JL door hinge nightmare after removal

[NJRadioGuy]

I bought two sets of Metalcloak hinge steps for my 2022 JLUR. What nobody told me was you must *NEVER* remove both bolts from the same hinge--only do one at a time, because there's a floating plate with the threaded holes behind the hinge, and it will drop very easily. Even with one bolt loose, the other opening will shift to the point you cannot put in the new bolt.

And that's now become my living nightmare. One bolt simply will not go in because it has nothing to thread into. We're expecting significant rain, which will allow water inside the hinge assembly and accelerate rusting. I'm completely at my wit's end. I've spent hours and nothing is working. Any suggestions? I can't even get a service appointment for four to five weeks out, and I don't really want to spend $190/hr in labour if I can avoid it.

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[longfiredragon]

I bought two sets of Metalcloak hinge steps for my 2022 JLUR. What nobody told me was you must *NEVER* remove both bolts from the same hinge--only do one at a time, because there's a floating plate with the threaded holes behind the hinge, and it will drop very easily. Even with one bolt loose, the other opening will shift to the point you cannot put in the new bolt.

And that's now become my living nightmare. One bolt simply will not go in because it has nothing to thread into. We're expecting significant rain, which will allow water inside the hinge assembly and accelerate rusting. I'm completely at my wit's end. I've spent hours and nothing is working. Any suggestions? I can't even get a service appointment for four to five weeks out, and I don't really want to spend $190/hr in labour if I can avoid it.

So, your saying the plate is inside the door? And when you removed both bolts it fell down inside?

If so, remove the door panel and see if you can dig out the plate and re-attach or realign everything.

Or am I not understanding you situation?

 

[Roky]

I bought two sets of Metalcloak hinge steps for my 2022 JLUR. What nobody told me was you must *NEVER* remove both bolts from the same hinge--only do one at a time, because there's a floating plate with the threaded holes behind the hinge, and it will drop very easily. Even with one bolt loose, the other opening will shift to the point you cannot put in the new bolt.

And that's now become my living nightmare. One bolt simply will not go in because it has nothing to thread into. We're expecting significant rain, which will allow water inside the hinge assembly and accelerate rusting. I'm completely at my wit's end. I've spent hours and nothing is working. Any suggestions? I can't even get a service appointment for four to five weeks out, and I don't really want to spend $190/hr in labour if I can avoid it.

If one side is still attached and the nut plate is steel you might be able to use a power magnet to move it, if you loosen the other side…..my luck, it would not be magneticable, (new word) hopefully you have better luck than I do…

 

[roaniecowpony]

Take the door panel off.

 

[bllprk]

Take the door off and place it horizontal as opposed to vertical. Then align the plate.

 

[mbperfection]

I bought two sets of Metalcloak hinge steps for my 2022 JLUR. What nobody told me was you must *NEVER* remove both bolts from the same hinge--only do one at a time, because there's a floating plate with the threaded holes behind the hinge, and it will drop very easily. Even with one bolt loose, the other opening will shift to the point you cannot put in the new bolt.

And that's now become my living nightmare. One bolt simply will not go in because it has nothing to thread into. We're expecting significant rain, which will allow water inside the hinge assembly and accelerate rusting. I'm completely at my wit's end. I've spent hours and nothing is working. Any suggestions? I can't even get a service appointment for four to five weeks out, and I don't really want to spend $190/hr in labour if I can avoid it.

Hey, that's a frustrating situation! Have you tried using a clamp or temporary fastener to hold the floating plate in place while you replace the bolt? That might give you enough stability to get the new bolt in. If not, you might want to try using a thread chaser or tap to clean out the threaded hole. Hopefully, that'll help you get the bolt in before the rain sets in!

 

[Terrymo]

I bought two sets of Metalcloak hinge steps for my 2022 JLUR. What nobody told me was you must *NEVER* remove both bolts from the same hinge--only do one at a time, because there's a floating plate with the threaded holes behind the hinge, and it will drop very easily. Even with one bolt loose, the other opening will shift to the point you cannot put in the new bolt.

And that's now become my living nightmare. One bolt simply will not go in because it has nothing to thread into. We're expecting significant rain, which will allow water inside the hinge assembly and accelerate rusting. I'm completely at my wit's end. I've spent hours and nothing is working. Any suggestions? I can't even get a service appointment for four to five weeks out, and I don't really want to spend $190/hr in labour if I can avoid it.

Here’s a video that shows the inner door panel removal.

 

[73TAWM]

I didn't have any issues when changing mine other than the factory painted bolts partially stripping and removing the paint. Now I can't go back to factory because it'll look like ass and probably rust the bolt head.

