How To Remove Hood Hinges For Jeep Wrangler

WHEN It COMES TO MODIFICATIONS FOR YOUR JEEP, many people always look toward more than 'center catching' things like bumpers, tops, or wheels. Yet often it is the smaller parts that could utilise our attention outset.

Things like your Jeep's hinges.

The mill hinges on my 2008 Jeep Rubicon Unlimited were well beyond 'looking a bit rough'. They tend to take a lot of impairment on their leading edge from rocks kicked upwards past the tires, with the ones on the rear doors soaking upward the worst of it. With the recent installation of larger tires, the amount of road debris flung upwards at the protruding portions of the hinges was increased also.

Aside from that, they're fabricated of aluminum and many JK hinges weren't properly treated at the manufacturing plant to resist corrosion before they were painted. I've seen a handful of much newer Wranglers than mine, that accept cratered pigment on the trunk side of the hinges- an early indicator this type of thing will happen to them in the near future.

After 120k miles, mine accept 'uglied' upwards quite nicely. At some bespeak, they were also touched upward by the previous owner. While this probably made them await slightly meliorate in the short term, they were easily the ugliest parts of the trunk.

The combination of corrosion below the pigment, and stone chips taking chunks away from the top coat, have made me crave a solution since the first day my Jeep came home with me. Even if I removed all the hinges and sent them out to be sandblasted and painted, the substandard anodization on the aluminum would crusade problems over and over again.

The hood hinges as well suffer from these same bug. Pigment is peeling off them as well, and a few chunks have flaked off in the last several months.

Luckily, our friends at Kentrol take a perfect solution for this problem. These guys manufacture replacement hinges with several distinct advantages over the factory originals.

First of all, Kentrol swivel replacements are made from T-304 stainless steel, and are offered in three finishes: polished stainless, blackness powder coat and textured black pulverisation coat. Additionally, yous can become them in a paint-ready stainless version if you lot prefer the colour matched look.

If yous've read whatsoever of my previous articles, yous'll know I'grand a big fan of pulverisation coating. The protection advantage it offers over paint is remarkable.

Kentrol hinge kits likewise come with every bit of hardware yous'll need for installation. They use marine class stainless steel fasteners, and so yous know they'll concur up improve than the original hardware, especially when subjected to off-road abuse.

These hinges are also slightly oversized. While non really noticeable when held upwards side by side, this actress size allows the new hinge to cover over the paint seam left behind when Jeep painted your doors with the original hinges installed. So even with a brand new pair of OEM hinges that yous sent out for paint, you would finish up with a fiddling nastiness around the edges. This isn't the case at all with Kentrol's higher quality replacements.

Kentrol has been in the Jeep market since 1980, manufacturing high quality stainless steel gear for CJ-5 models all the way upwardly to the electric current JK. You lot don't get equally good equally they are overnight, but with more than 36 years of making high-quality products for the Jeep vehicles they dearest, it'southward prophylactic to say they take information technology downward to a science. Their product line doesn't stop at hinges, either.

Every single office is inspected before it leaves their facility to make sure yous're getting the quality y'all deserve for the money yous're investing.

Installation of these parts is straightforward (and somewhat repetitive), merely some care must exist taken during the process to retain your door hinge adjustment equally much equally possible. Adjusting doors can be a frustrating effort, just if you supersede 1 hinge at a fourth dimension and follow this method, you lot will accept a much easier time getting them dialed in correctly.

This is an ideal time to protect the metallic under the hinge if you lot choose to practise so, and I but put minimal effort into this. However, I'll outline the steps you should take if you want to practise a more than meticulous chore while you have everything apart.

What you volition demand for the door hinges:

10mm socket to assemble the new hinges
T-47 Torx flake for the OEM door side hinge bolts (T-50 will work with extra endeavour)
13mm socket for the body side hinge bolts
10" ⅜" extension to clear the dash on the upper front door hinges
5mm Allen socket or key for the door hinges
A few ⅜" ratchets- you're going to be switching sockets a lot, this can salvage yous a bunch of fourth dimension
Anti-seize lubricant
A abrupt knife
A hammer (to tap your Torx bit into the painted door Torx bolts if using a T-fifty)
A floor or canteen jack
A length of 2x4 or 4x4 18-24" long (depending on how tall your Jeep is, or how high your jack goes)

What you will need for the hood hinges:

T-47 Torx chip for the OEM door side hinge bolts (once more, a T-50 volition work)
T-30 Torx scrap for the cowl panel bolts
13mm socket for the trunk side of the hinges and wiper arm removal
A wiper arm removal tool, or other small puller (may be required)
A trim clip/door panel removal tool
5mm Allen socket or primal for the hood side of the hinges
Anti-seize lubricant
A sharp knife
A hammer (to tap your Torx bit into the painted hood Torx bolts if using a T-50)

If you want to paint under the hinges:

Fine grit emery textile or sanding block
Rust inhibiting primer
Trunk color bear upon upwardly paint (or black automotive enamel) in a spray can
Clear RTV silicone
Blue masking tape, newspaper

Door hinges:

Since I'thou working on an Unlimited, I've gotten a lot of practice while replacing the full set of viii door hinges. Having someone to help balance the door and assist feed the hinges through the door gap is definitely a plus if you can find a partner. I did the first door by myself, and quickly learned how of import it was to take all my tools inside easy accomplish. In one case you take a hinge removed, balancing the door on the jack can be tricky.

