Re: [SilverStreak] Ken Wilson~new hinge installation procedure

["Eddie" <Eddie@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Ken,
I find interesting the body hinge curve you speak of. This was the issue and 
purpose of using only a new-in-the-box pattern. I find this very important 
topic.

The new hinge used as a pattern, had no curves anywhere. This is important. 
I had access to my old hinges and Ralph's. All of these were rejected as 
patterns as each had curves, and each was different. There were body leaf 
mount curves. There were plug-door leaf curves, and there were main door 
leaf curves. There was no consistency. Now you mention yours also has a 
body-leaf to body-mount curve. The body should be flat there.

Was that curve on both top and bottom? How can a solid 1/4" thick pot metal 
7" long 2" wide piece have a longitudinal bend curve? I hope you can see why 
there was the importance of using Ralph's new, never installed hinge as the 
pattern?

Yours are the best condition hinges I have seen. I would like to see those 
or even acquire them. I would like to ship these to Ralph for comparison and 
even perhaps save yours for patterns. Let's get together and closely compare 
yours with another manufactured set so we can address this issue. I am also 
wondering if you had pulled down the top set of rivets first, would that 
have made the new hinge more closely pull down and close that gap, or pull 
the body back to flat-shape surface? I have enough rivets if you care to 
retry that on the body-leaf with the gap. Can we try that before you address 
the gap?

All parts of the Ralph NOS hinge were perfectly flat. There exists no curves 
on any part of the attachment surfaces. I wonder if Thomas Williams 
experienced any of what you described.

The slight drop you described upon removal of the top hinge with the main 
door latched and dead bolted, tells me that your door is hanging on the 
hinges, with no support load afforded by the latch or the dead bolt. That's 
a lot of body-load, but not necessarily bad as latches and dead bolts should 
have some slop and would not easily operate if they were load-bearing or 
under stress.

I think a person should take a flat paint stirring stick and tape that on 
the main door threshold and top opening as necessary to shim the door snugly 
when closed and thus avoid the slight drop when the top hinge rivets are 
removed. Also a person might temporarily put rivets as guide dowels in one 
or two holes prior to removal of the last rivet. Maybe that would be useful 
somehow.

Thank you for your report. I did struggle with the length of the rivet I 
ordered as I wanted all the concealed load-spread support I could get, but 
knew there would be a depth limitation issue on the thinner plug door. Looks 
like I got the length correct, but the old rivet must be pushed well out of 
the way.

The engineers at the rivet company insisted the only solution was that they 
wanted all of us to disassemble our trailers and the doors for installation 
and then reassemble. I insisted that was not acceptable. Much effort was put 
into this rivet choice to avoid disassembly of the doors or trailer body.

I suspect cutting and affixing the tape as I instructed on the new hinge, 
then putting the entire hinge into the freezer just prior to installation 
may indeed make the tape less sticky for that last moment of line up.

We need more input about that slight body leaf curve you mention from Tom 
Williams, and did he have any of that as you did.
-Eddie- Houston, TX

----- Original Message ----- 

> Eddie, it took maybe 2.5 hours all total and not rushed.  Your 
> instructions
> were good, but not necessairly in the order I followed.  It would not hurt 
> to
> use some wood or cardboard shims fitted from the inside and secured in 
> place
> by tape.  Then exit and lock the door.  The door ill shift tot he right 
> and
> down when the upper hinge is released.
> The lower hinge was first and there was
> no shift in the door once released.  The upper hinge did allow a slight 
> shift
> of the upper right corner to the right and down.  I don't think every 
> trailer
> will see this...depends on how tight the door is fitted in the first 
> place.
> In
> order to drill my rivets, I took a flat file and filed a small flat on the 
> top
> of each rivet.  I then used a small center punch to dimple or mark the
> center.  The soft aluminum rivets were easily marked and it made starting 
> the
> hole easier.
> When the upper hinge relased and the door shifted. I went ahead
> and cleaned all of the holes (all 18) and made sure they were clear of
> rivets.  The two inner holes (closest to the hinge) on the plug door and 
> the 3
> inner holes on the main door could not be cleared of the old rivet due to 
> the
> space behind the door.
> I inserted the 8 rivets in the body strap and the 3
> outer rivets in the main door strap.  Line up the 8 on the body strap and 
> push
> the hinge and tape to the coach and push in all of the rivets.  I set one
> rivet on the body strap and then lined up the 3 outer ones on the door and 
> set
> the center river there.  I made sure all of the remaining 8 and the other 
> two
> were able to be seated and set the others on the main door.  Once these 
> were
> all buttoned up, opened the main door and cleared the 3 inner holes and 
> pushed
> in the rivets and set them.  Then you install the plug door outer rivets, 
> open
> the plug door and set the two inner rivets.
> Clean up all of the tape mess from
> the trailer and it is finished.
> The step drill worked fine, but you do need to
> be sure you start your pilot hole on center and drill in far enough to 
> clear
> the old hinge.  Once the hinge is off, you can usually push the old river
> through, but I did have to use the drill on a few of them.  I used the 
> drill
> to clean the rivet holes anyway.
> I loved the tape, but man that stuff is a
> mess to work with.  I wonder it it might be easier to work if you placed 
> it in
> the refrigerator to cool a bit and firm it up.
> I will have to apply a thin
> bead of caulk to the body strap on the upper hinge.  The old hinge had a 
> sligh
> curve to it where it followed the body.  That hinge is up just high enough 
> to
> get about 1/4 of it into the body curve.  The stainless steel did not 
> bend.
> It stands about 1/16 off the body at the top.
> All in all it was not a hard
> job at all and i t is easily done by one person.
> Ken Wilson
> KE5DFR@sbcglobal.net
> Cypress, Texas