Technical Dreaded Curse: Suicide Door Flying Open

I need some insight on how to fix the lower passenger side hinge on a 3-window that was bent when the door opened at 30 MPH. There was no body or door damage (not sure how that happened) but the lower hinge is bent. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

That hinge is brass I’m sure , maybe not , but I think so . Not sure how to advise tweaking it . I know all 3 hinge pins are in alignment on my 3 window

 

I have had the door fly open on my roadster as well. Fortunately my door opened conventionally, so other than my wife yelling at me there was no damage. I did install a set of suicide door saftey pins from Carolina Customs. They made a set with a custom pin length for my 36 Ford. It was easy to install and has given me peace of mind. Once you get your door hinge fixed, you might want to consider saftey pins as well.

http://www.carolinacustom.com/pages...in_kits/suicide_door_safety_pin_kits_page.jsp

Keep us posted on how you fix the hinge.

 

Knock the pin out, unbolt from door and straighten on an anvil or something solid, or work in a press.

If it's welded to the door I'd drill the welds then either reweld to match oem or bolts thru the Weld holes and give yourself a way to adjust door fit.

Don't see a way to straighten properly with it on the body and door.

 

I had my deuce 3 window being worked on by a local shop and when they were test driving it they forgot to use the safety latch and the door opened at 80 mph, went around into the fender putting a major dent in the fender, bending the lower hinge, denting the quarter in front of the fender and totaling the outer door skin. Saved the fender, straightened the hinge and quarter and put on a new door skin, Fortunately it happened so fast the driver did not have time to react and try to grab the door. It's fine now.

 

I used a simple latch on the rear door on our Deuce sedan, it does work. HRP

 

There was a tool hanging in the tool room in the autoshop class that was there when I was a student and still there when I taught the class. It consisted of two knurled rollers on a piece of piano wire that was bent so one served as the handle when you put the other in the hinge and pushed the door against it. That was for mild an minor adjustments but I have to agree with lostone in that it's a far better idea to remove that part of the hinge and use a press or BFH.

The right door blew open on my 48 and ripped the door post and tweaked the panel behind the door and the rest of my day was spent putting it back in shape, welding it back and doing some finish metal work on it.

 

Ive had this happen on my 5 window at about 10 mph. Currently I'm in the middle of messing with the hinges on the 34 I'm building now. One side is very sprung. I've been using lots of heat. Lots. The hinges are steel. Ive got it close enough where I can fix my can openered door skin but its still gonna need to come off to get it right.
Sucks cause your working with a painted car. Maybe with the door off and some heavy steel for anvil you can get the shape back cold but I dont see bending that thing back cold while on the car.

 

Does the door unbolt from the hinges? If so, remove the door (after marking the outline of both hinges, which will only serve as a starting point during reassembly), then remove the hinge from the pillar.
Don't assume the lower is the only one damaged... check the top one against the other side! Unless the pin is loose in the hole, don't take the hinge apart... no need to add work and frustration during reassembly. Determine what the material is.... If it's steel, a BFH and heat. If it's brass/bronze, find a boat propeller repair shop (should be plentiful in your area. I suggest this because they know how to finesse things into shape). If it's cast iron...... I won't offer advise because I usually screw up cast iron!
Good luck!

 

If the car in question is a 32-34 Ford then the hinge is welded to the door and is drop forged steel.

 

I’ve fixed em.
If that hinge is OE then removing isn’t very simple. Trying to keep the paint from getting messed up on the door adds more difficulty
I have wedged a piece of wood between the 2 parts of the hinge at the bend. Then pushed the door in towards the car.
that might help. Or could tweak the other side of the hinge. It’s worth a try.

 

wedge at the bend.
Push door in towards car.
It’s a start.

 

I was hesitant to "like" this comment, not that I liked that it happen, but Gary chimed in with his experience that is repairable and ways to prevent it.

