Loud Squeaky Door Hinge

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Outback caching

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Jan 22, 2012
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Just remodeled a vintage camper, and installed a new access door. We purchased the new door from an local RV salvage place, and there is no name on the door. The lower hinge squeaks bad. I have tried to remove the hinge pin so I can put white grease on it, but I can't seem to hammer it up and out. I have pictures uploaded to reference the type of hinge. Does anyone have suggestions on how to remove the hinge pin?

 

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First welcome to the forum, you've come to the right place for answers.

Have you tried 3 in 1 machine oil. Just a drop or two and work it several times. Easy to clean up afterwards. Worked for me on rusty hinges.

A good penetrating oil may work also.

Another option is loosen all the screws into the door, allow the hinge to find is spot, then tighten. If its in a bind, that may help.
 
Wizard46 said:
First welcome to the forum, you've come to the right place for answers.

Have you tried 3 in 1 machine oil. Just a drop or two and work it several times. Easy to clean up afterwards. Worked for me on rusty hinges.

A good penetrating oil may work also.

Another option is loosen all the screws into the door, allow the hinge to find is spot, then tighten. If its in a bind, that may help.
Click to expand...

Thanks, but...

I really want to do this correctly, and not "Just Oil It",
This a New door, and it is an aluminum hinge, there is no rust.
The hinge is riveted to the door frame (as shown in my picture), so it cannot be loosened, readjusted, then tighten.

I'm looking to remove the hinge pin out of the hinge completely, apply an lubricant, then replace it.

Thanks in advance for any advise
 
You indicated that the bottom hinge squeaks then most likely that hinge is under some tension. Try this: loosen the bottom hinge from the RV side a little at a time until the squeak goes away. Then with plastic shim(s) shim out until you have a clean squeaky free door. Sounds like your door jamb is racked. You may have to loosen the middle hinge as well, but remember do not loosen to the point where the door is sagging. Use plastic shims not wood shims, of course as you know wood will not with stand the elements.

Another thing is this a brand new door from a RV salvage place or a used door from another RV? If so, did you check an see if this door is warped?
 
Hi,
If this is brand new you might want to check whether the unit is properly leveled. If its not the hinges are torqued and may squeak.
Hope this helps,
Ernie
 
Ok, just took the advise to remove the hinge from the door frame.

I tried loosening the screws first, work the door back and forth, still squeaks.

Then I loosened all the screws from all the hinges, lower hinge still squeaks.

So...
Then I completely removed all screws on lower hinge (the only one that squeaks) from the frame, I worked just the hinge back and forth, and it still squeaks, worse now with it being off the frame, then when it was attached. I then reattached it, and swung the door... Still squeaks, but not as bad as when I had all the screws removed.

I don't believe the hinge is under any stress when attached, or disconnected, to the door frame (ae warped) as it moves on the hinge pin very freely when I had all the screws out of the frame. It just squeaks, and its driving me nuts.

Any idea how to remove the hinge pin from the hinge so I can lubricate the entire hinge correctly?

It doesn't seem to want to be hammered out like a typical house door hinge, and I don't want to hit it too hard to mess it up. There must be a secret to removing that pin. The factory put the darn thing in there originally  :)  My Michigan Tech degree tells me it must be able to come back out. I just don't want to ruin the hinge in my process of fixing it, but I'm leaning towards a bigger hammer, and longer swing stroke.

 
Looking at your photos of the hinge, it looks like you have nylon bushings at each hinge point. Not knowing if these bushings travel the length of each hinge barrel, if so, then you should us a drift or something you have to drive out the hinge pin and it should be slightly smaller than the diameter of the pin itself. You maybe driving the bushing up against the hinge barrel, which would prevent the pin from sliding out. Hope this will work for ya. Whatever you try it should not be brute force, like you said don't ruin it in the process of fixing it. Good luck.
 
I have been able to remedy some in the past with a good spray of silicone. Silicone is much lighter and tends to get in to small tight spaces where oil /grease may not get. My guess is the nylon bushings/spacers, are dried out and good chance silicone will penetrate enough to lube both sides of them. Soak them good if necessary as silicone won't make a big mess, and keep moving door while doing it.
 
Because of the nylon bushings I also would use silicone spray. Most auto parts stores carry it for use on air cleaner housings etc. Flood each hinge point and move the hinge around to see if it makes a difference. Aluminum won't rust but it will corrode. Once you get some silicone in there the pin should drive out with a good drift punch, just make sure you are on the pin and not the bushing.
 
It could be that the pin is not removable without demounting the upper hinge leaf from the door. There could be a ridge buit into the pin between the upper leaf and subsequent one, and what appears to be a pin head, may in fact be a cover plug. I would do as suggested and either spray a silicone lubricant in or Tri-flow teflon lubricant. You may find that the squeak subsides after some use.
 
Water Dog said:
It could be that the pin is not removable without demounting the upper hinge leaf from the door. There could be a ridge buit into the pin between the upper leaf and subsequent one, and what appears to be a pin head, may in fact be a cover plug. I would do as suggested and either spray a silicone lubricant in or Tri-flow teflon lubricant. You may find that the squeak subsides after some use.
Click to expand...

Just an update on this post to let everyone who added their comments know. We appreciated all the advise.
The Tri-flow Teflon lubricant did the trick, thanks...
It did take 20+ door openings/closings before the squeak subsided, and has not returned since.
 
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