More 1994 LeBaron issues...

Hello all,

It seems the bushings on the door to my 94 LeBaron convertible have gone
out, and the door is off-kilter. Consequently, the fender needs to be
replaced.

A local body shop quoted me $1,4000 to fix it.

However, a local junkyard has a fender, in the same color, completely
in-tact, for $50.

Here are my questions:

1) How difficult would it be to do this myself?
I've got a floorjack I could use to help me re-install the door.

2) How do I fix the bushings?
The hinges will un-bolt from the vehicle, but they're welded to the door.

3) Can I just replace the pins and bushings?
If so, how difficult is it?
If not, how would I replace the entire hinge? I'm sure I could Dremel the
old one off, but I don't have a welder to put the new one on...



Thanks
Steve

 

Anyone?

 

Wait a sec -- if the hinges will unbolt from the vehicle but are welded to
the door, then why must you replace the *fender*?

You won't find a prefab kit with new bushings and pins, though come to
think of it such kits exist for older Chrysler cars -- I can't think of
any reason why the same parts wouldn't work for your later car. The idea
is that you drill out the old (worn) holes, put in the new bushings, and
the new pins fit into the new bushings.

Pick up a copy of Hemmings Motor News at any well-stocked news stand. Look
through the "Chrysler (Mopar) Parts For Sale" section under "Hinges" or
possibly "Door". There's a vendor who's been selling repair kits for
years.

 

I'd assume because the bushings are so worn and the pins are
so worn and possibly the pins have worn completely through the
bushing and possibly even worn the hols in the hing parts that
the door sags enough that it bound up on the fender and bent it.

I've seen that many times on cars that have half the hinge welded
to the door or body. An incredibly STUPID idea, IMHO, but six or
eight fewer bolts per car saves money, unless the hinges get
welded on out of kilter, but what's scrapping a whole door once
in a while VS not needing a few thousand bolts...

Feel lucky that on the LeBaron, the hinges bolt to the body from
the oustide! On my 86 Cadillac Cimarron, they bolt through the
door post from the *inside*. (Stupid, stupid, STUPID design!)

Anyway, if the 94 fender is anything like a 90-92, there are
two bolts under the bottom end at the rear, one bolt near the
top that comes out from the rear with the door open, one in
the middle of the back you get at from the fenderwell after
removing the plastic liner (buy new plastic push pins at NAPA),
three (or four?) nuts at the front that hold the bumper cover
to the fender, Then shove forward and down on the end of the
bumper cover to expose a bolt through the lower corner of the
nosepiece, Pull up the plastic panel that covers the gap behind
the nose to get at a nut holding the upper corner of the fender
(more plastic pins from NAPA). There's two (or three?) bolts
to get at the front from inside the wheel well and one more
from the front into the radiator support that's behind the
headlights, get it from below. Then there's all the ones along
the top edge you get with the hood up. If you're lucky, the
back two holes in the fender will be slotted so you don't
have to fully remove those bolts. Nothing has to be done with
the hood or hinges since there's enough clearance to slip the
fender edge under the hinge. (At least _some_ things on this
car had some brains applied to the design.)

Once the fender is off, the door comes off easy. Figure out
something to support the door if you don't want to remove
the interior panel and disconnect all the wiring and fish
the lot through the hole in the front.