An easy way to change the door stop spring

[warren55]

I got a little tired of my driver's door whacking me in the leg or swinging open uncontrollably on a hill. I had the spring to fix it, but it seemed almost impossible to get back there behind the hinge. I had heard a few methods to install it, but this is what I came up with and it worked as well as I could have hoped!

I put a zip tie on one end of the spring and hooked the other end on the stationary ear on the back of the hinge. Then, using a screwdriver as a small pry bar (which you might want to cover with tape to avoid scratches) I put the tip through the loop on the zip tie and anchored it to the other side of the hinge where it bolts to the body and pried the spring over to the other ear. With the help of a friend and another screwdriver, we pushed the end of the spring down onto the ear once it was in position. The whole process took about 5 minutes. Hopefully these pictures will come through and help explain.

Once the spring is installed it's easy to cut off the zip tie and pull it out.

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Edited October 20, 2013 by warren55

[warren55]

Lots of views, but not one comment? Does someone have an easier way? Just curious.

[WayneC]

Having never attempted it, I can't really comment, but I'm curious: what were the other methods you'd heard about?

I probably would have tried to use something with a hook, sort of an ice pick with it's pointed end bent back on itself, to pull/stretch the spring and finesse it onto the anchoring tab.

What you did seems to have worked out fine and didn't require any special tools (the extra set of hands might be an issue for me, though).

[Devildog]

It needs no words, great idea.

Joe

[warren55]

Having never attempted it, I can't really comment, but I'm curious: what were the other methods you'd heard about?

I probably would have tried to use something with a hook, sort of an ice pick with it's pointed end bent back on itself, to pull/stretch the spring and finesse it onto the anchoring tab.

What you did seems to have worked out fine and didn't require any special tools (the extra set of hands might be an issue for me, though).

The main problem is it's location and getting a hold on the spring back there. I had heard of using a junk screwdriver with a notch cut in it, or using some long, curved needle nose pliers to pull it, but I knew it would be hard to hang on to it. It's a pretty stout little spring!

The nice thing about this way is you can add length to it and actually see what you're doing.

An extra set of hands is nice, but I'm pretty sure I could do it alone now that I've done it once, as long as you have a good light on the subject and a set of reading glasses to see what you're doing, assuming your eyes are anything like mine!

My next project is putting a modern gear reduction starter on the sbc 400. I think the hard part is over; getting the old direct drive unit off!

[TED DIMON]

Where does one get an appropriate spring?  Does one of the usual supply houses have it?

[mfg]

I've struggled installing that door check spring before.....and your method looks pretty slick!

TED....all major Stude suppliers carry that spring....Studebaker International, (for example)

[TED DIMON]

On 8/9/2017 at 4:43 PM, mfg said:

I've struggled installing that door check spring before.....and your method looks pretty slick!

TED....all major Stude suppliers carry that spring....Studebaker International, (for example)

Thanks!

[warren55]

Sorry the pictures have disappeared!  PM me if you need them...