Get-go, beginning by putting all the hinges together with the hardware provided. The nylon washer goes between the two hinges, with a flat washer, lock washer and 10mm nut on the lesser completing the associates.

Upper body side hinges have three bolt holes, while the lower ones have 2. The door side hinges are either left or right side, and so assembling them all ahead of fourth dimension will salve you a headache later. All the manufactory body side 13mm bolts will be replaced also, with provided stainless washers.

For the next step, go around to each hinge and split up the paint seam with a knife betwixt the hinge and door. Information technology may also be helpful to do the same around each Torx bolt, as this volition make removal easier. The hinges come with new countersunk stainless steel Allen bolts, and so you don't demand to worry about being gentle with the painted Torx bolts. What we're trying to avoid is flaking pigment off the door when the hinge is removed.

Lift up gently on the door with a beam of wood between your floor jack and the underside of the door. I used a 2x4, but a 4x4 piece may be a more than secure platform. Don't create as well much upwardly pressure - we just want to back up it when the hinges are replaced. If yous're planning on painting the doors backside the hinges, a stable platform is more essential unless y'all actually like the idea of holding on to the door and watching paint dry.

Trace around each body side hinge with a permanent marker and then you have a crude idea of where it goes.

One time that is done, I would recommend starting with the torso side 13mm lower swivel on your commencement door, but leave the upper bolt in for now. Loosen it to the point that you tin can become information technology out past manus once the door side bolts are removed. Next, move around to the exterior and remove the Torx bolts belongings the hinge to the door.

This is where I found it useful to have multiple ratchets handy. I was quickly switching back and forth betwixt T-47 Torx, 5mm allen and 13mm sockets. That gets onetime later on a few minutes.

The swivel may still have a slight bail to the door, or it may come loose now. Give it a slight tug if it isn't separated; the ane 13mm trunk side bolt will keep gravity from sending it skittering beyond your paint on the way to the flooring. Once it breaks complimentary, remove that last bolt and feed it through the door gap.

Match each nasty hinge as yous remove it, with its beautiful new counterpart. Yous tin can see how well manufactured and coated the Kentrol hinges are in this picture - they take quality control very seriously, and information technology shows.

I did not paint my doors with the hinges removed, but I may in the spring. For now, I knocked the surface rust off and coated information technology with some WD-40.

Next, feed the door swivel through the gap, and install the new 13mm bolts and flat washers by hand. I coated mine with a little anti-seize compound in case they need to be removed later. Line them up with your marker lines, but go along in heed that they are slightly oversized, and may cover over the markings a bit. Most of the in-out-up-downward motility is on this side, and so having information technology lined up properly will make proper aligning easier. Tighten with the 13mm socket.

There is a centering plate behind the door sheet metal that the new Allen hinge bolts thread into, and the best way I found to exercise this was to snug these bolts in, but not fully tighten them until the body side was adapted properly. Apply a little anti-seize on these, too.

Door adjustment is the very definition of "trial and error". Replacing the hinges one at a fourth dimension minimizes the amount the entire door can end up out of adjustment, only slowly adjusting it back into spec later each hinge will get you where you need to be faster. If your door closed normally prior to hinge replacement, I would Non recommend adjusting the striker on the rear of the door frame. At the very least, this can be used as a stock-still point of reference. Changing its aligning in the heart of this procedure will just lead to frustration.

Open and close the door, and encounter how close it is. Accommodate the hinge equally necessary, and attempt to go the door snug against the body without having to slam it. Excessive force required while endmost usually ways the torso side hinge is adjusted in too far. Watch the gaps all effectually the door though, equally having even 1 hinge out of whack can take a remarkable difference in these tolerances.

Once you become it correct, then fully tighten the Allen bolts on the door side of the hinge with the door airtight.

Next, movement on to the upper swivel for that door. On the front doors, an extension will make is easier to get to the upper bolts.

Echo the entire process as you did for the lower, and then motion on to the other hinges. Working methodically and non rushing through the steps volition make aligning a snap. If you're anything similar me, you'll get really practiced at it just before you're completely washed. Then, expect your other Jeep friends to want these Kentrol hinges in one case they meet yours - and so you might exist able to trade a agglomeration of complimentary beer and pizza for your newly acquired "expert-level" skills.

