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Hello, i own a 2004 Chevrolet Express Van (Extended) and i am having issues with the side door. One day all of a sudden it feels like someone welded the hinges solid. It is extremley hard to close and open the door. You can even see the hinge flexing where it is connected to the frame of the car. If you guys need any more information let me know and i will post up. Any help or input will be highley appreacited. Thank you
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The problem is corrosion/seizing of the hinge pin. Acutally the problem is a really crappy design from GM. The GM "fix" to this is to drill a 1/8" hole the middle hinge section until you get to the pin (I prefer 2 holes, 1 near top 1 near bottom). But anyway, the basic idea is once you have the hole spray a good penetrating lube equipped with a nozzle straw into the hole and soak the piss out of it. After letting it soak in, gently move the door back and forth until it frees up. This could take a couple days of doing depending on the situation. THEN, you want to lube it again with say lithium grease again thru a straw for a lasting lube. Some folks even silicone the holes when done. If you have a nice van such as a conversion and don't mind spending some dough, you can have a body shop remove the pins and replace with stainless steel or even clean up and grease the originals. All I can tell you is, I have been working for days to repair a broken hinge I have in lieu of a grand to have a shop do it.
My side door hinges were binding, I tried lubricating them without success, eventually one lower hinge partially broke. So myself and my helper access the van through the rear door. It seems to work better for us. I don't want to completely break the side door hinge. There must be a better replacement than hundreds for each hinge.
My '03 3500 extended side doors are almost completely frozen. The right side lower hinge is actually broken. I went to my local body shop to inquire replacing all hinges.. and they rolled their eyes!!! They have an '03 on a rack that was in an sideswipe, and GM can't get the correct hinges they say. He showed me what they sent. Two look like the originals, and two look like a "redesign"?? He's been on trying to get a straight answer, but nobody at GM can give him one!!! Supposedly they are redesigning them, but it doesn't look like a great fix... imagine a gap in the middle of the hinge exposing the pin.. yeah, not sure how that is not going to corrode and have the same issues??
Anyways, I'm just dealing with it for now, but would really like them replaced. I'll post up here as I find out more info..
I 've run into this problem on a couple of Express models at my shop.
I just picked up an 06 Express 1500 Cargo this last Thursday and it has this also.
What I have done is use PB Blaster on the hinges and work them a few hundred times (no kidding) and I did this each day for about 4 days.
The PB Blaster will penetrate and bust up the rust , and drip all over the paint.
When they're good and loose , blow out the hinges as best you can with compressed air and then start lubing them with Castle Endura spray.
The Endura will penetrate like the PB Blaster and then gel up like a grease after it's in there.
Do this for a couple more days , and then monthly after that.....
The Endura is about the greatest thing I've used on the door hinge pins and also the door lock tumblers.
We actually had a contractor come in with stuck hinges and we had to vibrate the hinges with an air chisel in order to get the PB Blaster in the pins.
We wrecked the paint , but he was fine with it anyway.
Good luck with yours....
Mick
Side door hinge issues
My 2003 has one broke hinge and others binding..
