After about an hour of searcing I have not been able to locate my desired results.

I recently replaced the hinge pins and bushings in my drives door but still noticed the door had some major sag. After further inspection it appears the upper bolts on both the upper and lower hinge have loosened up and stripped out the nuts they should attach to. Has anyone else ran into this problem before?

I have been thinking about tapping the stock metric hole to a standard size. This should require very little metal removal and hopefully allow me to use the hinges without any alteration to them. If anyone else has any suggestions or has been through the same situation please let me know how you corrected the problem.

All input is greatly appreciated!!!

Wow, never seen one stripped out before, are you sure. Unless someone put a wrong bolt in it a one time then guess you could.
If that is what you need to go should not be a problem and should work..

What do you think about a heli-coil <sp???
I was thinking that might be a better option if I can drill out the threads and retap it to except the normal size bolt. That will cost a little more but would also make it a little easier to work on since I know that the bolts used are the proper size and shouldnt cause any issues with the hinges.

As far as the threads go, yes they are stripped. Well I guess they really arent stripped but with the bolt being loose like it was it allowed it to mash all the threads down to the point the inside of the nut is almost smooth. There is nothing for the bolt to thread into anymore

I don't know how will a coil would work, the plate is not very thick (like 1/4) so there would not be very many coils to work with. They work better in deeper holes.

This is the bolt plate in the door post correct? I'd think I'd tap it up a size like you said unless you want it original. The other option might be to us a nut and star washer on the back side. You can get to it if you pull the trim. Be a little work but do-able.

[This message has been edited by Dodgerunner (edited 10-14-2007).]

I'll second the tap idea, use fresh bolts if you can. I'm amazed, this is the first itme that I've ever heard of the door hinge bolts stripping, I wonder if someone messed with it before?
I actually walked out to the car and took a look, yeah you could tap out a larger bolt or you could thread a nut on the other side tightly and tack weld it on as a capture nut.
Wow , still amazed, good luck, post your results, ok?

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jetman
Silver 86 SE 2M6 4-speed, with "check wallet light"

If I get a little time I will try to take some pics of the nut/plate that the bolt screws into.
There are no threads left to speak of. The threads are basically smooth now.

As far as someone else messing with it, I wouldnt be surprised. The last owner of the car didnt seem to take the best care of it. I got it at city auction. The car was abandond. There are lot of other stupid things I have found while working on the care. My favorite one so far is the piss poor excuse for wiring of the aftermarket audio equipment the car appeared to have. It is no longer present but the wiring is still there and I must say it truely leaves a lot to be desired. The first thing I found was a extension cord connected to the power and ground of the battery and ran into the cab. It terminated under the passenger seat. I am guessing this is where they had a amp installed. When they removed the equipment they left the wires exposed and hooked up.

The next best thing is every interior panel in the car is held in with 1 maybe two screws at best. When they removed the gear they put back just enough screws to keep the items in place.

This is beginning to become a long term restore. I was hopeful to have the car drivable in a month or two. I am now going onto the second month and I keep find more things to fix. While working on the drives door I found out why the key locks dont work. They must of had a keyless entry system for the car. When they installed it they cut the lock rod to install the electronic actuator, instead of using a U bolt to tie the actuator onto the rod. I am guessing I will find the same issue in the passenger side door as its lock doesnt work either.

Oh well at least I get to learn more about my car. It however would have been nice to get it out a little before winter sets in. If I hurry I might still get a month or two of drive time.

Thanks for the input on the hinges. I will let you guys know how it goes.