Tech Article re: door hinge pins

[bnate]

So like the NV4500 question.....has anyone actually accomplished this??

I tried to drill the pins (as suggested "Help" section of auto parts store for door hinge pins). It is hardened steel. I have a table vise and tried my buddy's drill press too. I tried a few different drill bits w/out success.

Article reference:

http://coloradok5.com/doorhingepins.shtml

"I did this by holding the pin with the Vise Grips in one hand and the drill in the other. It would have been much easier with either a Drill Press or a Table Vise, but this method worked fine for me. I used a 5/64" drill bit, and it seemed to be the perfect size."

Suggestions?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Elevator Man]

I did the same thing. you will have to get some carbide drill bits. they are very expensive. you might take them too a machine shop and get them to do it but they will charge an arm and leg. another option woud be to take a dremel tool and groove the end off the pin. then you could put a E-clip or snap ring on there. I wish they would have mentioned all this extra work too!!!!!!

 

[redneckdude]

run them w/o the hitch pins. I run mine like this and have only had to slide one pin back in once in the past year. the doors are heavy enough to where you don't have to worry about the pins just slipping out.

 

[rick88blaze]

I've done this on my driver's door and it worked great. I can have my door off in just a few minutes. That's with unhooking the wires. I eliminated quite a few of my wires when I switched over to manual windows.

I plan on doing my passenger door this month sometime.

I have a bench vise in my garage. That made it very easy to drill the pins. I also used a punch on the pin before I drilled it. I started with a very small bit to drill the pilot hole. Then I went up to the right size bit.

Rick

 

[Elevator Man]

What kind of drill bit did you us rick88? I center punched my pins and every drill bit I had in my shop wouldn't even scratch the pins.

 

[78Suburban]

I'm definitely planning on this mod, perhaps this summer. The drilling business concerns me. Would my drill press make it easier? If I can ever find that darn chuck key...lol... I would definitely like to have all the information before I go diving into that project.
thanks,
James

 

[rick88blaze]

To be honest I'm not sure. Just about every set of drill bits I buy are high speed bits made for metal. I have them all in a coffee can anymore, but most of them are black and decker bought at Wal-Mart, Lowe's and Home Depot or other places like that.

I don't know if it matters where you buy the pins, but I got mine out of the help section at Advance Auto here in Bellevue. By the time I got done drilling out both pins the bits were pretty dull. They probably weren't the sharpest when I started either.

Rick

Oh yeah, I just remebered that I kind of rested the bit on the vise jaws to help guide it. That helped out a lot!

 

[Muddytazz]

Get someone to center drill the hole for you with a center drill to get thru the case hardened pin, then you can use a HSS drill bit.

 

[bnate]

Thanks for all of the responses.

I tried the carbide drill bits on the first pin. Yes, they are expensive.

A buddy of mine is a machinist and he couldn't bear to watch me suffer anymore. He welded an extension onto the pin and drilled the "softer" steel with the drill press. Should hold up good, since the hardened steel is the part that is in the hinge...extension only for the cotter pin.

Thanks again all.

 

[B_to_C]

Huh

Glad you got it worked out. Maybe I had super special drill bits or seomthing

I also notice that through the quote I didn't mention that I started with a VERY small bit and worked my way up to the 5/64