The Silver Streak E-mail ListArchive Files[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index] RE: [SilverStreak]Hinge Project Update
Bryan, I was in a similar situation. I bought a set of hinges on Ebay from Bob Ashby's Son a little over a year ago. At that time I paid $450+ Freight of $25-$40(I don't remember exactly). I was also reluctant to install the hinges and tried to find a metal shop that could or would produce some hinges out of Stainless Steel. Then In April of this year the top door hinge pulled out of the trailer body and the door came completely off. I was very fortunate in finding the door after retracing my route for 12 miles. I spent a lot of time trying to find someone to fabricate a set of Stainless Steel Hinges. Check on Tom's web site under Silver Streak Trailer and Other and there will be a number of pictures and an explanation of my difficulty in getting a set of Stainless Steel Hinges made up. I was finally successful in having an excellent set of Stainless Steel Hinges fabricated by hand, using one of my new OEM hinges as a pattern. My total cost was $540.00 + some gas money to cover going to the shop several times. As Eddie and others have pointed out, the chances of getting satisfactory hinges "Cast" at anything approaching the cost of one off Stainless Hinges are "0". Eddie is working with a big Hinge Manufacture, to try to get some Stainless Steel Hinges fabricated, by using one of my New OEM Pot Metal Hinges as a pattern. At this point I don't think Eddie has definitive information as to the actual feasibility of making up the hinges. The number of hinge sets would be very small, compared to the usual "Thousands" of hinge sets they normally make up for their other customers. If the Co. can make up the hinges there won't be an accurate estimate of the cost until they actually make up a sample hinge. In my case the first rough estimate for the cost for fabricating a set of Stainless Steel Hinges was $200-$300. After the hinges were made up, the cost had climbed to $540 per set and they really were not that interested in getting into the hinge business, as each set of hinges took 6+ hours of shop labor, and they only had "ONE guy who could or would make them up. The shop owner is not really happy with his best TIG welding expert being tied up for essentially a full day for a set of hinges. He did offer to make up more hinge sets, as a personal favor, if I paid for them in advance and gave him a week or more per hinge set, so his normal business would not be disrupted. I am very happy with my new hinges, and am sure they will far outlast the OEM Cast Hinge. When I get my Original OEM Hinges back from the two shops, I plan on selling them to someone who wants a set of OEM Hinges for an exact restoration. The shop I utilized, is making up two more hand made sets of hinges for people that have seen my hinges. Neither of these people are on the SS list. I've asked them to go to the list and see what we are doing, but as of now have not seen any posts from them. I'll ask them again when they pick up the hinges. Regards, Ralph
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