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stephan123

Member Since: 18 Mar 2015
Location: London
Posts: 281

Fitting door hinges

Just took delivey of some Optimill door hinges and now contemplating the best way to fit them. Is it best to remove the door or can it be done while leaving the door in situ? I’m a one man band so the fewer parts I remove the better

Any other useful tips or suggestions would be much appreciated! Also concerned about how best to make sure door lines up with the seals

1st May 2018 3:28pm

hank

Member Since: 12 Sep 2016
Location: South Wales
Posts: 2231

2007 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 DCPU Stornoway Grey

Keep door closed, remove/replace one hinge at a time. Nice and easy

1st May 2018 3:37pm

stephan123

Member Since: 18 Mar 2015
Location: London
Posts: 281

Thanks Hank but I thought you need access to the bolt nuts behind the door car to remove the hinges. Means keeping door shut will prove tricky

1st May 2018 3:54pm

windy81

Member Since: 14 Mar 2018
Location: North Wales
Posts: 311

captive nuts are your friend.

1st May 2018 4:27pm

blackwolf

Member Since: 03 Nov 2009
Location: South West England
Posts: 16881

The door bolts are all loose nuts, the B post (if a 110 or 130) have nut plates, so all but the bulkhead bolts require access to the inside of the vehicle (underneath in the case of the second-row door, lower hinge, B post nuts).

The best method usually is to do one hinge at a time and support the door on a jack of some description (obviously with suitable protection between the jack and the door).

1st May 2018 5:39pm

Litch

Member Since: 10 Mar 2013
Location: Oxfordshire
Posts: 760

Take the door-card off and open the window, that way you can reach inside to fit & hold the nuts while the door is held securely by a single hinge and the catch.
Certainly I never have any problems when fitting door-hinges single handed.

And yes, the Optimill items are very nice, have a full set on my 90. ONE LIFE, GET IT!

1st May 2018 8:31pm

zsd-puma

Member Since: 09 Aug 2016
Location: Kent
Posts: 2720

2010 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 USW Santorini Black

If you don't have central locking/E windows, then you can just take the door off, once the hinges are undone there is only the check strap holding it.

Even if you have electrics, then for 2nd row doors at least there is a plug in the B pilar just unplug the door and lift it off. I would imagine the fronts are the same, but I've not checked.

Another option is to remove the door cards, this allows you to get at the nuts on the door side from inside the vehicle.

1st May 2018 9:56pm

stephan123

Member Since: 18 Mar 2015
Location: London
Posts: 281

Thanks Litch - good call with putting the window down so no need to open the door while swapping the hinges

1st May 2018 10:24pm

stephan123

Member Since: 18 Mar 2015
Location: London
Posts: 281

Litch wrote:
Take the door-card off and open the window, that way you can reach inside to fit & hold the nuts while the door is held securely by a single hinge and the catch.
Certainly I never have any problems when fitting door-hinges single handed.

And yes, the Optimill items are very nice, have a full set on my 90.

Is it the same process for the rear door hinges? I'm hoping that the nuts for the body bolts are also captive

4th May 2018 8:05pm

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