Auto body repair & detailing: door hinge pins, paint damage, door hinge


Question
I've got 1998 GMC JIMMY. Can't find pins & bushings for doors. Any ideas? also tools need for change? Approx cost? BUTCH

Answer
Pins & bushings are available at any GM dealership for around 25 bucks. Tools? By the time you buy a door spring compressor, bushings and pins, beat the bejesus out of the old pins, and try to support and reattach the door without damaging the external paint on the door and fender, I would suggest you just pay the 60-75 bucks to have a pro do it. It's a real pain in the ass without the correct tools, and I personally own at least a hundred bucks worth of tools to remove and install springs, bushings, and pins- that doesn't include the special jack I have to support the door. Some things just aren't worth the aggervation so you can save a few, very few, in this case, dollars. This job is one of them. At best, you blow an afternoon figuring out how to do this, at worst you damage external paint, or drop the door, causing a minimum of 350 bucks worth of paint damage. Weigh this choice carefully. Bill