[Bill B]

Sonoma door sag


Hey guys, how many of you have Pick-ups with the small door that opens for access to the behind-the-seat area?

Do your doors still close correctly or are they misaligned due to usage?

On my 2000 Sonoma the small door has sagged which causes the large front door to be misaligned to latch with the smaller door's striker plate, or maybe it happened the other way around.

Anyway, is there a 'fix' for this problem short of replacing the hinges that look to be welded on rather than mounted with a threaded type fastener?

Bill B

 

[PepboysASETech]

Most commonly it will be your main (front) door. It weighs alot more and is used many times more than the small door. But there are bushings, more like sleeves, that the hinge pin goes in to help in smooth operation. Some times there made of plastics or softer metals. Check those out they may just need to be changed. Also this may be a stupid question but has the truck been in a wreck of any kind?

 

[tbplus10]

If I remember correctly you guys at Pep Boys sell the bushing kits.

 

[Bill B]

Sonoma door sag

The truck has not been wrecked that I know of. I am the second owner and there is no evidence of body damage severe enough to spring the doors. It just looks like normal wear on the driver's door. The passenger side door closes like new, no bad alignment sounds when closing the door.

This bushing kit for the door hinge pins is user installable?
Any Idea what it is called?
Special tools required?

Bill B

 

[tbplus10]

GM door pin and bushing set. At Pep Boys they were labled under the name "Help" and in a red and blue package.
No special tools required.

Look at the hinge, see the vertical pin (hinge pin) going through both parts of the hinge? Where the pin goes through the hinge is the bushings. (top and bottom hinges are exactly the same, top usually wears faster than the bottom).
There should be a retaining clip of some type at the bottom of the hinge pin, usually a curled metal tab. It's almost impossible to get the pin out without breaking the tab off, if reusing the hinge pins this shouldnt pose a problem if the pin is put in from top to bottom as gravity will hold it in place. If you dont go from top to bottom with the pin drill a small hole in the hinge pin just passed where it'll come out of the hinge and use a mouse key or cotter pin to retain it, this point of the pin isnt load bearing so it wont affect performance.
To replace the bushings and pins I place a jack under the back corner of the door and lift just enough to take tension off the hinges. Remove and replace the pins and bushings one set at a time. If the door moves a little after removing the pin it's sometimes easier to have an assistant lend an extra hand to align things up.
Dont let the door hang off of one hinge if you can help it because this may cause the hinge to bend some and result in missalignment problems.
Should take less than an hour per door.

 

[PepboysASETech]

Couldnt of said it better myself... Good post Tim.

 

[Bill B]

I found the hinge pin and sleeve kit at my local Schucks Auto Parts packaged exactly as described.
I replaced the upper hinge pin and sleeve assembly on the driver's door.
The procedure took about an hour with the hardest part trying to figure out how to put the spring for the door detent back in place.
The hinge pin is inserted up with the keeper on top and in order to remove the pin I had to remove the spring under it.
The sleeves were worn through on the load bearing side and had begun to wear a groove in the hinge pin.
After jacking the door up the pin almost fell out.
The sleeve in the lower hole is inserted between the two hinge pieces and required releasing the jack pressure to allow the door sag to cause the two hinge parts to offset enough to remove the old and fit the new sleeve in between.
The sleeves are not the same size and only fit in one way so you can't turn the hinge pin around and put it in top down not to mention that there is not enough space between hinge and spring to allow top down pin insertion.
The door is now aligned much better and a definite improvement.
Thanks to Tim and PepBoys ASE Tech for your insight into this task.

Bill B

 

[84fiero123]

Sorry I missed this earlier and no one else noticed my posts on replacing hinge pins.

There is a tool for removing the door spring that costs around $10 at most parts stores and saves so much time, swearing and danger, by spring flying.

You clamp it on the spring while in the door, screw the clamp type tool tight and remove the spring. Leaving it in the tool until ready to replace the spring.

 

[Bill B]

I figured there must be tool for that part of the job, but since I didn't have one I compressed the spring in a vice and wired it to maintain the compressed condition. Then cut the wires after inserting in it's location allowing the spring to "spring" back into position. Then cut and removed the wires. True back-yard style except without the hammer....

Bill B

 

[TRPLXL2]

I know this thread is like 2 years old, but I am glad that it was on here! Both of my drivers side door bushings are completely broke through, and the door is sagging so bad that it is rubbing the paint off of the sill plate. I did find that tool at Auto Zone, and I bought one except now they are $15 LOL! I still have to go buy the pins and bushings, but i am confident that I can do this job myself and with the help of a friend. Thanks guys for this great info, and with the help of my Helm's manual this shouldn't be a problem! :great:

 

[garzaglass]

is there anybody that has pictures of doing this procedure with steps? I am having this problem on both from doors of my 99 sub and cannot figure out where these pieces are. also what is that tool called?

 

[garzaglass]

Can anybody help me with this?

 

[wis bang]

There was a 'sicky' w/ picts on one of the S-10 boards, can't remember which one! Maybe S-10 forums? The Haynes manual had directions too.

The tool is a door spring compressor looks like flattened sissors w/ a bolt at one end to keep the two sections apart so the other end keeps the spring compressed. You stick the open end into the little coil spring and tighten the bolt forcing the end closed crushing the spring so you can pull it out instead of letting it fly to get lost ...or stuck in your eye...

Alot of people let 'em fly and them crush the spring in a vise and tie it w/ wire or a zip tie & pop it back in & cut the restraint to let it expand...

There is only one spring per door...I've seen it done w/ a pair of pliers that are made to open those wire spring hose clamps GM used to put on heater and radiator hoses...but that was a tech who's fingers could break rocks.