Anyone successfully rebuilt their hood hinges?

[Steve Cole]

I don't mean send them out and pay someone else to do it, I mean drill out the rivets, oversize the holes and install larger rives themselves. I have given up trying to buy used OEM hinges cause they are usually worn as bad or worse than what I already have. Don't really want to use aftermarket either. I believe I can do this myself, my biggest concern is being able to rivet two hinge arms together and still have movement when I'm done. In other words, not rivet them too tightly.

So, has anyone done this? And if so, could you give me any tips? Thanks.

[geezer#99]

I've never taken them apart to rebuild, but I've squeezed them in a big vice to tighten them up.

[67 cst swb]

Originally Posted by geezer#99

I've never taken them apart to rebuild, but I've squeezed them in a big vice to tighten them up.

Great idea. I am going to have to try that.

[Steve Cole]

Unfortunately, squeezing the pieces in a vise will not fix elongated rivet holes. It may help if there was a gap between the two pieces but that is almost never the case.

[Billhilly]

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...=217490&page=7 We start talking about it on this page, and there is pictures of the finished products on the next page. Willie Wilson was super helpful. I dismantled, built up and reamed out holes. Zinc plated and painted, then reassembled. He (Willie) will do it all for you. I'm sure I saw somewhere (Rock Auto?) that you could still buy OE, well one side anyway! Let me know if you have any questions.

[Steve Cole]

Originally Posted by Billhilly

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...=217490&page=7 We start talking about it on this page, and there is pictures of the finished products on the next page. Willie Wilson was super helpful. I dismantled, built up and reamed out holes. Zinc plated and painted, then reassembled. He (Willie) will do it all for you. I'm sure I saw somewhere (Rock Auto?) that you could still buy OE, well one side anyway! Let me know if you have any questions.

Thanks for the reply Billhilly! Is there a trick for pressing these rivets without getting them too tight for proper movement?

[Diggers Dad]

I wedged in thin 1/2 inch E clips to the rivets. Don't know how long it will last but very easy to do.

Mike

[Steve Cole]

Originally Posted by Diggers Dad

I wedged in thin 1/2 inch E clips to the rivets. Don't know how long it will last but very easy to do.

Mike

Not sure I am following you Mike, are you saying you installed the E clips between the arms? Was that to take up slack on worn hinges? Or installed temporarily to keep the arms from being pressed together too tightly during riveting?

[Diggers Dad]

Steve Takes up slack from worn hinges/rivets. The shoulder on the rivets are 1/2 inch. The E-clips just snap around the shoulder. Not perfect but I'll see how long it lasts.


Mike

[Andy4639]

Why not let Willie do it. It's been 3-4 years on mine and they look great and not any play at all in them so far. He does great work and you can't beat his prices.

[Billhilly]

Originally Posted by Steve Cole

Thanks for the reply Billhilly! Is there a trick for pressing these rivets without getting them too tight for proper movement?

No real trick, but I did take everything to a friends shop. He did the pressing while I held everything and 'wriggled' the arms and made the call on when to stop pressing. Worked out ok. Willie does send a couple extra rivets in case you overcook it!

[Steve Cole]

Originally Posted by Andy4639

Why not let Willie do it. It's been 3-4 years on mine and they look great and not any play at all in them so far. He does great work and you can't beat his prices.

Willie wants $150 to bead blast the hinges and replace the rivets. That seems like a fair price but it is $150 more than I have to spend right now. I can buy rivets online for a fraction of that cost. I have access to drills, reamers, bead blasters and a hydraulic press. I want to do this myself, if it doesn't work, I'm not out much money. I was just looking for tips from someone who may have done this before.

[Billhilly]

If you have access to that stuff you'll be fine. If I can do it, I'm sure you can!

[Steve Cole]

Originally Posted by Billhilly

If you have access to that stuff you'll be fine. If I can do it, I'm sure you can!

I contacted Willie and he said he doesn't sell just the rivets. Did you buy rivets from him?

Here is his reply...

Steven,


We do not sell rivets for repair, as every hinge set is different in the size of the rivet hole and the metal thickness, so no way to have a generic truck rivet. We can rebuild both your hinges for 150.00, plus shipping. That gets them back in bare metal or primer and that is as cheap as we can do. The only way to get it cheaper is to have them media-blasted before they arrive here and I will pay the return shipping charges. Thanks,

[Steve Cole]

Originally Posted by Billhilly

No real trick, but I did take everything to a friends shop. He did the pressing while I held everything and 'wriggled' the arms and made the call on when to stop pressing. Worked out ok. Willie does send a couple extra rivets in case you overcook it!

That is what I was looking for! Thank you. I would not have thought of wriggling the arms while pressing.

[Billhilly]

Originally Posted by Steve Cole

I contacted Willie and he said he doesn't sell just the rivets. Did you buy rivets from him?

Yeah, but it was a couple of years ago now. (My memory is going) but I wonder if it was an option on his website then. Obviously it has changed. There was another guy doing it as well. I'll have a look around.
Truck painter is here, gotta run!