Emergency Surgery For an Ol’ Hinge Injury
First impressions can be deceiving indeed. The term “hidden damage” is perhaps most commonly used by collision repair professionals, but garage hobbyists, rodders, and restorers of ol’ pickup trucks are not exempt from such surprises.
Recently while peelin’ the fenders off a ’55 Second Series Chevrolet truck, we found ourselves confronted by underlying ugliness, which was no doubt the result of a front end collision. The discovery did not come as a complete surprise. Upon initial inspection, before any disassembly had begun, minor damage to the ol’ truck’s front framehorns was apparent. Lifting the truck’s cab, however, revealed more serious damage. The still-diamond-shaped frame showed evidence of previous repair, which extended well under the cab’s floor.
While my partner Mrs. Rotten and I have built a few trucks, it’s never been without help from our friends. The needed frame repair was beyond our personal capabilities. So, while the truck’s still-rolling chassis gets the onceover twice at Color by Woz and Dave’s Wheel Alignment (both located in Riverside, California), you’re all invited to our ol’ familiar comfort zone—the garage, where we’ll be tending to the cab’s crash-related issues. This will include the “hidden damage” that we could not see before the truck’s disassembly.
01. At first. the ol’ truck’s...
01. At first. the ol’ truck’s fenders obscured our view of this caved-in section of cowl, which had been dismissed years ago. Even though this area will again be covered, we’ll fix it properly this time around. In fact, this could be just the push I’ll need to try out a new tool for the first time.
02. For the initial “rough-out”...
02. For the initial “rough-out” of the deeply dented cowl, this U.S. General football dolly will be the hot tip. This Harbor Freight score has been in my toolbox for several months, but I knew when I bought it on sale that it’d be useful on a day like today.
03. Before any serious thumpin’...
03. Before any serious thumpin’ could take place, the truck’s cab was secured on a set of distinctive orange ’n’ white jackstands. In this position we’ll be able to access the majority of the cab’s dings and dents.
04. Notice how the hinge...
04. Notice how the hinge mounting area of the jamb is puckered outward? That’s a direct result of the truck’s fenders being driven back upon frontal impact. Once the front door gaps had closed, something had to give. The peeled-away seam was likely caused by forcing the door open after the crash, and both sides were equally affected.
05. For the job at hand...
05. For the job at hand we’ll require a proper G-clamp, the closest available body hammer, a custom-made dolly, and one used auto air-conditioning component (lower right). According to parts guru, Mike Ferguson of Ed Martin Garage in Riverside, California, it’s Four Seasons part number 12693.
06. So the idea here is to...
06. So the idea here is to let the G-clamp do the work for us, while using ol’ part number 12693 as a backing inside the hinge pocket.
07. While this ain’t exactly...
07. While this ain’t exactly rocket science, or even rocket surgery for that matter, the G-clamp method of hinge pocket repair does lessen the amount of hammer ’n’ dolly work, which this ol’ dog’s worn-out elbows truly appreciate.
08. With the aforementioned...
08. With the aforementioned custom-made dolly held firmly against the inside of the previously puckered pocket, the final blows are light ones. Because the fenders were driven upward as well as back, the lower hinges were a little less traumatized.
09. The lowermost door hinge...
09. The lowermost door hinge bolt holes use factory spot-welded caged nuts. Here a coarse-threaded 3⁄8 hex bolt will make an excellent thread cleaner. First we’ll cut a slot with a shiny new Central Pneumatic angle die grinder, appropriately outfitted with a well-worn cut-off disc.
10. For quick cleanup of...
10. For quick cleanup of the freshly cut slot, a not-so-shiny, older Central Pneumatic die grinder with a 3M Scotch-Brite part number 07471 Clean & Strip Disc is all that’s required. We now have a low-cost, cool tool for cleaning the threads of our caged nuts.
11. This method is far less...
11. This method is far less likely to remove thread metal like a sharp tap probably would. Our pickup has responded favorably to the procedures you’ve witnessed so far. So with the remaining “rough-out” metalwork completed, the cab is now loaded on the trailer and prepped for the next step at our local abrasive blaster.
12. In light of everything...
12. In light of everything our original door hinges have been through, we’ve opted to step up for complete new units from Brothers Truck Parts. The cab and frame will be reunited soon, using Brothers’ cab mount set, and one way or another, uniform gapping is going to happen. It certainly is nice to be working on a truck we can get parts for.