When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Finally getting back around to putting together my 87 z28. I had bought the Hawks rear hatch hinges a few years back and started looking for a refresher on replacement and saw a bunch of threads on here of people having hatch breakage with them. My factory hinges were seized and shot and are long gone by now. Has anybody actually used the hawks hinges long term without problems? Is the 8 lb-ft for the hinge to glass bolts the cure? Also was considering either rubber or cork for an insulator between the hinge and glass bracket to allow for some cushion but not sure if thats the right path or not. Any help is appreciated. Its been too long since ive been able to enjoy this car and its time for it to stop being a lawn ornament.
Interested if there is any new information as well. Tried buying used O E ones off of E-Bay and they were just as bad or worse than the ones I currently have. Sent both back. Getting car painted soon and the hatch hinges are the last part I want to replace.
I bought a set of the Hawk's billet hatch hinges back in 2018. Install was pretty easy, provided you have a second set of hands to help out. They're still on the car and have been great since day one. Zero complaints.
I bought ones off ebay generic, definitely on the cheaper side of quality but so far have held up fine and fixed my hatch alignment. The car doesn't get driven enough or hatch opened enough to justify spending $200 on hinges but everything I read prior was ensuring the correct torque on the window joint. I also made a new gasket for where it mates to the glass so there was no direct contact of the aluminum to glass.
There is no "torque" (unless you want to shatter your glass). You barely "snug" them down. I plan to put a little lock-tite on the threads so they can't back off...
Several months ago there was a thread on this subject. Someone found a new pair that were not over strong that would not break the hatch glass. Try a search.