 

trash day, forgot the stuff, went back, put it out, my mind said i had set the deadbolts,
i did, the first time, but not the second time,
crossed the RR tracks, 3 w door blew open...
took me 2 weeks to get the door to close right and look good...
hamber "pete" had given me some '50s olds parts, used the air conditioner's vent controls to operate the motion, mounted them underdash and used hand chokes in the a pillars, cut off the knobs, mounted them backwards, the AC's controls they ran the cables pushing the knob shaft into the door jam...
worked great... IF YOU REMEMBER TO USE THEM !

 

Great advice, one and all. I appreciate it. I do have the safety pins from Carolina; unfortunately I was pulling out of a parking lot with a very deep culvert that may have moved it or dumbass here forgot to check it before I left. They are steel hinges. Please see additional pictures of inside the door.

 

I would remove the door from the body, which might be done by removing pins or removing the bolts on the back half of the hinge. Then drill those rivets to remove the front half hinge from the door. Lay the hinge on the bed of the press, then press right down on the kink spot.

Find some flat head bolts to replace the rivets, and test fit. Might take quite a few tries to get it perfect. And I'm sure you will have to touch up some paint.

 

if you can remove all three hinges,
drop a section of 3/16" brake line [1 flare cut off] down through all 3 hinge holes to determine if you got it straight...

 

I used a 2x4 on my 34 passenger door and it squared up nice and did no paint damage.
Be patient and it will work.

 

I watched my friend Keith "adjust " those hinges on a friend's car using a wedge, like Anthony suggested. He gently bounced the door and watched to see if the desired bend was happening. He soon had the door straight and opening/closing nicely. I figured that they'd have to pull the door and drill out the hinge rivets, didn't need to. It's worth a try.

 

I’ve successfully done this a few times.
But the cars weren’t painted either.
One required some heat.
I think I’d try it before I drilled out the hinge.
But that’s a possibility.
Ive also pushed back as I pushed in to help keep the other side of the hinge straight.

 

It all depends on what gives first , the hinge ,or the door frame / skin ! Proceed with caution , a little at a time . I used to align doors / hoods & decklid hinges on new cars with different sized blocks of wood .

 

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Best way; from past experience; if wedged or blocked; the body side hinge will bend first instead of the sharp kink in the door side. When you have it off, align both the body and door hinges with a long rod. Probably still have to some fine tuning when back in place.

 

I have a few really heavy duty C clamps. They have a one inch diameter screw rod.
We called them bridge clamps in the iron working trade. I have used one at times to
straighten fairly heavy metal shapes. If there is room place the fixed end of a similar
clamp on the narrower side of the hinge and a piece of say, 1/2 inch plate on the other.
Then pull the clamp down hard. You may have to add a few shims at strategic places to
get the movement needed. Of course these clamps are not readily found in most guys
tool boxes. They can be purchased but are a bit expensive. The 8 inch one I have weighs
about 8 or 10 pounds. Such a clamp will exert tremendous pressure when used in
proper positioning. This method has worked for me.

 

I have worked over several 34 3W door hinges and I did pretty much what alchemy stated. IMHO that is the best way to get a straight hinge again.

 

As some mentioned. The door hinge rivets need to be drilled out and the hinges bent back in place using a press. Trying to bend the hinges while still on the door is only going to damage the door and the body. Afterwards, I would use countersink allen head bolts to fasten the door back to the jamb. Once done , I would carefully fill the allen heads with plastic filler and repaint just the screw heads

 

There is a dedicated tool for the job , which will rebend the hinge without the need to remove it . I have one in the shed, will get some pics later today and post .

Im saying its a dedicated tool but it is perhaps better described as a tool that does the job and surprisingly easy.. and it doesnt cause ay significant damage to the paint or any panel damage .

 

It wasn't a body shop, it was a mechanical shop and we were having vibration problems.

 

I have a 39 fordor, anyone ever heard of the back doors on those coming open? Or is this more a 32-34 problem? Don't mean to sidetrack the thread, but I do have kids that ride back there.

 

Looks like a crack in the OP.
https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/attachments/img_0543-jpg.5352115/
Might be just the paint I guess.

Another excuse to break out the spray cans of LP penetrant and developer.

 

Great, thank you.