Replacing the door hinges:
After 25 years of constantly being opened and closed. The door hinges on the driver side of the car are starting to sag. This is very noticeable when comparing the door opening and closing operation versus the passenger side (which has not been opened and closed nearly as often). When the driver door opens, the door visibly sags and squeaks as it swings outward. This is not surprising when feeling the significant weight of the door that is being placed on the two hinges.
The fix is relatively straightforward. Purchase a set of new OEM Toyota door hinges and replace the old ones. The part numbers for the driver side door hinges are:
1. 68720-17010 (Upper Driver)
2. 68740-17010 (Lower Driver)
The hinges come from Toyota with numerous stickers attached. First step was to clean them off using a wire grinding wheel and some alcohol.
The next step is to remove the front left fender. This is not absolutely necessary, but it creates great access to the hinges and will make life easier when adjusting the new hinge angles. If you have never taken the front fender off, be prepared to suffer some broken bolts, as they are very rusty and stuck. I used heat (propane torch) and penetrating lubricant to minimize the effort and number of broken bolts. You must jack up the car first and remove the front wheel. This allows access to all the relevant bolts. After the fender has been removed, put the wheel back on and lower the car. This will make life easier when aligning the new door hinges to the body.
The relevant diagram from the service manual is shown, courtesy of MR2OC. After removing the fender, the door is ready to be removed. Pull the pin out of the door stay first. Support the door using an engine hoist and some nylon straps. You can also use a garage jack under the door to prevent it from swaying. Remove the 12mm bolts that connect the hinges to the car as well as those to the door. Use a gasket scraper and some wire brush to clean up the hinge mounting surfaces. Re-install the hinges and tighten the bolts up (not completely). Close the door and loosen the top hinge bolts, the door will move slightly and rest into it’s natural position (when I first installed the hinges, the door was a bit high). Tighten up the hinge bolts. Finish with some black RTV sealant around the hinges to prevent rust. Re-insert the door stay pin. Open and close your door a few times to test it out! I could definitely feel the difference before and after. The old hinges exhibit play due to wear, whereas the new hinges are very stiff and solid.
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The hardest part of this job was getting the front fender off, all the bolts are very rusty and some of them will snap. However, with the fender off, access to the hinges is wonderful, and it makes the rest of the job a breeze.
Replacing the door hinges:
After 25 years of constantly being opened and closed. The door hinges on the driver side of the car are starting to sag. This is very noticeable when comparing the door opening and closing operation versus the passenger side (which has not been opened and closed nearly as often). When the driver door opens, the door visibly sags and squeaks as it swings outward. This is not surprising when feeling the significant weight of the door that is being placed on the two hinges.
The fix is relatively straightforward. Purchase a set of new OEM Toyota door hinges and replace the old ones. The part numbers for the driver side door hinges are:
1. 68720-17010 (Upper Driver)
2. 68740-17010 (Lower Driver)
The hinges come from Toyota with numerous stickers attached. First step was to clean them off using a wire grinding wheel and some alcohol.
The next step is to remove the front left fender. This is not absolutely necessary, but it creates great access to the hinges and will make life easier when adjusting the new hinge angles. If you have never taken the front fender off, be prepared to suffer some broken bolts, as they are very rusty and stuck. I used heat (propane torch) and penetrating lubricant to minimize the effort and number of broken bolts. You must jack up the car first and remove the front wheel. This allows access to all the relevant bolts. After the fender has been removed, put the wheel back on and lower the car. This will make life easier when aligning the new door hinges to the body.
The relevant diagram from the service manual is shown, courtesy of MR2OC. After removing the fender, the door is ready to be removed. Pull the pin out of the door stay first. Support the door using an engine hoist and some nylon straps. You can also use a garage jack under the door to prevent it from swaying. Remove the 12mm bolts that connect the hinges to the car as well as those to the door. Use a gasket scraper and some wire brush to clean up the hinge mounting surfaces. Re-install the hinges and tighten the bolts up (not completely). Close the door and loosen the top hinge bolts, the door will move slightly and rest into it’s natural position (when I first installed the hinges, the door was a bit high). Tighten up the hinge bolts. Finish with some black RTV sealant around the hinges to prevent rust. Re-insert the door stay pin. Open and close your door a few times to test it out! I could definitely feel the difference before and after. The old hinges exhibit play due to wear, whereas the new hinges are very stiff and solid.
The hardest part of this job was getting the front fender off, all the bolts are very rusty and some of them will snap. However, with the fender off, access to the hinges is wonderful, and it makes the rest of the job a breeze.