Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Maintenance & Servicing Door hinges worn?

I have now owned a Plus 4 for about 2 months. It’s 3 years old with about 6000 miles on the clock. I have spent many happy hours looking for the sources of rattles and squeaks and fixed a lot by just doing up screws and nuts and bolts properly.

The next squeak on the list seems to originate where the padding on the trailing edge of the side screens rubs on the bodywork just by the hood pivot. Digging around a bit more suggests this in turn is caused by play in the door hinges – on the drivers side there is about 2mm of up and down play at this point and about half this on the passenger door.

Can anyone tell me if this is normal in a car which has been so little used? Is there an easy cure for someone who's not much of a mechanic? Would new stainless steel hinges from Heart of England solve the problem? Would they in fact fit?

All suggestions gratefully received.

The hinges from HoE are the same as supplied by MMC, just polished (or so John Worrell told me).

Mine are older hinges and in the past appear to have been shimmed with thin washes to gap them a bit.

The HoE hinges would most probably fit; there was a period when some hinges would not (late '70s).

Have you tightened the hinge bolts?

You can also get thicker diameter pins from HoE

Yes all the hinge bolts (including one woodscrew each side) are tight.

I took the drivers door off recently to polish the hinges and replace the securing bolts with Stainless. The hinges on my 2009 car are heavy die cast stainless and the pins a very tight fit.

After 5 / 22,000 miles years the door hinges are without any free play. If I try to lift the catch end of the door there is no free movement, the car rocks on its springs.

BUT just checking the bolts isn't enough as the bolts into the door are not captive, so can seem to be tight when they are not. To be 100% cetain you have to remove the door trim card. Not difficult, just a few screws.

Conradfan,
If its any consolation, my 2009 Plus4(40000Kms/25000Miles) is exactly the same -- the hinges seem tight, but there is definitely some play that makes the sidescreen squeak as you say --it does so sufficiently to rub the paint off at the point of impact. I would really like to get to the bottom of it so I await your "fix" with interest!!!

Cheers!

Missed your post, Peter -- I'll check the bolts -- I had assumed they were captive so that may be the solution!!

Thanks!!

Robbie,

also check the side screen captive nuts/bolts are tight in the door frame...

But in the end the side screens are flexible and do move.

Peter,
Thanks -- I do check the sidescreens frequently - locktite blue is my friend here!!

Happy Birthday Robbie!!