Replaced Door Pin's and Bushings Today

[JoshBarber]

I finally took care of that Clunk that I was hearing over bumps, and hitting the breaks quick or accelerating quick. (Long but worthe the read)

At first when I checked the hood bolt, like BlazerLT suggested, I realized it was making the exact noise I was hearing. I bought the two washers as reccommended (which are now made of metal, and more expensive then before approx $7 for the two). After installing them, I shook the hood and no clunk could be heard. You can imagine my frustration when I took a test drive, and heard the same clunk as I pulled out of my driveway. I checked the hood again, which did not move, and scratched my head.

After several starts and stops back and forth in my driveway, I tried popping my passenger door open to see if the noise would be changed.....SURE ENOUGH, it was coming from the passenger door.

Upon further inspection of the hinge pins and bushings, I realized one of the bushings was broken and crumbling. I could only VERY VERY slightly move the door up and down from this one bushing....and I couldnt get it to make the noise by hand....only got it to STOP by opening the door while stoping and starting.

I bought the tool reccommended from NAPA for GM Vehicles to compress the door spring. I paid approx. $20. I would say it's worth the money. It would be near impossible without it. I read a few suggestions to try to do it without, but now knowing how strong the spring really is, I wouldnt take the chance. Too dangerous.

Purchase the pins, bushings, and retainer clips. (I reccommend getting them from the dealer, as they're cheap, and you know they are made for your vehicle.)

Learn from my mistakes. It's not as easy as you'd think if you don't.

Parts:
each door takes 2 pins/4 bushings/2 locking clips

1. Make sure you have another person to assist. You'll kill yourself trying to rely on the jack stands alone. It's impossible to hold the door and remove pins, connectors, etc. Trust me, the door is HEAVY. Cover the jackstands with towels to protect you door paint.
2. DO NOT TRY TO DO IT WITHOUT REMOVING THE DOOR. I spent an hour trying to do it one hinge at a time, then just supporting the door with it still hooked up to its electrical connections...only to realize it needed to come all the way off anyway. You'll be lucky if you don't mess up wires. Had I done this from the beginning, it would have been MUCH easier. There's only TWO connectors that need to be unplugged anyway. Pop the window control panel, remove the two screws under the hand rest, and pop the door out bottom first-then lift up and off. Remove the two connectors, feed them back out the door, and now you're ready to remove the rest.
3. Use your spring tool on the two FURTHEST notches of the spring. Make sure its seated as far in as possible or it could slip off and hurt you. Make sure it's as far in as possible so you can compress it the max amount possible-you'll need it. Tighten the 1/2 inch (13mm) nut till the spring easily pops off it's to securing points. I reccommend throwing a heavy towel over it as you remove it from the door just as another safery precaution. I left the tool on the spring with it compressed, and the towel over it to make the reinstallation quicker.
4. Now remove the small retainer clips from the pins, and knock the pins out. The top one you'll hammer out from the top, and the bottom one from the bottom. (NOW IS WHEN YOUR ASSISTANT WILL COME IN HANDY) When you remove the first pin, they'll have to support the door to keep it in line or else you won't be able to get the other pin out. If the door is cocked, you'll have a hard time removing the pin. Have the two jackstands underneath to make it easier for them.
5. Now you'll need to remove the 4 bushings. The two on the top hinge remain on the car, while the bottom two remain on the door itself. (Another definate reason for removing the door completely.) I used the head of an old pin as a punch to hammer them out.
6. Clean all the surfaces the best you can, and install the 4 bushings the same way they were originally. If your bushing holes are over-sized from wear, they may just pop in, and you'll have no problem. Mine however, were a bitch. I needed to press them in. DO NOT HAMMER THEM, AS I LEARNED THE HARD WAY, THEY'RE BRITTLE, AND THEY'LL CRUMBLE. I ended up pressing them in with pliers, but I reccommend the correct tool for this. Make sure they're completely seated.
7. Now grease your pins, and bushings, and have your assistant again support the door on the jackstands, as you feed the cables back through the door. Have match the door up to the hinges as you replace the pins and hammer them in till they are completely seated as well.
8. Replace your two retainer clips, and make sure they're seated on the thin groove at the tip of the pin.
9. Reinstall the spring.
10. Reconnect your two electrical connectors.
10. Reinstall the door panel, and window control panel...and you should be good to go!

If you have any questions, feel free to ask. I know this seems like a long post that seems simple, but I wish I had the chance to read it before I did the job. Hope it helps someone!

[DaveLance]

Thanks Josh, I need to replace the pins/bushings on my drivers side door. I'm sure this will come in handy.

[500]

Use a floor jack to support the door. Pad the jack's lifting surface. The jack is infinitely adjustable which makes it easier to line things up.

500

[ctla4]

Hey Josh, what year is your blazer?
I have a 99 and have the same problem on my driver's door. I really hate disconnecting wires, but guess I should.

[ricksza]

I usually use a 5/16 nut, bolt & washers, and a 3/8 nut, bolt & washers with a socket to press the bushings in place.

[majical]

I put the jack stands on my creepy crawler to place under the door to give to get easer movement of the door. (someone still has to hold the door steady) This way I could move the door far enough away from the body without disconnecting the wires. Was great for reinstalling the door afterwards

[chcknugget]

Good job.

I'm glad you got the tool, it is definetely worth it. I found pins were cheapest at the dealer too, plus you know you're getting the correct parts.

Hahaha I learned the hard way that you have to replace both pins at the same time too!

[JoshBarber]

Originally Posted by ctla4

Hey Josh, what year is your blazer?
I have a 99 and have the same problem on my driver's door. I really hate disconnecting wires, but guess I should.

Mine is a 98 LT

[ctla4]

thanks for the help guys, ill try this weekend.

[JoshBarber]

I had someone ask me for the P/N for the NAPA door spring tool for GM vehicles in a Private Message. So I figured I'd post it here so everyone can get to it.


NAPA P/N - 770-3818 $22.56

[PACHOPPERS4LIFE]

Thanks For The Info On Door Pin's @ Bushings, Have To Change On Inlaws 98 Blazer Driver's Front Thank's Alot

[PACHOPPERS4LIFE]

Thanks For The Info On Door Pin's @ Bushings, Have To Change On Inlaws 98 Blazer Driver's Front Thank's Alot

[rental blazer]

will this also take care of the drooping door prob on older cars like my 85?

[BlazerLT]

Stickied and will be used in the helpful hint subsection that will be created.

[ricksza]

If you don't totally remove the door off the vehicle, run a strip of tape down the front edge of the door and the rear edge of the fender. This will prevent paint chips on the edges.