I started to work on the hinges of my '86 Firebird.
Replaced the pins and bushings and the door opens like new.

However, now that the door is finally bolted back on the car (which took a lot of trial and error to get it aligned right), I realized I might have installed the lower bushing the wrong way.

Here's a pic. Which way do the bushings go in? Should I remove the door once again?

http://i3.aijaa.com/b/00738/12188763.jpg

 

Bottom pic is correct. The flat spot should sit against the other part of the hinge.

 

I need to do this to mine, too. Where did you get your pins? The local parts places sells them but I think I have to order them.

 

We carry them on our website with free shipping. Here's a link to them on the site.

Camaro Door Hinge Pins

 

Thank you.
I have now installed both doors with new pins and bushings.

The driver side door is now perfect. It does not hang at all and you can close it with 2 fingers instead of having to slam it.
Hinge-wise the passenger side door moves smoothly as well, but it still sags a bit and grinds on the ground effects.
Any ideas what I could try? I don't think the problem is in the hinges, since the passenger side is usually a lot less worn than the driver side and the driver side worked out perfectly.

 

how long did it take to replace your driver side and what tools and how many people helped out, i bought some door hinges and i just havent gotten around to replacing them, thought of taking them to a shop.

 

As a newbie, it took me several hours. However, I managed to do it even though I knew nothing about car hinges, and saved a lot of money. Yes, you need a friend (one friend will do, two is better) to help you with the weight of the door. You balance the door on a floor jack as you remove the door from the car.
Before you start, you have to remove the door panel so you can disconnect any electrical wires going into the door, in case you have power windows or something.

Removing the door is rather simple, just 3 screws on both hinges and you're done. Upper screws can be removed with a 13mm wrench (having a ratchet wrench will save you an hour!). Lower hinge has two 16mm screws and one 13mm. The two big ones have to be taken out from inside the car with a socket, and for this you must remove the kicker panel first. The third screw is a little weird, it is removed from the scoop between the front tire and the door.

When you got the door removed, you just force the big spring out from the hinge (with a large flatheaded screwdriver), force the pin out and remove the old bushings. Replace these with new ones and put the spring back (this was quite hard for me, I'd advise you to buy the official GM spring tool).

Installing the door back and to get it aligned can take some time, or then it just works out instantly, depending how you do it. Start from the hardest screws, the ones furthest away from the door.

 

I did mine by myself without a jack or a engine hoist with the fenders off the car though. Shut the door, grind off the top "pins" and tap out the bottom one, open door and set on padded stool, replace the "bearings", then re set door door and close it, then re install new greased upper pins and lower pin. It was a little more complicated than that, but really just a bit of sweating not too complicated. I used a few different chisels, and punches, a few different size hammers, an air grinder, a dremel with a grinding bit and the GM spring tool.

It probably would be better to remove the whole door with the hinges on, I just didn't have the means at the time, and this was an easier option for me.