Door won't come off

[97' 4 Popper]

I'm sure someone will just jump in and say just use elbow grease or remove the strap and lift up..... Please don't. When I first got my hands on the jeep 2 years ago it still had all 4 nuts on, and i snapped off a portion of the hinge in the upper driver removing the nut. I have doors that have never been removed in 16 years. I got the passenger side door off using a jack and piece of wood easily. It was seized but the hinge pins were in good shape and moving freely. I began to drive out the old bushings and I am reusing the hinge pins.

On my driver side both bushings and pins need to be replaced. My upper driver hinge is showing a decent gap of maybe half an inch when jacking, it is ready to come out. My lower driver hinge pin is seized and doesn't move with the door. I jacked up with a wooden block as close to the hinge as possible and have been moving the doors. I sprayed kroil for 10 days. The hinge pin makes alot of noise but doesn't move out any further. I put a towel on the top of the wood on the jack and scrapped some paint off the bottom of the door, took a long time to scrap the paint but eventually it happened. It's very minor and is nothing in comparison to the rust on the bottom of the door. Basically at this point I am giving about 3-4 full rotation cranks of the jack before it reaches resistance on the hinge pin. I also tried spreading the load with another wooden piece and hitting that piece with a rubber mallet. What option should I take next:

1. Use an air chisel on the hinge pin.
2. Use a jack that can reach the hinge pin directly. Maybe a bottle jack but the floor jack won't reach it.
3. Crank even more with the jack

 

[Chris]

Remove the hinges from the body. The door will come off with the hinges attached. Then get to work on them.

If they are truly rusted together you could replace the hinges to solve the problem.

 

[97' 4 Popper]

Remove the hinges from the body. The door will come off with the hinges attached. Then get to work on them. Something like Kroil or Liquid Wrench should work if you soak them overnight.

That would seem to be the direction things are going unfortunately. I have read of others doing that but really didn't want to go that route unless I have to. It's my dd and it rains quite often here. I need the doors back on asap. If nothing else works I will remove the hinges. It will certainly make it much easier to reach and drive out the pin. I have no idea how cooperative the torx bolts will be on the hinges.

I also contemplated just cutting the top of the hinge pin out as there's a gap between the pin and hinge, but that would be making a huge mess of things versus removing the hinges. The hinge pin would still be stuck to the jeep and I would still have to drive it out except now it would be on the jeep and not easy to access.

This is basically day two, I lift the door up and spray into the gap and work it back and forth. I am putting the passenger side door back on as I have to get ready for the work week.

 

[Plumber1]

Have you tried heat ?

 

[TJ Jim]

Put some upward pressure on it, not a lot. then leave it overnight and when you get up the next morning it'll be off. BUT....ensure you secure it to a roof rafter or something above so you don't wake up to it in the floor and damaged.

 

[B34C0N]

Based on your name I was going to suggest soaking it from the bottom up with rust breaker. But you have a newer jeep now. The older 97s have only a half bushing compared to a full in the later years.

What I did with mine was soak it with penetrant for a few days. Make a little cup around the hinge and fill it with penetrant so it can soak for a bit. You need it to seep into the hinge, spraying won't be enough here.

Work it back and forth for a while. Mine wouldn't come out until open almost all the way. As in taking off the limiting strap. Even with new bushings I have to open it past 90 to get it off.

If you have a ball press tool it may be able to press just the pin. Not sure what you'd press against though.

If the hinges are that rusty, I'm not sure you'll have any more luck unbolting it from the body.

 

[97' 4 Popper]

Have you tried heat ?

I have not tried heat I am a believer in heating up certain parts like stubborn brake lines to get the nut off. Heat has also worked very well to get a seized tie rod out for me. But in this case I was worried about the bodywork. It's not in great shape but I didn't want to make things worse.

Put some upward pressure on it, not a lot. then leave it overnight and when you get up the next morning it'll be off. BUT....ensure you secure it to a roof rafter or something above so you don't wake up to it in the floor and damaged.

I have left the door with the jack on to keep a constant pressure but not for longer than 15 minutes at a time and with only a few cranks of the jack as I don't want it popping off while I'm gone. I would have to secure it like you said I have some ratchet straps but there isn't any part of my garage roof I would consider strong enough. The ceiling is finished off from the attic.

Based on your name I was going to suggest soaking it from the bottom up with rust breaker. But you have a newer jeep now. The older 97s have only a half bushing compared to a full in the later years.

What I did with mine was soak it with penetrant for a few days. Make a little cup around the hinge and fill it with penetrant so it can soak for a bit. You need it to seep into the hinge, spraying won't be enough here.

Work it back and forth for a while. Mine wouldn't come out until open almost all the way. As in taking off the limiting strap. Even with new bushings I have to open it past 90 to get it off.

If you have a ball press tool it may be able to press just the pin. Not sure what you'd press against though.

If the hinges are that rusty, I'm not sure you'll have any more luck unbolting it from the body.

The jeep in question is my 06' TJ. My 05' the doors are free but I put the nuts back on and everything, I worship it too much to remove the doors and risk scratching anything. My 97' was a complete piece of shit the hinges were all rusted but I guess the doors had been off at some point we just hit the hinge pin with a hammer repeatedly to remove them when they were seized. A tie rod end puller would be useful after the door is off to get the pin out, but again you would have a very hard time trying to set it up so it wouldn't just be pushing the pin and pressing against it at the same time.

What did you use for the cup? I think the kroil is doing a good job creeping in but I will consider putting it in a cup filled with penetrant.

The one hinge that's seized is rusty but the actual part that bolts up to the body is very clean for whatever reason. I'm soaking it in kroil and will spray every day for 10 days. The weather is going to be lousy here until May anyways so there's no reason to rush this process. Today and tomorrow are the only nice days for a while and I couldn't get the damn door off in time.

 

[B34C0N]

I have not tried heat I am a believer in heating up certain parts like stubborn brake lines to get the nut off. Heat has also worked very well to get a seized tie rod out for me. But in this case I was worried about the bodywork. It's not in great shape but I didn't want to make things worse.



I have left the door with the jack on to keep a constant pressure but not for longer than 15 minutes at a time and with only a few cranks of the jack as I don't want it popping off while I'm gone. I would have to secure it like you said I have some ratchet straps but there isn't any part of my garage roof I would consider strong enough. The ceiling is finished off from the attic.


The jeep in question is my 06' TJ. My 05' the doors are free but I put the nuts back on and everything, I worship it too much to remove the doors and risk scratching anything. My 97' was a complete piece of shit the hinges were all rusted but I guess the doors had been off at some point we just hit the hinge pin with a hammer repeatedly to remove them when they were seized. A tie rod end puller would be useful after the door is off to get the pin out, but again you would have a very hard time trying to set it up so it wouldn't just be pushing the pin and pressing against it at the same time.

What did you use for the cup? I think the kroil is doing a good job creeping in but I will consider putting it in a cup filled with penetrant.

The one hinge that's seized is rusty but the actual part that bolts up to the body is very clean for whatever reason. I'm soaking it in kroil and will spray every day for 10 days. The weather is going to be lousy here until May anyways so there's no reason to rush this process. Today and tomorrow are the only nice days for a while and I couldn't get the damn door off in time.

I've just used painters tape and a small dipping sauce cup before.

As for heat, you can try an inductive heat tool and heat just the hinge pin. Less worry about body/paint damage

 

[97' 4 Popper]

I've just used painters tape and a small dipping sauce cup before.

As for heat, you can try an inductive heat tool and heat just the hinge pin. Less worry about body/paint damage

It would seem I am going to have to expand my tools a bit and come back to this with a fresh perspective. I need an air hammer and heat tool not just a big propane torch. What do you use/or is recommended?

Also any recommendations for door bushing kits that don't come with the useless tool and aren't 30 dollars? I bought this but it seems I left some material or something in the hinges. My one bushing looks good but the other one needs to be driven out again. The bushing has been pressed in with material of the old one left behind. Or it just got warped going in. Either way I can't get my door back on.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07813YKVY/?tag=wranglerorg-20

 

[97' 4 Popper]

I had to play around with the bushing a bit to get it to fit properly, as I suspected there was no old material left. Got the passenger door back on both doors open and shut properly so I'm assuming they haven't gotten bent. This jeep is back to the road again for a while lol. I may need to have an adult beverage and count myself lucky it didn't go worse.

 

[LBCLJR]

You've probably already tried this but when they stick, because of the leverage you create when you lift, just lifting harder doesn't usually work. You're really just creating lateral pressure on the hinges. What's always worked for me is roll the window down, stand outside the door with one arm through the window lifting the inner door strap handle and one arm outside lifting from the bottom. Then with constant upward pressure swing the door as far open as possible then back almost closed, then keep doing that as I lift. Usually it'll start to creep up after a few swings, then gets faster and faster. I'm new around here but I've had Jeeps for 18 years including a CJ7 with full hard doors that I don't think had ever been off. Always gotten them eventually.

 

[97' 4 Popper]

You've probably already tried this but when they stick, because of the leverage you create when you lift, just lifting harder doesn't usually work. You're really just creating lateral pressure on the hinges. What's always worked for me is roll the window down, stand outside the door with one arm through the window lifting the inner door strap handle and one arm outside lifting from the bottom. Then with constant upward pressure swing the door as far open as possible then back almost closed, then keep doing that as I lift. Usually it'll start to creep up after a few swings, then gets faster and faster. I'm new around here but I've had Jeeps for 18 years including a CJ7 with full hard doors that I don't think had ever been off. Always gotten them eventually.

I have tried to put my arm through the window and pull up with the jack to be 100% honest I'm a very weak guy, like a stick figure. Just the act of taking the doors off or rear seats out and storing them is straining for me.

I usually can't rotate the door back and forth that much unless there's very little pressure with the jack. The amount of pressure I have to exert with the jack to get a gap to appear in the hinge will at that point only allow a slight back and forth rotation. The hinge pin that is seized seemed to make a lot of popping noises though with only a little bit of back and forth rotation. Unfortunately it's just a lot of noise with no real tangible result.

 

[Jerry Bransford]

Spray the hinges thoroughly (!) with Liquid Wrench, Kroil, or Break-Free. Let it work in then start swinging the doors back & forth until they free up. Don't waste your time with WD-40 or PB-Blaster.

 

[97' 4 Popper]

Spray the hinges thoroughly (!) with Liquid Wrench, Kroil, or Break-Free. Let it work in then start swinging the doors back & forth until they free up. Don't waste your time with WD-40 or PB-Blaster.

I only use kroil, I have two 16.5 oz cans of kroil unopened sitting on the shelf in addition to the can being used right now. I sprayed the hinges and pins once a day everyday for 10 days. I patiently waited and made sure that it crept into the openings and didn't just run off, then sprayed again. When it came time to remove the doors I also sprayed into the gap created by jacking up the door, about 30 times between Saturday and Sunday. When I was removing the rear pinion nut or suspension fasteners in my experience any thing more than 3-5 days was overkill. I guess I just never came face to face with the pure evil of seized hinge pins.

I only use wd40 for cleaning purposes and pb blaster for removing like a stuck christmas tree or something.

 

[txbemis69]

wondering if maybe you have a slightly bent hinge pin.

 

[97' 4 Popper]

wondering if maybe you have a slightly bent hinge pin.

Nah, they aren't bent. The doors open and shut as they are supposed to and the pins look straight. Back when I had my 97' 4 cylinder the hinge pins were bent on my driver side, it didn't seem to cause an issue for removal purposes. I would have to lift up the door to shut it or it would beat the shit out the door sill. Which is exactly what happened anytime anyone other than me tried to get in.

At this point im looking to buy or borrow a heat induction tool and air hammer which I think will solve my problem of driving out the pin. I've also been spraying the torx bolts on the hinge bracket with kroil as a back up plan. All I know is I don't need to rush this process, it's gonna be 40-50 degrees outside until the beginning of May.

 

[BabyBass2]

TJs are prone to this, it happens to all hinges if they are not lubricated often, at least once a year. Windshield, side doors, and rear door hinges, all do the same. I have had three TJs, all had ALL the hinges stuck. BEWARE, if you lower the windshield, the w.s. Hinges will bend badly. Is all about patience, oil, move back and forth a little bit, more oil, back and forth, oil................ they will come loose, you just have to give it TLC and take your time, maybe even a couple of weeks of daily excersize, even more. I love transmission oil, thats a magical lubricant.

 

[97' 4 Popper]

TJs are prone to this, it happens to all hinges if they are not lubricated often, at least once a year. Windshield, side doors, and rear door hinges, all do the same. I have had three TJs, all had ALL the hinges stuck. BEWARE, if you lower the windshield, the w.s. Hinges will bend badly. Is all about patience, oil, move back and forth a little bit, more oil, back and forth, oil................ they will come loose, you just have to give it TLC and take your time, maybe even a couple of weeks of daily excersize, even more. I love transmission oil, thats a magical lubricant.

I used new bushings and generous amounts of antiseize on my passenger hinges, should be good for a while. As for my driver side, I predict half the summer will pass by before it comes off. It is a CNY jeep through and through, nothing is supposed to cooperate

 

[BabyBass2]

I have an idea that might work.... In order to pull it out, you need to be able to move the door in and out while you keep applying penetrant oil, and at the same time you must push it up or pull it up. Do this, if you have the means. Find 1/8” thick strong clothesline wire and build two strong loops right under the door hinges, one on each hinge. Then put a strong rope tied to each wire loop with each rope end, then attach the rope to a hoist and pull the door up with a few pull pounds up, maybe 30-40 lbs up. This set up will allow you to strongly pull the door up but also allow you to move it open and close. I betcha the door will come out in a few minutes. See drawing..... might be a bit dramatic, but I know how hard they get stuck. Remember is the pull up force along with the door swinging and the penetrant oil all working together....

 

[97' 4 Popper]

I have an idea that might work.... In order to pull it out, you need to be able to move the door in and out while you keep applying penetrant oil, and at the same time you must push it up or pull it up. Do this, if you have the means. Find 1/8” thick strong clothesline wire and build two strong loops right under the door hinges, one on each hinge. Then put a strong rope tied to each wire loop with each rope end, then attach the rope to a hoist and pull the door up with a few pull pounds up, maybe 30-40 lbs up. This set up will allow you to strongly pull the door up but also allow you to move it open and close. I betcha the door will come out in a few minutes. See drawing..... might be a bit dramatic, but I know how hard they get stuck. Remember is the pull up force along with the door swinging and the penetrant oil all working together....

TJ Jim pointed out earlier that I should jack up the door and leave it like that under constant pressure while securing it to the roof. At the time I didn't think much of it since my garage ceiling is finished off but then I realized I can secure the door to my garage door frame rails. I can't believe I completely missed them, I'm blind. So I'm thinking a floor jack to the door and a ratchet strap pulling on it that is secured to the rail is definitely something to try. Maybe multiple straps or ropes so it doesn't just go swinging if it comes out and I'm not there.