Anyone ever install suicide doors on a 54 chevy.Do you have to brace up the b-pillars alot.Anyone recommend a kit that they have used. thanks Ben
What body style are you working on? You shouldn't have any problems with a sedan, because the "B" pillar should be strong enough; a HT might be another story.
You have to watch how the hinge is constructed. Your door has a roll that has to be considered. We did a 51 which is much more potatoe shaped than yours. We didn't see any kits that were for big old 50 s door. It took a bunch but our doors do not droop and they swing freely. There may be some pics on my profile in the 51 Shavrolet album Good luck
I don't dig them but some people like suicide doors... http://www.suicidedoors.com/category/image-galleries/suicide-army
I'm not crazy about them either, they look like more problems than they are worth. The money spent on making them work well, could be spent in better places.
Ive used the suicide doors hinges on my little bros 97 chevy fullsize and they worked out great! That door weighs a ton and those hinges def do what they were built for!
I like suicide doors, converted those on my daily driver '29 chevy pickup. Of course not a comparable model for you application. I'll offer this. The structure of the door itself might use some strengthening in the web and where the hinges will be attached. I would reinforce the pillar also, just to be safe. Doublers, rectangular patches of 16 gauge steel should be adequate. If you plan to chop the top, I would convert the doors first, then incorporate that with the chop. My suicide doors give me more leg room getting in and out of the car than I had before.
I used the stock hinge on my 68. added a channel in behind the jamb to mount them to. Added a 1 1/2 black pipe to the gas tank nounts and welded the pipe to the channels to support them. I made mounts on the door the same depth as in the stock location and they swing inside the body and not outside like the kit hinges that you can buy.
Here is a shot of the door jam on the 51. I know I have some real detailed photos somewhere. My buddy and I have both said that if we had it to do all over again, we would use a uni-hinge ( single hinge in the middle of the door ). The hardest part of doing this was having the hinge not only open the door but also swing the door away so it cleared the body when opening. Ours is still very close to the body. We had to add stops to keep the door from opening too far and hitting the body just behind the doors
Do they have a website (wescott).Thanks for the pic on the 51.Is the hinge on that car like the hinge that suicide doors sells.I have been searching the net and it looks like most everyones hinges are the same.Who makes a uni hinge? do you think it would sag over time. Thanks Ben
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