Removing Stuck 308 Door Hinge Bolts

Greetings!

Any tips on how to remove the door hinge mounting bolts?

I'm attempting to realign my driver side door. It needs to come down approx 2mm so the window frame doesn't hit the A-pillar as much.

Unfortunately, the hinge flat head mounting bolts (M8) and hinge pins aren't cooperating. They're stuck solid.

The 5mm Allen head size on the mounting bolts is way too small to exert enough torque without stripping the socket head. Space limitations prevent applying heat with a torch or using an impact driver.

The lack of clearance also complicates drilling off the flat heads or using an extractor. Nor did using a center punch without heat have any effect other than butchering the flat head.

Thus, it seems as if my only recourse is to MIG weld a hex head nut or bolt onto the flat head bolt and use a proper 13mm box wrench to get enough leverage to break them loose.

Any other suggestions?

Thanks!

Bill

 

Lean on the door when partially open and bend it down


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Soaking with penetrating oil *before* you mangle the heads often helps.
(Soak and let sink in for 20-30 min before trying to untwist.)

But it sounds like that advice may be coming late.

 

Truth be told, I'm attempting to put the driver door back into its factory original position and it's the front (not the rear) of the door that needs to be reset.

When I first got this car back in 1987, the leading edge of the driver door was noticeably lower than what one would think it should have been based on how the horizontal split line looked.

The car was repainted in 1990 after I took out a roadside marker during the Hillclimb at Virginia City. In the process, the body shop (Lindy's) took it upon themselves to raise the driver door to align the horizontal split. It looks great, but the only problem is the power window will only go up when the door is open. When the door is closed, the window frame hits the A-Pillar just enough to cause the window to bind.

The horizontal split at the rear of the door has always been in alignment when closed.

Thanks, DGS, but I haven't (yet) mangled much except for the one mounting bolt on which I attempted the center punch trick and even that one isn't beyond repair.

All bolts have been soaking in penetrating oil for several days now.

Bill

 

You might consider opening the door panel and adjusting the window frame. Might be a lot easier and you wouldn't lose the door alignment.


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Been there, done that. No reasonable amount of adjustment works.

 

I presume you did the silicone spray on the window rubber too? That helped mine


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Correct re silicon (and all other options for that matter).

Attached are some pics.
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Just a thought, can you get to them from the front by removing the wheelarch panel?

Then drill them out from the thread side? Once you have the threaded plates off you can tidy them up off the car or make new ones.

 

Unfortunately, that would require cutting or hole saw cutting through a metal sheet.

 

Well, I'm 83% of the way there.

I applied more heat and got a bigger hammer. I have 5 of the 6 driver side door hinge bolts loose. Wasted one of my SnapOn 5mm Allen head sockets, but such is life. Turns out there was just enough room to get the extension on.

I'll weld the Allen head socket onto the remaining hold out bolt and it should be history.

Fortunately, replacement M8-1.25 x 16mm, Flat, Socket Head Cap Screws, Class 10.9, are readily available.

Bill
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Wow. Looks like that gas can was used in Dunkirk


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