Hinge bushings

Have any of you guys come up with a good alternative for those rubber hinge bushings? Besides the fact that they cost a poopload, I am looking for a cleaner look. Has anyone tried to make a sheet metal cover? What about some kind of backer rod and seam sealer. I'd love to have something I could paint the body color.

Mid Dodges and I think the early ones just use some kind of sealer. Should work Ok I'd think. Early Chevys didn't use a grommet on the front doors, at least some. I wish I had filled mine before paint. Maybe next re-do.

The gap seems really big and hollow to just try to fill with seam sealer. Even a backer looks tricky to keep in place. I'll check out the other vans for some ideas.

The original 65 manual says to seal around the hinges.

I have the rubbers on my 68 and you cant expect them to fit perfect.

I sealed the hinges with body sealer caulking on my 65 and that seems to work



you could use the "stick on" 3rd gen hinge gaskets or just paint over the caulking
m1d

M1, did you use anything behind the caulk for a backer? Also, when I get to paint, do you think I should fit and seal the doors before paint or paint the doors off the van and then hang and seal them and touch up the caulk later?

if your going with the caulking , I didnt use anything behind it and its been there years. do the caulking with the doors installed and adjusted with new hinge pins, then paint. Its alot more work to paint the doors off the van and then install them.

in the factory they installed the rubber gaskets and doors and then painted over it all.

Thanks. I'm going to go the caulk rout as you said. Thanks for the input.
Sam

I used paintable automotive body sealer

M1D,

Are you seeing any cracking around the seam sealer? Mine was seam sealed previously and had some cracking. I don't really love the hinge rubber, either. Even painted, it won't look as clean, but definitely don't want the paint cracking.

Here is an old post on gaskets,,,,,,,,but I am thinking doing a search for GM 12337944 will find something for like $2.50,,,,,,,,and  cutting one to slip on the hinge and gluing it on is going to turn out better than adding sealer in the hole,,,,,,,,,


https://vintage-vans.forumotion.com/t18627-window-seals-and-windshield-seal

Thanks for that link. I think the price of the grommets at Steele Rubber has come down since that was written but they're still $240 for enough to do the whole van. The ones on that link look like a good fit so I'll have to see what they cost and if they're still available.

Well lookie here!
http://parts.royaloakschevy.com/p/GROMMET-Door-Hinge/47113715/12337944.html
Maybe I didn't get my math right on the Steele Rubber ones but these are under $70 for the whole set. There is 24 needed for the whole job, right?

Remember the front hinges are narrower.

These stupid rubber pieces are the most valuable  pieces on a van,,,,,,,,once water gets in past them it sits in the bottom of the doors and rusts them out,,,,,,,,the side and rear hinges are wider than the fronts, so you really need 2 1/2" wide gaskets to fit both types,,,,,,the originals are grommets,,,,snap in the hole,,,,,,HOWEVER,,,,,,,the insides on mine were like brand new, so I sliced them and used the insides to make gaskets to glue onto the outsides,,,,,I could never make seam sealer or caulk look pretty,,,,,

I think I might seen some Fords like vans or Explorers in the wrecking yard that had gaskets that might just fit into a guys pocket,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,or I mean part of the $2 admission fee for Pick a Part,,,,,

I just caulked mine as neat as possible with silicone bathtub caulk, easy choice since van is white and it matches, seam sealer would also work pre-paint.  And yes, the 1st Gens did not have rubber gaskets, the shop manual clearly shows "sealer" around the hinges in the exploded body diagrams. But its funny that every 1st gen van I've seen never has any remnants of this sealer left around the hinges?? maybe they left the factory without it, these vans weren't designed to be around for 50 years! LOL The shop manual also shows a mysterious fan shroud on the first gens too....

My '66 had the old rubber ones still in it but they disintegrated when I tried to get them out. I wish the site that has those replacements had a picture of what they have.