There are quite a few threads about door hinges around here but...what's one more?
I made new hinge pins today out of 0.93 stainless wire vs the 0.80 hitch pins as they had a fair amount of slop.
I used a magnifying glass to have a look at the hinge lugs and near every one was cracked or split.
So, I'm looking at a door hinge winter project as I can hardly afford a door flying off in flight (for many reasons)
The best option I can find on the forum is to use a 1/4" steel tube with a 0.120 inside diameter for the lugs and a 0.125 stainless rod (drill the lugs slightly to accept the rod)
Has anyone made a jig (fixture) to hold the hinge pieces in place while doing the welding?
I'd like to make sure the hinges line up like new after this whole ordeal.
Also, by using 1/4" tubing as my lug stock, I'll have more metal to weld to. Has anyone re-enforced the lugs while doing the repair? Seems like doubling the hinge thickness at the lug would help a lot.
I've repaired hinges with AN3 bolts. Braze them on whole then cut out what you don't need and drill out to what ever. Coincidence I happen to be cleaning and repainting mine and noticed they'd be repaired so I snapped a picture in case anyone would ask.
As you can see only the top was repaired but it could easily have been the top and bottom. You can see fro the back side how I grind off the lug leaving a tab to help braze to.
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CAUTION - My forum posts may be worth what you paid for them!
Bruce Fenstermacher, Past President, TIC170A
Email: brucefenster at gmail.com
I had mine repaired by cutting off the hinge ends and skip-welding on a full length of 1/4" steel tubing then cutting out the sections where the other side of the hinge goes. Weld only where the hinge sections will be when the tube is cut away. This way there are no alignment problems.
Richard Pulley
2014-2016 TIC170A Past President
1951 170A, N1715D, s/n 20158, O-300D
2023 Best Original 170A at Sault Ste. Marie
Owned from 1973 to 1984.
Bought again in 2006 after 22 years.
It's not for sale!
When grinding off the old tabs and starting new, how do you make sure your hinge bolt hole spacing comes out right?
If you remade the lower hinge, you can still get the hinge perfectly straight to itself but the fuselage and door bolt holes could be spaced farther apart and make the door misaligned on the plane.
It would also put the two hinges on a different pivot and they would bind against each other.
It seems like you'd need a fixture to hold the two sides the right distance apart while you weld the lugs on to maintain hole spacing.
David, I took the door home. I only did the tops so I would make the tube out of an AN bolt then using the lower lug and pin to align it I'd braze it and then fit it to the door.
You could make a jig before you cut off the lugs to hold the bracket and place the lugs using a pin.
CAUTION - My forum posts may be worth what you paid for them!
Bruce Fenstermacher, Past President, TIC170A
Email: brucefenster at gmail.com
Cessna® is a registered trademark of Textron Aviation, Inc. The International Cessna® 170 Association is an independent owners/operators association dedicated to C170 aircraft and early O-300-powered C172s. We are not affiliated with Cessna® or Textron Aviation, Inc. in any way.
