Advice Please - Welding door hinge

[Where'sMyBrew?]

Hi

As an DIY amateur, I need your collective wisdom please. Below is a pic of a fractured lower door hinge on my VW van. I suspect at some time in its life, this hinge was cut and welded (poorly), hence this straight line fracture, which occured under strain after several days of bedding in a new door seal.

The hinge bolts onto the A-post, but is riveted onto the door from which it can't be easily be removed.

I've a Portamig 215. I've not measured (yet) but I guess the the hinge is 4 or 5mm thickness.

I'm conscious I've got to be very careful with the heat to make sure I don't warp it the door gaps were all perfectly aligned prior to the fracture, so I need to ensure the hinge doesn't alter position relative to the door.

In terms of an approach I was thinking along these lines:

- tack weld top and bottom faces whilst in situ on the van to ensure fracture lines up perfectly
- remove door from van
- bevel a V-channel along the front facing line of fracture using a dremel. 3mm width ?
- slowly butt weld along this channel with short runs of 0.5 cm, plenty of cooling time inbetween to avoid heat build up
- once front is done (and stone cold), bevel a v-channel along the rear of the fracture and repeat.
- grind down welds, skim filler and paint....

oh, and I also want to (hopefully) avoid damaging the paint on the door itself.....

I'll have a practice on identical metal before hand.

any advice much appreciated.

cheers
Gareth

 

[ford34/2]

save your self the bother and try and get s/h from scrap yard.

Used to try and do very old Bedford CF van hinges-- watse of good time never lasted a few hours some times, but the boss thought it was a good idea against the price of a new one.
Stan

 

[Rig Pig]

Can you tack it in situ and remove it to weld it up so you don't burn the surrounding paint?

 

[Welderpaul]

'Weldable' steel doesn't snap like that so i would guess its made from some unweldable junk??

Surely the hinge is just bolted on - can you just to obtain a new one?

 

[brightspark]

'Weldable' steel doesn't snap like that so i would guess its made from some unweldable junk??

Surely the hinge is just bolted on - can you just to obtain a new one?

ive snapped them before and the metal looks porous as in the picture. 4get the welding and buy a new one

 

[Welderpaul]

ive snapped them before and the metal looks porous as in the picture. 4get the welding and buy a new one

Yeah, buy a new one, spray it the matching colour, bolt on and jobs a good en.

 

[cumbriasteve]

'The hinge bolts onto the A-post, but is riveted onto the door from which it can't be easily be removed'

Apologies if my suggestion sounds daft but I know little about VW vans:

I thought they would have such a following there would be bolt kits available to replicate the rivet size once they have been drilled out, you can't be the first to have to remove a hinge.

Even if not, it should not be such a big task to remove the rivets and make a bolt up to fit for replacing the new hinge.

 

[CRB]

?T2/1 or 2/2? Get a new hinge. Loads available for your van.

Try getting LT gear...........nice colour by the way......

 

[the snooper]

not all in that picture is what it seems the part of the hinge on the left is the only part of the broken surface that you can see the part on the right is where paint/ filler has flaked off, I would give it a go welding that, my guess would be that the hinge has been badly welded in the past as suggested or the hinge is partially seized and the back and forth pressure has caused metal fatigue as it does when people bend forks back and forth, if you can protect the paint on the door well enough give it a go

 

[gordon stephenson]

If you do try welding (which is what I would try first) Pack all around the hinge with paper, pulped in water and squeezed to make a mouldable heat sink to keep the paintwork nice.

 

[backpurge]

Only problem with this suggestion is, if you get water in the joint you are going to create even more problems for yourself

 

[Justme]

Take the door trim panel off.

I bet that the rivets are in fact captive bolts & the nuts will accessible from inside the door.

 

[Where'sMyBrew?]

thanks for the comments fellas. Picture of the cause below....hinge as been cut & welded v poorly, no penetration. I'm surprised its held up at all to be honest.

I can remove the rivited end from the door, and re-atattach it using allen-head countersunk bolts. So I'll take the whole piece off the door to protect it's paint.

I'm of the mind to have a got at re-welding this together myslelf.

it's 6mm thinkness. any comments on my proposed technique of
- tack into place on top and bottom faces
- bevel a V-channel along the front facing line of fracture using a dremel. 3mm width ?
- slowly butt weld along this channel with short runs of 0.5 cm, plenty of cooling time inbetween to avoid heat build up
- once front is done (and stone cold), bevel a v-channel along the rear of the fracture and repeat.
- grind down welds, skim filler and paint....

thanks .

 

[keithski122]

If its anything like a beetle (which I expect it is) then they are rivets not bolts.You could drill them out and replace with countersunk m8 bolts and nuts.As for welding it is possible as I did it to my beetle when I replaced the heater channels and the door needed "adjusting" to fit the gap.I cut the hinges like on your pic, staggered the joint by 1mm and rewelded, worked fine. I probably did it much as you suggested, maybe using an old blanket to cover the door up to prevent damage.

 

[cumbriasteve]

Your plan of attack sounds about what I would do, I don't think I would be too concerned about distortion though, it's a fair thickness and even if it does move a fraction, a good belt will move it back and test the weld at the same time.

I did weld a hinge off something many years back, think it was a Ford, V'eed both sides, blasted the penetration in with an arc set, ground it back and it was fine, can't remember any distortion problems.

 

[the snooper]

as you say tack it in place v it ( a good v) not a narrow deep v the weld may not reach the bottom of the v and weld in one pass you will get better penetration then stop starts then v the tacked side and weld it up the same

 

[Bill Edwards]

V it out and weld it in a continuous run making sure to push the torch, not pull it.
I wouldn't worry about getting it too hot. If it does distort it'll soon knock straight.​