Aftermarket Vendor ReviewProvide questions and comments about aftermarket part vendors for the Third Gen F-Body.
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I recently purchased the greaseable upper hinge pins and bushings from Top-Down Solutions (http://www.top-downsolutions.com), as well as various door pieces and tools. The kit is great (manufactured by thirdgensolutions), both in quality and functionality, excellent product for our cars! Top Down Solutions even emailed me to say my shipping would be delayed a day because of not having one of my purchase parts in stock at the moment. Packaging was well done as well, lots of bubble wrap and padding around everything. Great service and great products, and I highly recommend them to anyone with headlight, door, or hatch problems.
The only thing i would recommend is making sure you buy the roller and pin as well if yours is worn out, as the kit does not include those, nor does it include a new striker. If you are going to do this job, you might as well do it properly. I found the pin popper tool somewhat useful (as I had no other tool that was similar on hand, and it did help gettign that bottom pin out). The bushing tool also did help (for me). The door spring tool only helps so much I found out, it doesn't make removing or installing that spring a breeze but it does make it easier than *******ing it and prying it out with a crowbar. I had to drill out the pin for the roller in a drill press and install the new one in a vice, so prepared for that if your roller is worn. Also, make sure you buy some touch-up paint, as you are going to do some damage to your hinges, and no-one likes rust right?
Overall, hats off to Top-Down Solutions! Thank you!
I installed the new greasable kit, door striker, detent roller and pin and an almost new door latch and now my door shuts better than it did when it was new. Everything lined up perfectly. Bravo TDS for selling a great product and to Thirdgensolutions for manufacturing such a high quality product.
I can't thank you enough for posting this!!!
My passenger door is getting very "sticky" (sometimes you have to pick up on it in order to open it...) and I will be needing to do this very soon.
TDS stuff is excellent, and I highly recommend them. I found a method of doing the spring that you might find helpful.
Put the spring in a vice in a way that you can get at both top and bottom and compress it. Use safety wire and safety wire pliers to wire it compressed. Pop it into place and align it, and cut the wires. Bingo! Very fast and easy.
i purchased TDS's wonderbar a few years ago... great product fitment was awsome and strength/quality was there too. only prob i had was that the powder coating came off with in 1/2yr or so, not complelty but everywhere but the tube part. i ripped it out and POR15 the CR@P outa it lol.
quick question... i have 2 birds a 86TA and my 87 formula 383, the door hindges should be replaced since the doors squeek when they open but the 86's door drags on the sill ground effects. how long did it take to do a door... from begginning to finish? and how much did it cost total? also would replacing the just the pins/bushings fix my door enough? my door isnt so bad on the 87. ive seen the kits for for alot. what would i need just to remedy the problem since it looks like my bushing is the only thing really worn. thanks
It can take a few hours the first time, but if the door drags on the gfx, like my door did, it's probably worn the lower hinge, more than just the pin and bushing, again, like my door. When I did the pins and bushings on my Camaro I bought 2 pin and bushing kits for the lower hinge, and made the holes in the door half of the hinge big enough to accept bushings, so now both halves of the hinge have bushings, on the lower hinge.
For the upper hinge I took the bushings out of the passenger side door on my parts car, and made pins that look just like the ones that TDS sells, but oversized, to compensate for any ware in the bushing. I made my pins out of 316 stainless.
This is a cheap and easy solution, if you have access to a lathe, and, for 1 door, I spent less than $10.
If you plan to use all off the shelf parts, or buy them from TDS or wherever, you can figure out how much it will all cost. I just made my own because my local NAPA didn't have the upper pins, and I thought it was a real waste of money to spend $70+ per door for a kit like what TDS sells.
about 6 years ago i replaced my upper hinges with a kit from tds. to this day the doors open and close without any drop or drag. great job to tds and thirdgen solutions!
It took me and one other person several hours, but we were very slow and careful. We used an engine stand and some huge heavy duty straps (rated at a couple thousand pounds each) and an engine leveler to hold the door up while doing this, and it worked great. You will scratch up paint on the hinges, so I also suggest getting some touch up paint to keep the rust at bay. You could probably make pins and bushings that work yourself like gregsz-28 says, if you have access to a lathe, materials, and you have the knowledge to do so (which I have none of the above). Still, for what it's worth, I would say the greaseable pins and bushing kit is still a good buy for the average person who just wants the stuff that will work, unless your door is really messed up and requires oversized bushings and pins-then you will have to get creative.
I also did mine a month or so ago and the difference is night and day. I used a hoist with a couple of slings to support the door and was able to do it all easily by myself. Price is steep for the kit but worth it IMO. Of course, Lon is easily one of the very best merchants hands down. Hat's off to Top Down Solutions.
I recently purchased the greaseable upper hinge pins and bushings from Top-Down Solutions (http://www.top-downsolutions.com), as well as various door pieces and tools. The kit is great (manufactured by thirdgensolutions), both in quality and functionality, excellent product for our cars! Top Down Solutions even emailed me to say my shipping would be delayed a day because of not having one of my purchase parts in stock at the moment. Packaging was well done as well, lots of bubble wrap and padding around everything. Great service and great products, and I highly recommend them to anyone with headlight, door, or hatch problems.
The only thing i would recommend is making sure you buy the roller and pin as well if yours is worn out, as the kit does not include those, nor does it include a new striker. If you are going to do this job, you might as well do it properly. I found the pin popper tool somewhat useful (as I had no other tool that was similar on hand, and it did help gettign that bottom pin out). The bushing tool also did help (for me). The door spring tool only helps so much I found out, it doesn't make removing or installing that spring a breeze but it does make it easier than *******ing it and prying it out with a crowbar. I had to drill out the pin for the roller in a drill press and install the new one in a vice, so prepared for that if your roller is worn. Also, make sure you buy some touch-up paint, as you are going to do some damage to your hinges, and no-one likes rust right?
Overall, hats off to Top-Down Solutions! Thank you!
I replaced all the bushings and pins and rollers on my car... Also got a new spring.. Got the greasable ones and my doors close 100% perfectly.. No sag. no creaking, no vibration... I also at the same time got a new striker and weather stripping.. Might as well do everything at once while you're there!
Great stuff... Works well... My doors never been happier!
__________________ "An engine is like an orchestra. It's made up of wind, brass, percussion, and a whole range of other complimentary sections, all working to make that beautiful music that we call 'performance'..."
271FWHP - 354FWTQ --> (UN-TUNED... Tuning in progress! Will DYNO again soon...)
For mods go here --> http://1986irocz.tripod.com/
14.2 @ 96 on the 1/4 mile...
I installed the new greasable kit, door striker, detent roller and pin and an almost new door latch and now my door shuts better than it did when it was new. Everything lined up perfectly. Bravo TDS for selling a great product and to Thirdgensolutions for manufacturing such a high quality product. 
can't wait 
