The door hinges on a Jeep Cherokee use a combination of a long pin and a set of brass bushings. When they fail, the rear of the door angles down, creating a misalignment of the door striker and the door latch. The door could be lifted slightly from the rear, indicating the presence of worn bushings. While the bushings can be replaced by one person, the job is easier when you have an assistant.
Open the door all the way, open the window completely and place the floor jack under the center of the door with a couple of rags on the lifting point. Raise the jack just enough to touch the door. The door is heavy, so the jack is going to support the door as the pins are removed.
Drive the bottom door pin out by placing the drift under the pin and driving it upward to remove. Tap the drift with the hammer, avoiding any contact with the door. Drive the top pin out in the same manner. Once the pins are removed, the door is released, so keep your hand on the doorsill to keep it on the jack. If you have an assistant, he can hold the door.
Move the door hinges away from the frame hinges just enough to access the bushings. Do not move the door too much. Allow the door hinges to contact the door frame containing the frame hinges for support. Pry the brass bushings out of their hinges using the screwdriver. Install the new bushings and push them in as far as possible by hand. They have splines on them to keep them from spinning as the door is opened. The splines on the new bushings should line up with the grooves made by the old bushings. Before pushing the new bushings in, rotate them and align with the old grooves. The bushing will fall into the grooves. Tap very carefully on the bushing to push it down flush with the hinge.
Bring the door back in and place the door hinges over the frame hinges. Line up the holes. Make sure the bushings remain in place. Place the pin in the top hinge first. It should slide most of the way down. Before tapping it any further, install the bottom pin. Once both pins are in, tap them with a hammer gently until they are completely seated.
