Sagging doors / worn hinges

[Darrell]

Ok, now I'm a little confused.

Your initial post you stated that the doors are "hard to open from the inside. Gotta lift UP while opening". But now you're saying "I've tried myself to lift the door up and down to check for play, and there really isn't any"

Thus the confusion...is there movement or not ?

I can't see any way that your door will be dropped and yet not have any up and down play unless there's some sort of pillar damage and it's been tweaked downward.

I'm sticking with my last suggestion... you have elongated hinge holes. What exactly is your trusted mechanic telling you the problem is and the fix ?

I bet if you grabbed the very bottom corner of the door and lift up, you'll have some movement.

 

[scottydl]

Ok, now I'm a little confused now.

Your initial post you stated that the doors are "hard to open from the inside. Gotta lift UP while opening". But now you're saying "I've tried myself to lift the door up and down to check for play, and there really isn't any"

Thus the confusion...is there movement or not ?

Sorry, that was poor opposite-sounding descriptions on my part. When inside the vehicle, the closed door gets hung up on the striker and has to be sorta pushed up/over it to open. I suppose that DOES suggest some sort of play. But when outside the vehicle with the door open (which is the scenario I forgot to describe in today's response), I lifted up and down on the open end and could not feel/see any play like I would expect with worn/missing bushings. Maybe I don't really know what that feels like?

Mechanics both told me bent hinges would have to be replaced, or check with a body shop to see if they have any ideas. I'm somewhat handy but removing doors and drilling out welds is a bit beyond my comfort level. I'll take a look at that hinge kit you referenced and hunt around Youtube to see if I can watch someone else complete that sort of project.

 

[Darrell]

That's ok, yeah it was contradicting itself.. Lol

Regardless, movement or bent hinges the best cure-all will be to replace.

Out of curiosity, were you quoted a price?

There is a little work but not that hard. I did this to an old '89 I had at the time about 20 yrs ago. Way before anyone ever thought of making YouTube vids... Not even sure if YouTube was even around...lol

Keep us posted... Curious

 

[alpinecrick]

When the door is wide open, they often will not indicate play in the hinges ( worn bushings, elongated door pin holes, ect). With the door almost closed is when it sags, and any play in the hinges will be apparent. That's why the door is hard to open but doesn't have play with it wide open.

 

[alpinecrick]

Also, if the inside door handles become worn, the door can be hard to open, and lifting up on the door and/or the handle will allow the door to open. It can fool a guy into thinking it's a sagging issue when it is actually the door handle.

I had that going on with my '96 and at first thought it was a sagging door despite having replaced the pins and bushing a couple years ago. New door handle solved the problem.

 

[454cid]

Also, if the inside door handles become worn, the door can be hard to open, and lifting up on the door and/or the handle will allow the door to open. It can fool a guy into thinking it's a sagging issue when it is actually the door handle.

I had that going on with my '96 and at first thought it was a sagging door despite having replaced the pins and bushing a couple years ago. New door handle solved the problem.

How would the handle do that? I would think it was the latch.

 

[alpinecrick]

I looked closely at mine cause I was asking myself the same question. At least in part it appears the plastic inserts in the hole the rod inserts into become worn, not completely pulling the latch open.
It would be easier, and cheaper to replace the plastic insert IF a guy can find the correct replacement piece.
I also think the pivot pin on the handle itself becomes worn, so just replacing the plastic insert may not entirely address the issue.

But the problem still may be the hinges.....

 

[RawbDidIt]

How would the handle do that? I would think it was the latch.

I've seen quite a few of these trucks with doors that were hard to open, mine was annoying when I first got it, but I had to replace the outside handle, and while I was at it I put some grease on some of the moving parts behind the interior door handle. Works much better now. I would imagine replacing the interior door handle would have similar results.

Of course this is only if the problem isn't the hinges themselves, and obviously- to your point- the latch can also be an issue.

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

 

[kennythewelder]

Years ago, I was having my inspection stickers done at a paint and body shop. When my door did start to sag once it was open off of the strike pin, I asked the body shop how to fix that. They said oh just take a floor jack, put a 2x4 on it, and use that to jack up the door. This will bend the door a little and realigen it. So that is what I did. Little did I know they were idiots. I latter learned, about the brass bushings and how to check the door to find if the bushings are bad. You tube has videos. Well all these years later ( maybe 10 or 12) my door still doesnt sag, but I do have a little play in the hinges. As for the holes being elongated in the hinge it self. Well I am a welder, so for me I will fill weld them, and redrill the holes if need be. Even when my door did sag, it was never hard to open. The only time it was hard to open, it when the inside handle needed to be replaced. I have replaced the drivers side twice, and the passengers side once. Keep in mind, I have had my truck since 2002. The inside handle gets weak in time. It kind of bends a little making you have to pull it more to open the door, or make it unlatch. You have to pull the handle farther out to make it operate the latch. If this is what its doing, then replace the latch. If the door drops once it comes off odd the strike pin, the the bushings need to be replaced, and maybe the hinges also. This will require removing the door. Again check you tube for how to videos. There are also videos there on how to tell if the door bushings are bad.

 

[Eveready]

The ones I've seen bolt into place... you've got to drill the holes, Though. I don't know why GM thought welding them was a good idea.

That one is easy. Cheap Ba****ds. Some junior engineer figured out that they could save a dollar per truck by not putting in a threaded backing plate and welding on the production line instead. A dollar a truck is real money. Whoever thought of it likely got a bonus.