New to the forum. I don't own a El Camino, but have a 2nd Gen Trans Am. I know, you're thinking, "What the flip is this guy doing here?!?".

I'm in the process of rebuilding my hinges. 2nd gen Trans Am and Camaros are notorious for the WORST door sagging due to 103+ lbs doors that are over 4.5 feet long.

So, I was using Google to search for info on beefing up GM hinges, and came across a user from this site that has done some mods to their hinges.

http://www.elcaminocentral.com/gallery.php?g2_itemId=59611&g2_imageViewsIndex=1

So, I figured I would join the board here and send "vette_1989" a PM asking him some technical questions regarding what size bushings and pins he used.

Well....it seems there is a "You have to have 5 posts before you can send a PM." rule on these forums. So I can't send a private message and now I gotta dump my questions out to the general public

I would love to know what size McMaster Carr bushing were used for this modification. What ID/OD? Was the stock pin used, etc? What were the results?

Thanks for any help.

Appreciate it,
Thomas

Hey man, what a lovely car you have by the way, it's my favorite Trans Am year, and i hear ya on having to ask questions.

Some may bash or be rude, but i'll do the best i can to help you out...


What i did was i bought the replacement bushings for my hinges, but instead of bigger bushings i felt the original size would be best, because, it'll give it time to wear again it took 30+ years to get it this far eh?

Well you take your new bushing put it in the hole where you're previous one was, build up your hole with weld, and because my new replacement bushings were a "general fit" they were to long, i had them machined shorter to fit the door hinge as it was supposed to, and so that the roller would match the spring.

My suggestion is to build up back to the original size, some say larger, but my theory on drilling out your current hole to match a larger bushing is; how do you know if you're dead center on the hole in all spots of the hinge?


i hope i explained everything fairly well man, i've got appreciation for anyone who is willing to get their hands dirty working on their car, and even more if it's a classic american.

Would love to see some pictures of your car if you have an online album to post!

Oh an where about's in Texas do you reside haha i may have to come spread some drool on your paint.:texas: