AMC Eagle Den Forum
The Shop => Body Shop => Topic started by: MIPS on May 05, 2023, 03:26:49 PM
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Back in 2021 I removed the rear hatch to repair some of the defroster elements and took the chance to adjust the alignment as well. You could see the fasteners that hold the hatch to the hinges that had slipped a quarter of an inch and the door was now slightly hanging past the back of the car.
Well it's slipped back down again to the point the latch no longer aligns but what do I do? The bolts thread into the hinges but I don't want to risk breaking the castings or pulling the threads out by just tightening it harder. How do I keep the door tightly secured to the hinges?
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My first thought would be to run a tap in it. Clean up the threads and install a heli coil. Might need to drill it out to run the same size bolt. I know Granger caries them.
Someone else might have a better idea plus a idea for reinforcement of the weak metal that was used.
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The root issue is the rubber gaskets under the hinges shrink with age (get thinner), so they don't stay put. I had that same issue, as do most Eagles nowadays with old gaskets. I had some NOS gaskets I put on my waggie and cured my issue. Fat chance of finding any of those any more.
A friend of mine took some 1/16" thin neoprene gasket material and cut some to match his originals, and glued them to the bottom of his dry original gaskets to "thicken" them a bit, and reinstalled. So far, so good; hatch stays in place.
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I have had the same problem with mine as well and it's gotten to the point where my right side hinge is about ready to snap on both halves of the hinge. I did find that AMClives.com has new gaskets available for like 20 some dollars for a complete set but I cannot find anyone that has new hinges available as of yet.
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From the pics, those replacement gaskets don't seem to have the raised lip around the edges. Also don't see a rear wiper motor wire channel in one of the lower pieces (if your car has that option). I'm really curious if they are the same density and thickness of rubber as the originals; but I'm too cheap to buy a set to check!