Door hinge bushings, please help

[Chrisg00]

Can anyone refer me to the person or company who makes better door hinge pin & bushings? I know there have been discussions on this before but I can't find the conversations using the search bar.
Having a hell of a time with the drivers door and the brass bushings that came with the kit. I can get the door installed just right then after opening and closing it a handful of times it will sag from slop in the pin and bushings.

The kit has been a blast until I got to the drivers door.
Thanks in advance!

[33fromSD]

Do you have a Get 1 or Gen 2 kit?

If it's Gen 2, I would question if it's the door bushing. I had sagging doors all the timer too thinking it was the door bushing and on my Get 2, mine turned out to be the carriage bolts on the long main bar going to the hinge bracket. Those things need to on super tight, like I'm taking taking a breaker bar and tightening as much as you can and then tighten them again. I also drilled two 3/8" holes in that bracket and put in two 3/8" grade-8 bolts with washers and lock washers so there is no way for the door to sags.

I have not had any more issues since then and it's going on 3 years.

Jim

[Chrisg00]

I have a Gen 2 kit. Think I know what you mean with regards to the carriage bolts. After reading up on a lot of threads, I too tightened the bag out of them once the gaps were set. But this last time when I took the door off, I could lift the hinge arm and see the slop where the pin is going through the bushings. Tried tightening the pins but they are bottoming out. I will try to take a video and upload it on here for you guys to see.
Thanks

[33fromSD]

I have a Gen 2 kit. Think I know what you mean with regards to the carriage bolts. After reading up on a lot of threads, I too tightened the bag out of them once the gaps were set. But this last time when I took the door off, I could lift the hinge arm and see the slop where the pin is going through the bushings. Tried tightening the pins but they are bottoming out. I will try to take a video and upload it on here for you guys to see.
Thanks
Yah, I know what you mean about the slop from the bushing. I've seen it on some of the owner's builds. Can you compensate for the slop by setting the door higher and then with the bushing slop it will settle to the location you want it?

Just a thought?

Jim

[progmgr1]

I bought Delrin door hinge bushings from Tim Whittaker at Kootenaivalleycustoms.com, 208-267-2836. However, I heard that Tim was retired now. Did you check McMaster-Carr to see if they have anything useful?

Keith HR #894

[Mastertech5]

I put white grease on the pins and bushings before assembling them. Once I swung the doors several times I then retightened the pins. The only sag i got after that's was from the 2 door bar carriage bolts. Yes, tighten the crap out of those and add bolts as 33fromSD suggests.

[JimLev]

I did what 33fromSD did plus bought longer brass bushings to help spread the load. Might be wishful thinking.

[michael everson]

You need to make sure the washer before the bolt can slide over the shoulder bolt. If not it will never get tight. If tightened properly you should have minimal slop. I have never used anything other than what FFR supplied with no issues. Also if the washers are too thin you will have the same problem. Stack 2 on the top if that’s the case.
Mike

[Brave Salmon]

the issue with these bushings is that the bolt itself is to small for the copper bushings. The tolerances on them is no way precision so sometimes you have to try several to get a tight fit. Tim was unable to find precision shoulder bolts that were 3/8 with very little variance. and his instructions warned the users of that fact. Try reaching out to McMaster-Carr and see if they have precision bolts nowadays. I think you have to rely on the bushing taking up the slop which is why Tim went with the delrin bushings and washers. MCMaster does sell the delrin busing material and I used it successfully to make a few for my hot rod years ago. Good luck.