Hood Hinges:

Kentrol's hood hinges were a breeze to install. There were a few minor catches to overcome, simply the process was simpler than the doors. A second person is recommended for this procedure as well, since you're going to take to remove the cowl panel between the hood and the windshield. The two hinges are identical and come pre-assembled, and all new stainless steel mounting hardware is supplied.

Kickoff, make sure your wiper artillery come off hands.

Since removing the arms should only take a few minutes, it makes sense to try getting them off (even before yous lodge any replacement stuff) before you leap into this project.

Pull off the plastic cover over the base of operations of the arm, and remove the 13mm nut. Since mine take seen a fair amount of route salt, they wouldn't pull straight off. This is a good thing to check before you plan to start replacing the hinges, as you may need an boosted tool to remove them. We used a battery terminal puller, which has two jaws and a center threaded pin, but you lot may be able to substitute another small two-arm puller if you have one available.

Quadratec as well sells a Performance Tool Wiper Arm Removal Tool for ones that are actually stuck. The goal here is to pull them straight up without bending the linkage shaft, so prying isn't a good thought.

Four T-30 Torx bolts hold the cowl panel downwards, two on either side. Remove these offset, then open the hood to gain access to the ii trim clips holding it downwardly on the forepart edge. If you don't have a Operation Tool Door Panel Removal Tool already, y'all might want to pick one up with your adjacent order. They are useful for removing all sorts of clips on your Jeep.

After removing those two clips, there are two additional tabs holding the panel in place. They're not easy to see with it installed, and so here's a picture with the console removed for reference:

The cowl must first slide forward, then out 1 of the sides. The panel is thinner estimate steel than yous would await, and intendance must exist taken to avoid creasing it. We institute that with the hood completely vertical, the panel could exist pulled towards the front of the Jeep to free it from the last ii clips, so pulled out the side after getting it past the windshield hinge. I wouldn't want to try this with ane pair of hands, and so this is the step yous'll desire to have aid with.

As before, cut around the paint seam with a precipitous knife, you don't want flakes of hood paint flying when you lot pop those hinges off.

Close and latch your hood. Using a T-47 (or T-50 tapped into place), remove the two bolts holding one hinge to the hood. These required a little more endeavor than the door hinges, and then make sure your Torx bit is all the fashion in there before going crazy with the leverage. Again, we desire to do one hinge at a time so physics aren't fighting united states of america.

With those removed, get later the 2 13mm bolts holding the hinge to the body. The swivel volition come up right off in your hand after that.

You will likely find more of the aforementioned surface rust nether these, since they were as well painted while installed on a primer coated hood. I'll be replacing my hood earlier the minor discoloration always becomes an effect, and so I left this lonely.

After applying a small corporeality of anti-seize to the tips of all the bolts, thread them in past hand. Use the new flat washers with the 13mm stainless bolts. Tighten these first, then movement on to the 5mm Allen bolts on the hood side.

Move on to the other side of the hood and supercede that hinge using the same process.

One time they are both in place, verify proper performance of the hood before reinstalling the cowl. No adjustment should be necessary, only this is the best fourth dimension to double cheque.

When reinstalling the cowl, make certain you only snug the T-30 bolts down - as I said before, this panel is sparse, and it would be very easy to dimple the area effectually the bolt holes past over tightening them.

Everything turned out swell, and I'grand very impressed past the precision engineering that went into these hinges. If yours are looking even close to as bad every bit mine were, you might want to consider these equally an upgrade.

Now, a note on painting:

If you want to add a little rust protection behind the hinges while yous work, plan on spending a good deal more fourth dimension on this installation.

If y'all're working on a two door Jeep, it wouldn't be too bad - merely calculation drying time for a couple of coats of paint, a the chore of masking everything will add a lot of steps to the project.

Afterward removing the hinge completely, mask off the area with painters tape and paper. Since you'll exist doing this 1 hinge at a time, plan on having a completely free solar day with enough of extra activities (or beer) to distract you while each coat dries. Sand off the surface rust and wipe clean, so spray the rust inhibiting primer on the bare metal.

Wait for it to dry out, usually about 10-15 minutes if the humidity isn't besides high. Spray the tiptop glaze enamel on over the primer, and expect at least 20 minutes.

Once that's washed, add a thin dewdrop of clear silicone around the exterior perimeter of the mounting surface of each hinge, and so install. This volition proceed wet from getting between the torso and hinges. Suit as you usually would, then move on to the next hinge. Expect until the silicone dries and pare the backlog away.

Every bit I said, I may exercise this in the jump. With the doors off (and not needed every unmarried day) I should be able to find time to make clean up the paint. By then I may take bigger fish to fry, nevertheless.