Front Hinge Installation Steps (1 Viewer)

[Pierps]

Hi!

I'm deep in a frame-off restoration. Finally have the tub and cowl in high build primer. I'm wondering when/how to install the front door hinges. I have new OEM hinges to put in. I know they require seam sealer under the rubber bits, and I can see that the a-pillar side has lots of adjustability in the captive nuts.

I'm struggling to think through the order of operations. I don't want to prime and seam seal the suckers in there if I'm going to need to adjust the door fitment later.... But I'm not super pumped about having to install the hard top and windshield frame to fit the doors.

And even if I did install the hard top and windshield frame, I want to use my 3M two part epoxy seam sealer, but it only has an open time of around 15 minutes.

Help me out! How/when should in prime and install the front hinges?

Thanks!!
Peter

 

[1969FJ]

What rubber bits ?

 

[Pierps]

They come with rubber pieces installed on them. You see them in the pics here:

OEM Door Hinges for Land Cruiser FJ40 - Set of 4

Set of 4 brand new OEM door hinges for Toyota Land Cruiser FJ40. Consists of 2 left hand hinges and 2 right hand hinges to do your entire car. Fits all years. OEM Part #s 68710-60012 (RH) and 68720-60012 (LH). Note: International shipments are subject to additional shipping charges due to lack...

www.cityracerllc.com

 

[1969FJ]

You know, I have 3 fj40s and never have seen this rubber. Is this a shipping detail ? Mine have all been without any rubber. Yes, I have restored a few and primed and topcoated both the hinges and the body. After that , I attached hinges and they still can be adjusted. Here is an image from sor.com for aftermarket hinges, sans rubber. Cityracer is probably the best vendor I have seen so , maybe a cll to him will let you know.

 

[Pierps]

Interesting! The original hinges I removed also had the rubber parts on them, with seam sealer behind the rubber. They definitely don't seem like a shipping detail- they appear to be intended to cover and seal the slots in the A-pillars that the hinges pass through. My truck is a 9/75 FJ40.

With your process, how do you seal the openings in the A-pillar? Do you seam seal them after paint?

 

[1969FJ]

Interesting! The original hinges I removed also had the rubber parts on them, with seam sealer behind the rubber. They definitely don't seem like a shipping detail- they appear to be intended to cover and seal the slots in the A-pillars that the hinges pass through. My truck is a 9/75 FJ40.

With your process, how do you seal the openings in the A-pillar? Do you seam seal them after paint?

Well, all my trucks are before 1972 , so maybe things changed. Removing my hinges had no rubber at all. This is very new to me. It seems to me the way the body is designed, that rubber strip would allow a way for moisture to get in. My slots in all my rigs had no seam sealer in this area. The hinges were fastened to the body , and the door. Some adjustment possible.

 

[1911]

I'm struggling to think through the order of operations. I don't want to prime and seam seal the suckers in there if I'm going to need to adjust the door fitment later.... But I'm not super pumped about having to install the hard top and windshield frame to fit the doors.

And even if I did install the hard top and windshield frame, I want to use my 3M two part epoxy seam sealer, but it only has an open time of around 15 minutes.

Help me out! How/when should in prime and install the front hinges?

You can prime and paint the hinges, but don't put the seam sealer on until after the doors are installed and aligned. You will have to move the hinges around a bit to get everything to line up and the doors to latch on the strikers.

 

[pbgbottle]

The OEM have the rubber.

 

[Pierps]

You can prime and paint the hinges, but don't put the seam sealer on until after the doors are installed and aligned. You will have to move the hinges around a bit to get everything to line up and the doors to latch on the strikers.

Gotcha. So once the hinges are aligned and tightened down, I won't be able to remove them for seam sealer. So is it just as simple as peeling the rubber back and squeezing seam sealer in there? Or do I seam seal from the inside?

I'm leaning towards just biting the bullet and putting the hard top and windshield frame on how, so that I can get the hinges in and sealed before I top coat the thing. Knowing myself, if I try doing the seam sealer after paint, I'm going to make a big mess.

 

[tstepp920]

Watching to learn.

 

[1969FJ]

The OEM have the rubber.

What purpose does the rubber serve ?

 

[Pierps]

They cover and seal the slots that the hinges pass through in the a-pillar. I just spent far more time than I'd like to admit trying to find a good pic of it but came up dry...

I'm curious actually, how do you keep rain water out of your rig without the rubber seals or seam sealer?

 

[1911]

I'm curious actually, how do you keep rain water out of your rig without the rubber seals or seam sealer?

I don't have the rubber bits on mine, but I sealed the gaps around them with silicone caulk. If you use urethane caulk, you could paint over it.

 

[1969FJ]

They cover and seal the slots that the hinges pass through in the a-pillar. I just spent far more time than I'd like to admit trying to find a good pic of it but came up dry...

I'm curious actually, how do you keep rain water out of your rig without the rubber seals or seam sealer?

Well, one thing is I live in Arizona. Hardly rains. I am really shocked as I restored a 1969 , and when I removed the doors and hinges, there was no seam sealer or remnants of rubber. And I know I bought this FJ40 from the original owner who never messed with it.
Let me ask a question, are those rubber pieces attached to the hinges, or , do they come off and you fit them into the open area after hinge are adjusted ?

 

[Pierps]

I'll check this weekend and get back to you- my shop is about 30 minutes from my home. But I can tell you that if they are removable, they can only come off by sliding in the direction of the a-pillar. In other words, once the hinges are bolted to the tub, the rubber pieces are there to stay.

Hence my confusion on how to go about installing them. My latest plan is to suck it up, install the windshield frame and hard top, prep and prime the hinges, install the hinges with a slow-setting seam sealer (need to try and find something), align the doors, remove the hard top and doors, and top coat the tub with the hinges installed.

When I'm at the shop this weekend, I'll assess whether I can kind of peel the rubber back and apply seam sealer after the hinges are installed.

 

[billmc]

I just looked at a new one in a bag next to my desk. The rubber is well fused to the hinge. I'm sure you *could* remove it, but I don't think Toyota intended that you do. HTH

 

[69LC]

If you’re interested in new add-on seals, @82FJ40EVV developed some that work with my Quik Hinges and I think are made to work with stock hinges too.

See post 264 in this thread: Quik Hinges available

Matthew

 

[Splangy]

I always paint the hinges separately from the tub and install them later. Weatherstripping adhesive is probably a better choice than seam sealer in this case. You wouldn’t seam seal your door weatherstripping on, right?

But that’s if you’re going to use anything at all. I always just install them dry.