FJ55 Door Crack Repair

[DesertLake]

Has anybody repaired cracks in their door around the lower hinge? I've tried to weld up one cracked door, but I'm not happy with the results. It looks like the original metal has become stretched from working against the spring for many years. I'd like to reinforce all of the doors around the hinges, but am not sure what would work.

Here's the before and after on my first attempt:

The rough looking are toward the outside of the door (toward the top of the photo) is where the metal has thinned and sags.

Any reinforcement ideas would be appreciated, especially ones that work!

 

[jm599]

mine came all the way out and I rewelded it back in, then added another layer of sheet metal over it, somewhat bigger. maybe it'll last another ten thousand slammings

 

[jm599]

your welds are much prettier. the door still fit.

 

[nuclearlemon]

i posted a while back on my fix on the 76. it still doesn't quite line up, but it droops when opened, so i may be lucky and i may be able to reinforce it on the outside of the door, as opposed to the inside where it will be a pita to weld in an extra layer.

 

[DesertLake]

i posted a while back on my fix on the 76. it still doesn't quite line up, but it droops when opened, so i may be lucky and i may be able to reinforce it on the outside of the door, as opposed to the inside where it will be a pita to weld in an extra layer.

I must have really screwed something up in my search earlier, I found your thread easily enough this time...

https://forum.ih8mud.com/fj55-iron-...ty/181912-lower-door-hinge-area-cracking.html

JM599 - I can't take credit for most of the welding. Still learning from my cousin. How long ago did you repair yours? What gauge metal did you use, and did you use anything between the layers to prevent rust?

 

[jm599]

fixed mine a few months back it seems, hasn't really been tested much. it is part of a slow 3rd project on rainy days. hoping to finish rust repair of quarters and rockers and repaint this summer. I think I squirted weld thru primer on it before sandwiching but don't remember exactly. there is not much slop in the hinge pin. good luck.

 

[RUSH55]

Why just the tack welds? Why didn't you fully weld it then grind it?

 

[jm599]

you certainly could. the first layer of original metal was, the 2nd layer was a little bigger to sort of fishplate it. sometimes full welds can make the metal more brittle and then be a spot for metal fatigue I think. the factory more or less put the bodies together entirely with spot welds. but you are probably right. there would not be much risk of warpage at this spot

 

[nuclearlemon]

i fully welded mine. took a long time, since i did small sections at a time and the outer sheetmetal was paper thin! also, hard to weld to the rusty metal behind it. it's holding great so far, i do plan on reinforcing it in the future.

 

[RUSH55]

I had to do a repair like that on a GMC Jimmy, mid 90's. It was a pain because the sheet metal was so thin. No rust or anything... I just thought it strange that it would happen to a newer vehicle like that.