2005 Tahoe driver's door hinge pins

[ORVietVet]

A friend, that is the widow of an American Legion passed buddy of mine, has a 2005 Tahoe LS and needs the driver's door hinge pins done and the same door lock actuator replaced. I have done the old style GMT400 and older hinge pins but never done the GMT800 pins. Looks pretty easy and the way to do it is to completely remove the door and then grind the heads off the pins. Am I gonna need a special tool to press the old pins out? Looks like the new ones just thread together. If need special tool, best place to get one?

 

[someotherguy]

A friend, that is the widow of an American Legion passed buddy of mine, has a 2005 Tahoe LS and needs the driver's door hinge pins done and the same door lock actuator replaced. I have done the old style GMT400 and older hinge pins but never done the GMT800 pins. Looks pretty easy and the way to do it is to completely remove the door and then grind the heads off the pins. Am I gonna need a special tool to press the old pins out? Looks like the new ones just thread together. If need special tool, best place to get one?

Haven't done them on a GMT800 (yet) - are you sure about having to grind the heads off? They don't just tap out after you remove a retainer, like the 400 pins? If so.. bleh. Interested in what you discover. I'd suggest looking up a YT video but honestly I often avoid doing so myself, because there's so much bad information out there from people that maybe shouldn't be working on their own vehicles and sharing their adventures on YT.

Richard

 

[stutaeng]

It's actually pretty easy. I changed them on my 99 Silverado back in like 2010-ish. There's 2 pins per hinge, so 4 pins per door. They come out really easily and I don't remember any special tools. I'm pretty sure I used the "Doorman" brand and still holding up...

 

[someotherguy]

It's actually pretty easy. I changed them on my 99 Silverado back in like 2010-ish. There's 2 pins per hinge, so 4 pins per door. They come out really easily and I don't remember any special tools. I'm pretty sure I used the "Doorman" brand and still holding up...

Good to hear, I couldn't imagine them making it harder to get the pins out.

Surprised to hear you went with Dorman bushings and that they haven't disintegrated yet!

I'd have to go with Cunningham or similar. They do offer bushings for the GMT800's. https://cunninghammachine.com/heavy...k-1999-2007-classic-nbs-bronze-door-bushings/

I know the title of this post is pins and for some reason that's what we often discuss when dealing with the door hinges, but of course the bushings are the wear item. I haven't seen too many bad pins. I suppose it's just good insurance to replace the pins at the same time but I'll bet we've all changed pins that didn't need it.

Cunningham has the pins, too https://cunninghammachine.com/99-07-5-nbs-door-pins/

Richard

 

[stutaeng]

Good to hear, I couldn't imagine them making it harder to get the pins out.

Surprised to hear you went with Dorman bushings and that they haven't disintegrated yet!

I'd have to go with Cunningham or similar. They do offer bushings for the GMT800's. https://cunninghammachine.com/heavy...k-1999-2007-classic-nbs-bronze-door-bushings/

I know the title of this post is pins and for some reason that's what we often discuss when dealing with the door hinges, but of course the bushings are the wear item. I haven't seen too many bad pins. I suppose it's just good insurance to replace the pins at the same time but I'll bet we've all changed pins that didn't need it.

Cunningham has the pins, too https://cunninghammachine.com/99-07-5-nbs-door-pins/

Richard

Oh, thanks for that link. Yeah, I don't know about the Dorman. They are typically not known for the highest quality stuff, but on these, I can't complain.


Now then, when I had just bought my OBS k3500 in like 2020 I "assumed" that job would be as easy. Not! I pissed and moaned and cussed in English and Spanish. I bought like 3 or 4 sets of bushing replacements and they were too tight and I kept breaking them when I tapped them in. I eventually had to ream out the holes on the brackets with a right angle drill. Spent like 6 hours messing with that. Then the next day they broke again! I was so damn pissed. Back to a saggy door. I gave up on that one. Luckily I don't daily drive that truck and i haven't broken the handle yet. I do have to slam that bi#*@$tch hard to get it to close. Fun times

 

[ORVietVet]

It depends on what year of GMT800 as to whether the pin heads will need to be ground off. On the older, that I have watched videos on, there is a washer with a "C" clip, unless what I watched was a video removing old aftermarket pins. Removing the door is straight forward with 3 10mm bolts removed and then removing electrical connectors and pull them thru the hole in the door jam where the "umbilical cord" attaches. Then it is as easy as lifting the door straight up and setting out of the way. Then the heads that need ground off are completely exposed and once you grind the heads you use a 9020902-01 tool from ebay or Amazon to push the pin out of the hole. The replacement pins bolt in and you can spring for greaseable pins or not. I am getting the pins from RA and are Genuine GM bolt in pin kits.

I will do pics of the process when I do this work. Thankfully, the friends Tahoe is a 2005, just like mine, and if I ever have to do mine it will be exactly the same. I will be looking at the 2004 Silverado K2500HD to see what it looks like.

Not today. It is Oregon. It is raining. Go figure.

 

[51GMC]

Most of the years, factory are press in pins. Doors with external latches (like the fronts) are 3 10mm bolts, disconnect the harnesses inside in the sides of the dash with a plastic grommet feed thru the cowl, that’s it the doors off. With the door out of the way, I really tried all the non evasive ways of pressing them out, and gave up. Grind the shoulder off and pinch the pins out. Bushing installation, is similar to the gmt400, or the 80’s trucks, some kits have clips after the fact. On the extended cab doors there is a 10mm bolt on the check stop, and a single clip on one of the pins trapping the doors, pop them off and lift the door off.

 

[51GMC]

Second set of pics

 

[ORVietVet]

Most of the years, factory are press in pins. Doors with external latches (like the fronts) are 3 10mm bolts, disconnect the harnesses inside in the sides of the dash with a plastic grommet feed thru the cowl, that’s it the doors off. With the door out of the way, I really tried all the non evasive ways of pressing them out, and gave up. Grind the shoulder off and pinch the pins out. Bushing installation, is similar to the gmt400, or the 80’s trucks, some kits have clips after the fact. On the extended cab doors there is a 10mm bolt on the check stop, and a single clip on one of the pins trapping the doors, pop them off and lift the door off.

Yea, looks pretty straight forward really. Fishing the wires from the umbilical cord, after disconnecting from the side of dash, looks pretty easy. 3 of the 10mm bolts and then lift door off. Gotta be strong enough to handle door weight or use a cherry picker and a strap to lift off and suspend while waiting to reinstall. Once the door is off, the grinding has plenty of room and I already have the tool coming to press the pins out after the grinding. I am big/strong enough to lift the door off but finessing the door back on may be tricky. I got a couple retired neighbors that can help though. Hope to be doing this work, next week sometime and I will post pics.

 

[51GMC]

The doors are a better install than the gmt400’s as the pins are fixed to the body and pointing up, door installation is position it up high and drop it down onto the pins, gutted doors are much easier, lol but a flat sling loop thru the window hole on a crane or a pinch weld cup on a floor jack does the job, an assistant to keep it balanced is helpful, but I rarely have those.

 

[ORVietVet]

The doors are a better install than the gmt400’s as the pins are fixed to the body and pointing up, door installation is position it up high and drop it down onto the pins, gutted doors are much easier, lol but a flat sling loop thru the window hole on a crane or a pinch weld cup on a floor jack does the job, an assistant to keep it balanced is helpful, but I rarely have those.

Yea, as well as your info I have seen a couple photos/videos as well. It will be a floor jack and a friend or two to help with the "loaded door". I don't do heavy transmission or heavy engine work here at home and have no need or room for a cherry picker. Again, thanks for the info.