anyone done the door hinge TSB ?

Has anyone here done the door hinge TSB from jeep where you install the reinforcing hinge? http://www.go.jeep-xj.info/DoorHingeRepair.pdf

Im going to order the kit and do mine but the top hinge im replacing is busted out completely. Im wondering if its fairly easy to line up the replacement hinge or should I just pay the $150 the body shop wants to do it and let them worry about the proper placement ?

sure havent. im guessing you have a 2 door right? a few years ago my uncle did a quick joa of welding it for me. its held up fine over the years. we could have done a better job though. the placement doesnt have to be dead on precise, but measure the other side and get it as close as possible. you can adjust the final placement on the door side of the hinge. if i were to do it again i'd measure twice. take off the door and fender. grind down the old welds. fab a plate to weld to the body, machine it down to make up for the thickness of the plate, measure again, tack it on, test fit the door, if good remove door and do the final weld. or pay 150

http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=986973 should help. Not sure how it'll work out on the top hinge, those instructions are for the bottom hinge and there is more space to work down there.

EDIT: remembered it wrong, those are for the top hinge, should work fine - best part, it's stronger and no welding required.

kastein said:

http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=986973 should help. .

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I checked that out first and thought about it but while searching thru threads on another site I found that door TSB and updated hinge.
The updated hinge kit is only $33. My only concern was my hinge is completely busted out and looks like the PO ran it like that for a long time.
The hole is so enlarged where the hinge tore out I dont have anything to really line up on where to mount the replacement.
I guess I can measure on one of my others and get it close.

Mines a 4 door Jeepintexas and if it hadnt been torn completely loose I would have welded mine also but no such luck on this one....

From what I've heard, WrenchMonkey's fix is stronger than the TSB actually - and costs all of ten bucks in materials, I'd give it a shot. My lower hinge is wallowing out and starting to creak ominously, so I might be doing this soon.

I looked at the TSB before I did mine, but the pop rivets looked like a pain, and two 5/16 bolts didn't seem especially sturdy to me.

Sure, it was put together by a highly trained Jeep engineer, but the Department in Charge of Door Hinges are the same dingleberries that got us into this mess!

Robert

WrenchMonkey said:

I looked at the TSB before I did mine, but the pop rivets looked like a pain, and two 5/16 bolts didn't seem especially sturdy to me.

Sure, it was put together by a highly trained Jeep engineer, but the Department in Charge of Door Hinges are the same dingleberries that got us into this mess!

Robert

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So, so true!
:roflmao::roflmao::roflmao::roflmao:

WrenchMonkey said:

Sure, it was put together by a highly trained Jeep engineer, but the Department in Charge of Door Hinges are the same dingleberries that got us into this mess!

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Well no not really and most of the seperations are due to the owner ignoring the broken door check strap and over extending the door and/or hanging on the door to get in/out.

There are two different kits available. One adds a bracket in the jam (kit A part # 5083060AA) and the other (kit B part # 5083061AA) includes one in the fender well area, each is for one hinge only.

MJR said:

...most of the seperations are due to the owner ignoring the broken door check strap and over extending the door and/or hanging on the door to get in/out...

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I guess that may be, but it still seems like a pretty goofy design to me.

The hinge itself is plenty strong, as is the door-side mount. The sheet-metal welds are almost comically weak by comparison.

My plate just eliminates that weak link, and makes the whole thing a whole lot stronger. You can hang on it all you want.

And my point stands that the guys that are saying that the TSB is strong enough, are the same guys that thought the factory hinges were strong enough...

Robert

MJR said:

Well no not really and most of the seperations are due to the owner ignoring the broken door check strap and over extending the door and/or hanging on the door to get in/out.

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Really?

Wow! I always thought welding door hinges to sheet metal was retarded. Live and learn. :twak: