Seized Door Help

TheShakes90

TheShakes90

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Joined
May 12, 2019
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NM
So I'm nearing my breaking point, where I will either start breaking stuff or just start replacing random parts. Bought my 06 LJ that I'm pretty sure never had the doors off.
A couple days ago I broke out the floor jack and started removing my left door, bent the rail in the process. The door finally popped instead of slid off and damaged the rear corner, glass is good and it still seals so I'm ok with it for now
95625


Came out today with the floor jack and different plans, after probably a full can between Liquid Wrench, SeaFoam Penetrant, and WD40 I gave up when is almost started bending again.

So far I have tried the floor jack with at best moderate success, hitting the pin with a punch and hammer, putting some tension on it with more Penetrant and lubricant, and more banging that started removing paint.

I have not tried: heat and removing all the hinges to get these off(would get new ones or junk yard ones blasted and painted first). Can anyone else think of something that I am missing?

95622
 
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No ideas, but following as I'm looking at the same thing on my '05. I don't think they've ever been off either. I'm hoping I can get away with using a soft pine 4x4 between the jack and the door.

Hopefully, I can avoid damage as I'm hoping to use them in trade on a set of stock half doors.

ETA: Maybe find something that will just fit between the jack and hinge pin to just put pressure on the pin instead of the door??
 
Okay, well I don't need to tell you obviously that that thing is in very bad shape. The rust you're dealing with there is likely the major culprit here. Have you tried soaking the hinges in Kroil (which is fifteen times better than P.B. Blaster)?

Liquid Wrench is almost as good, but not quite a good as Kroil. Aside from that and a torch, it's honestly just going to be one of those things where it's going to take some serious force, probably some wiggling back and forth too.
 
I would probably remove the hinges from the door and the body if possible, before I would put a jack under the door. Then if you have to beat the hell out of the hinge.
 
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Yep, removing the hinges would probably be the smartest idea in this case.
 
I remember reading somewhere on here in the past that 2 of the bolts for the windshield hinge have some plate behind it that can, and usually does, fall. Does the lower hinge have that problem? Or is that plate I found near the interior floorboards it?
 
Personally I’d close the door and punch out the pins with a long punch. I just went through a similar problem, not as severe though. If you punch out the pins you can polish them and get the rust off. I used some 600 grit I had laying around followed up with some scotch brite.
 
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On mine after soaking in Kroil for awhile I finally took the air chisel with a straight punch and drive them up part way then opened the door and lifted them off. (Put something along the body to protect the paint)

Never seize worked good on mine when reinstalling the doors and it blends right in with my silver paint!

The air chisel/hammer is pretty darn useful for driving stuck things apart.
 
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Farmergreg said:
On mine after soaking in Kroil for awhile
Click to expand...

X3 on the kroil .. dont do anything drastic until you try kroil . It's about $16 a can but worth more than that in the time and frustration you will save. I wont try to remove anything on my wrangler until I spray it with kroil anymore.


I would soak the hinges move the door back and forth for a few minutes and let it sit for 15 min. Then do the whole cycle again probably 4 or 5 times before attempting to remove the doors. The stuff works fast but you likely have a lot of rust that you will need to work out hence opening and closing. You should see it work it's way out the bottom .

This stuff is AMAZING. Last year my tailgate was so bad I couldn't shut it without 2 hands. If I pushed and let go it would just stop. I tried to work PB blaster in for 2 days soaking several times a day but it only made the door mildly better. I decided to order kroil before I stepped up to drilling hinges and man that stuff worked after the first cycle. I could close the hinge with 1 hand.. after a few more applications I am now able to lightly push with 2 fingers and let go and it will move freely and close.

I bet if you worked kroil into the door pins you would be able to work the doors loose with ot much more than a few applications and some time. Good luck !
 
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Well, just ordered the windshield hinges, fighting rust with toothpicks is annoying, I'll find some Kroil and try before they get here. I've heard another good idea is Acetone and ATF, anyone have luck with that? A little concerned with how it might affect the paint but there's always touch up
 
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TheShakes90 said:
Well, just ordered the windshield hinges, fighting rust with toothpicks is annoying, I'll find some Kroil and try before they get here. I've heard another good idea is Acetone and ATF, anyone have luck with that? A little concerned with how it might affect the paint but there's always touch up
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Yes, I’ve heard of ATF:Acetone in 50:50. Like you said though, not the best thing for paint. Just wait for the Kroil. I hate that happened to your door. I know, I’ve bought one, it cost me $478 for a new door. That sheet metal at the base that is folded over and welded to the door is 22gauge, pretty thin stuff. Patience is your key here, start with the easiest, least dangerous thing, Kroil, then move to chisels and punches, but protect the paint at all costs!
 
