top and bottom of the door were by adjusting the top/bottom hinges individually (one at a time so not to loose the vertical positioning!) sort of rotating the door. What a freakin' pain... Hopefully my frustration will help spare someone out there
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fiero-iwan
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Report this Post08-21-2005 12:08 PM Click Here to See the Profile for fiero-iwanSend a Private Message to fiero-iwanDirect Link to This Post
Thanks FieroGT42 for youre response!
The values you quote from the service manual do seem low.. Are the specs all the same?, by this I mean same values for bolting the hinge to the door as for bolting the other half of the hinge to the body? (Same spec for the larger bolt that connects bottem hinge to the body from the inside?)

The towel idea is a good one for vertical allignment, how did you allign them side to side (how far the top and bottom of the door stick out sideways?) and the forward rearward alligning. With all hinge bolts just slightly loose the door can be moved all over the place. How to tell when it is correct?

Thanks
Iwan

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FieroGT42
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Report this Post08-21-2005 04:30 PM Click Here to See the Profile for FieroGT42Send a Private Message to FieroGT42Direct Link to This Post
I'll scan the manual's pages on the hinges and post it here, but I'd go with the 15-20 lb for the 8mm and 30-40 for the 10mm on the frame side, as it says on the 2nd page - maybe more if it makes you feel safe. I think the 14-20 ft-lb is for the door side.

---

First I got the vertical alignment so the door closed and opened easily. Then I adjusted the inward/outward of the top and bottom individually until I got a good balance between things lining up and the door glass sealing well. I don't know if there was any adjustment forward and rearward.

To adjust the top, loosen the top bolts just enough that you can manhandle the top of the door around, and just *barely* loosen the bottom bolts enough that it will pivot on the bottom (Keep them pretty tight - Barely loosening one bottom bolt may be enough). To align the bottom of the door, just loosen the bottom bolts and pivot on "pretty tight" top bolts.

You have to do this with the door skin off, but to make body alignment easier you can leave the fender attached and just pull it back for access. Also, each time you tighten the hinge bolts up after an adjustment, you can open the door, hang the skin on temporarily and close the door to check the alignment. It really helps to have at least one other person on hand. It took a lot of sweat and cursing

- Jason

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FieroGT42
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Report this Post08-21-2005 04:50 PM Click Here to See the Profile for FieroGT42Send a Private Message to FieroGT42Direct Link to This Post

FieroGT42

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From the GM's 1986 Fiero service manual, *supposedly* all models that year. As always, GM probably owns copyrights, etc. for this image so if you don't own the manual, don't look at it... or whatever...

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fiero-iwan
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Report this Post08-21-2005 05:15 PM Click Here to See the Profile for fiero-iwanSend a Private Message to fiero-iwanDirect Link to This Post
Thanks Man

That's great stuff. I really need to get me a proper service manual. The illustrations are so much better than a Haynes book.
So I'm not the only one cussing and swearing during this procedure. That makes me feel a little better.
I'd give give you another A+ if i could.

Iwan

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