I purchased the steps so we could access the roof better for loading kayaks. But after loading/unloading on the river accesses it has become clear that they are not that helpful. Sure you can get "up" but you have hardly nothing to grab and if you do, that leaves you with one hand to do the work. One of those decisions I regret. I now keep a small step ladder with me when we go kayaking and it works much better.

 

[NJRadioGuy]

Hey, that's a frustrating situation! Have you tried using a clamp or temporary fastener to hold the floating plate in place while you replace the bolt? That might give you enough stability to get the new bolt in. If not, you might want to try using a thread chaser or tap to clean out the threaded hole. Hopefully, that'll help you get the bolt in before the rain sets in!

The problem here is that the plate with the threads is fairly heavy and has fallen out of alignment with the exterior holes on the doors. The threads themselves are undamaged but won't line up with the holes in the exterior to allow the fastener to catch. And I have tried every trick I know, short of taking the door off and working on it in my living room (I don't have a flat surface anywhere else). With pop-up thunderstorms in the forecast every day this week I really don't want a door off for any length of time.

 

[NJRadioGuy]

Here’s a video that shows the inner door panel removal.

Sadly I have neither the knowledge/experience nor the tools (and replacement clips, because I will break half of them) to do this myself. I can follow simple directions, but when things go wrong, like broken bolts, etc, I don't know how to fix them. With a 70+ hour/week work commitment, I can't afford to spend 3 or 4 days "fixing" what should have been a 1-hour install. Lesson learned here, and I suspect I will have to pay the stupid tax at the local shop.

 

[Jebiruph]

Go buy a longer bolt at the hardware store and use that get the plate lined up with the hinge. Then install one of the factory bolts, remove the long bolt and install the other factory bolt.

I've removed and installed hinges several times and have always been able to get the factory bolts lined up and threaded into the plate.

 

[Terrymo]

Sadly I have neither the knowledge/experience nor the tools (and replacement clips, because I will break half of them) to do this myself. I can follow simple directions, but when things go wrong, like broken bolts, etc, I don't know how to fix them. With a 70+ hour/week work commitment, I can't afford to spend 3 or 4 days "fixing" what should have been a 1-hour install. Lesson learned here, and I suspect I will have to pay the stupid tax at the local shop.

Got it. No shame in that.

 

[Husky Man]

Sadly I have neither the knowledge/experience nor the tools (and replacement clips, because I will break half of them) to do this myself. I can follow simple directions, but when things go wrong, like broken bolts, etc, I don't know how to fix them. With a 70+ hour/week work commitment, I can't afford to spend 3 or 4 days "fixing" what should have been a 1-hour install. Lesson learned here, and I suspect I will have to pay the stupid tax at the local shop.

Unfortunately, I know your story all too well

My Wife gave me some hinge steps for Christmas 2022, and I was really looking forward to using them, and thought, hey take out four bolts for each, put the steps over the hinge and put the four included longer bolts in and DONE. So Simple that even I could do it, Right?

So it would seem, but as we all know, sometimes things aren’t what they seem, like this project. Not only did I experience the loose nut plate issue, that was a Major Pita, but EVERYONE of the hinge bolts were so tight ( maybe paint glued?) that I broke several torx bits trying to get them loose.

I had enough trouble with the rear passenger door, that I didn’t even end up putting any of the steps on, and like 73TAMW mentioned, I now have some partially stripped, rusting bolt heads that look like shit

I got to the point that like you, I was worried that I would end up having a door not properly mounted, and not be able to properly fix it, and here on the western slope of Mt Hood it rains a LOT.

I have thought about having a shop put them on, but don’t want to think about what that “Simple Project “ would cost

Working 70 hour weeks, I gotta ask, are you a truck driver too?

Believe me Brother, I know and feel your pain


Doug

 

[NJRadioGuy]

So it would seem, but as we all know, sometimes things aren’t what they seem, like this project. Not only did I experience the loose nut plate issue, that was a Major Pita, but EVERYONE of the hinge bolts were so tight ( maybe paint glued?) that I broke several torx bits trying to get them loose.

Getting the originals out wasn't too hard. Dead-blow hammer the Torx bit into the bolt, 36" breaker bar and gentle break the seal. They all came out super easy this way. But the key, as I have subsequently learned, is do them ONE AT A TIME. OR ELSE :::waves hands::: this happens.

I now have the door off, the hinge off, and still no way to get both bolts in. One or the other, but never both. I can't take off the uppers now because their garbage hardware stripped heads. What a mongolian charlie foxtrot this has become!

 

[Husky Man]

I don’t remember what brand my steps are, but unless your’s are significantly different than mine, you can’t do one bolt at a time, you have to remove all four from each hinge, or the steps block the other bolts from coming out

That was my biggest concern, keeping the door supported and aligned to place the steps, and reinsert the bolts


Doug

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