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Forget chisels, plan now is use Kroil, if that doesn't work then when I get my hinges cleaned and repainted I'll take all the hinges off and beat on the replaced ones until it comes out. If nothing else I grab the Dremel and slice the body side hinges to remove the pin
 
I think I have six cans of kroil running around the garage. Search the web for the two can google kroil special
 
GPSsignallost said:
X3 on the kroil .. dont do anything drastic until you try kroil . It's about $16 a can but worth more than that in the time and frustration you will save. I wont try to remove anything on my wrangler until I spray it with kroil anymore.


I would soak the hinges move the door back and forth for a few minutes and let it sit for 15 min. Then do the whole cycle again probably 4 or 5 times before attempting to remove the doors. The stuff works fast but you likely have a lot of rust that you will need to work out hence opening and closing. You should see it work it's way out the bottom .

This stuff is AMAZING. Last year my tailgate was so bad I couldn't shut it without 2 hands. If I pushed and let go it would just stop. I tried to work PB blaster in for 2 days soaking several times a day but it only made the door mildly better. I decided to order kroil before I stepped up to drilling hinges and man that stuff worked after the first cycle. I could close the hinge with 1 hand.. after a few more applications I am now able to lightly push with 2 fingers and let go and it will move freely and close.

I bet if you worked kroil into the door pins you would be able to work the doors loose with ot much more than a few applications and some time. Good luck !
Click to expand...


Kroil. There is no substitute.

I found two new spraycans of it when I inherited my shop from my late father in law. I'd never used it before and hadn't heard much about it, but when I started getting his old Farmall Cub tractor running after it had sat for several years, I quickly became a believer.

I'm the same with my Wrangler. If I haven't ever taken a part off yet, it gets a dosing or six with Kroil before I take it off the Wrangler. I just got two new cans off of Amazon the other day.
 
I just wish i could get kroil at a local store. All the auto parts stores and home depot (my daughter works at HD so i don't go to lowes) only have pb blaster. I have to go to ace to even get liquid wrench.
 
I used a flat blade screwdriver and hammer to separate the door pin and from the sleeve on my passenger side. Once I was able to break the rust-seal and get some upward movement, I used a liberal amount of Kroil and elbow grease to get door off. Driver’s side gave me no issues. Clearly not the preferred method (screwdriver & hammer) but it worked for me.

I also second the use of never-seize on the pins; tried regular grease the first fall when I put doors back on, and had same problem the following spring. Last year, used Permtex and doors were easily removed.

Good luck.
 
TheShakes90 said:
Forget chisels, plan now is use Kroil, if that doesn't work then when I get my hinges cleaned and repainted I'll take all the hinges off and beat on the replaced ones until it comes out. If nothing else I grab the Dremel and slice the body side hinges to remove the pin
Click to expand...
Kroil was applied weeks before door removal and the prior owner said he removed the doors in the summer. The threaded portion of the pins are MIA (twisted off) And the doors wouldn't lift off. Cantankerous bastards they are.

Started with a couple normal hammer blows to a punch from underneath the pin....then it dawned on me to use the air hammer.
It's the repeated sharp blows from the hammer that gets things moving.

Another example: '08 Silverado needed a front wheel unit bearing replaced: Loosen the bolts but dont remove them, air hammer with punch to the bolt head to get the bearing loose and moving. No more driving a chisel between there while ruining the sheet metal dust shield.

Trust me go buy an air chisel/hammer!
 
FarmerGreg, I would love to have air tools in general. Right now I don't have the ability to store a tank large enough to make them worthwhile.

Since you guys have seen the damage, I'm planning on getting some half doors while the full doors are repaired. I'm leaning towards some factory half doors that I've found in my area but am wondering about soft lowers. I've read they can and do flap at highway speeds, but I haven't found much on how weather resistant they are. Any info would be appreciated
 
mine were seized but not as bad as yours look to be. If you have someone to help try swinging the door (while pulling up) while someone taps on the bolt to see if you can get them to move.
 
TheShakes90 said:
FarmerGreg, I would love to have air tools in general. Right now I don't have the ability to store a tank large enough to make them worthwhile.

Since you guys have seen the damage, I'm planning on getting some half doors while the full doors are repaired. I'm leaning towards some factory half doors that I've found in my area but am wondering about soft lowers. I've read they can and do flap at highway speeds, but I haven't found much on how weather resistant they are. Any info would be appreciated
Click to expand...
The reality here is you could spend $20 on a Harbor freight air hammer. A small compressor would pump up and allow you to use the hammer, take a break while you let the compressor build pressure again. I'm not talking about running a sandblaster or such.

I removed the doors on my neighbors TJ with the same method. It flat assed works.

*I have to learn that some aren't receptive and might even rebel against advice*
 
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