How Do I Change the Door Hinge Pins on a Ford Truck?

The hinges on a Ford pickup truck are securely bolted and welded onto the door. Any repairs to the hinges themselves should only be done by professionals. If the pins connecting each part of the hinges need changing, it is possible to replace them. This process requires intensive labor and more than one person. Consult your mechanic before taking on this project.

Replacing the Pins

Change the hinge pins one at a time, unless you have either an engine hoist, a chain suspended from your workshop's ceiling or at least two assistants. Hook the engine hoist to the top of the door's window frame, hang the door by the chain or have the two assistants hold the door in place. If you don't have any of these, you still need at least one other helper to hold the door while you work on the pins one at a time.

Start with the lower pin. Pin removal kits are available at auto parts and online shops, but you can also use a punch and hammer. Grasp the pin's flat or wider end with pliers as you hammer the pin out of the hinge; on a lower pin, you should be hammering downward. The door needs to hang slightly out of alignment so there is room for the pins to give. Keep in mind the hinge pin consists of a top bushing (which looks like a small ring) and a lower pin.

With the old pin and bushing removed, Insert the bushing for the new pin into the top of the hinge, then drive the pin with the hammer upward into the hinge. Tap the hinge as gently as possible to avoid breaking the bushing.

Move to the upper pin once the lower pin is in place. The process is essentially a mirror image of the lower pin--hammer the pin upward to remove it from the hinge and downward with the bushing installed at the bottom to install the new hinge.
During installation of the new hinges, it helps to have that second person supporting the door because that person can adjust the position as needed to make the installation easier.