Busted '57 Chevy Body Tilt Hinges

[The Mindless Philosopher]

I think I have found some mass produced hinge parts that are close enough to these unidentifiable (custom?) '57 Chevy body tilt hinges that have snapped from fatigue.

My trike has been sitting since August 6th while I've scoured the 'Net trying to find something compatible so that I could avoid the custom farication route.

Yes, that would have been the easiest yet more expensive way to go, but honsetly I'd rather have something that is easily replaced later down the line should anything else go wrong.

The hinges I am going to take a stab at are Todco style carrier box truck / trailer roll-up door slide plate assemblies. The dimensions are close enough to the busted pieces to try massaging them into place. There will be some custom work, no doubt, but it should mostly be good old fashioned elbow grease. I shall see. If not, then I'm only out $15 for the pair. Steel hinges.

Once roadworthy without the body slipping around, I'll look into investigating whether the front wheel bearings are shot yet again. It's finally cooling down enough (low 100's / high 90's) to where I'll want to fiddle around in the garage.

The tail and brake lights are fixed (loose connectors).

Still chasing a turn signal problem.

Will chase a new bouncing tach needle problem once all that's done.

@#$% waterneck / thermostat housing is leaking once more. Both cylinder heads are seeping oil from behind. I had it fixed for about a year when I re-torqued everything to spec. I reckon this beast thinks it's a mid 70's 455 Buick? Meh.

The trike's cursed, but I keep living with it. Always worth the thrill once she's back on the road.

[The Mindless Philosopher]

It was worth a look. They won't cut it. Will go the fabrication route.

[knockdolian]

Ive finally got some gas struts and am hoping to tackle the body lift conversion over winter. I was planning to make the hinges from 2" angle. Where exactly has your hing broke ?

[The Mindless Philosopher]

Both lower hinge plates have snapped in two below their pivots, where they bolt to the body.

Dimensionally the lower hinge plates are:
- 3/16" steel (thickness) / 5mm
- 2.5" wide (pivot eyelet to pivot eyelet) / 64mm
- 3.5" long (top to bottom) / 89mm
- Pivot pin eyelets are approx. 5/8" dia. / 15-16mm
- Pivot pins are 9/16" dia. / 14mm

Millimeter conversions are rounded to next higher or lower full increment.

Each lower plate had elongated slots cut into them for mounting and up and down adjustment at the body.

The top plates have no issues.

[The Mindless Philosopher]

I've had this on the back-burner forever (since August 6th). Burned out on the endless repairs, even easy ones. Finally got off my tail and contacted a machinist. Should have some replacements soon. Looking forward to finally breaking this beast some more. :p

[Imzz4]

I made these hinge pins from 3/4" ground rod , and they rotate in needle bearings. Two bearings in the frame , and two in the body bracket. The bearing housings are welded to 1/4" x 1 1/2 angle. Its pretty stiff, and has been fine so far. Its totally different from your set up, but having "beef" is the way to go. !

[The Mindless Philosopher]

having "beef" is the way to go. !

No doubt. I finally got off my lazy keester and gave one of my busted hinges to a machinist with some ideas for reinforcing the new set. Will hopefully have replacements in a few weeks.

[The Mindless Philosopher]

Here are a few pic's from when the hinges busted the first time around three years ago. I got rid of the hollow rolled pivot pins and replaced them with solid ones, and had someone weld the broken segments together with some reinforcements. They held together for a few thousand miles.

The only real problem with this design is that the dog-ear flanges that house the pivot pin(s), angle downward too quickly and end about halfway down the hinge base (where both hinge bases snapped).

I have asked the machine shop to extend the dog-ear flanges the full length of the new hinges and add a rib to reinforce it down the middle, between the slots for the mounting screws, instead of a third slot that served no purpose other than to further weaken the design.

[The Mindless Philosopher]

I have also installed a tether to limit travel when the body is tilted. That was the number one problem: it never had gas struts or any other way to stop it from rocking back too far. I prop it with a rod when it is tilted.

[The Mindless Philosopher]

A pic from two years ago, when things were still relatively ship-shape.

[The Mindless Philosopher]

Talk about tunnel vision and NOT thinking outside the box:

It has been 7 months since the trike's body tilt hinges busted. I've been tearing my hair out trying to find replacements among thousands upon thousands of possible donors in hardware stores and on the Internet, and I have also looked into a machine shop, BUT...

It never occurred to me that I can buy 304 stainless steel tubing and a piece of flat bar then have them cut, drilled, and welded. I can have several extras made with the excess material.

Although life has been distracting me to no end with all kinds of unpleasant surprises, I cannot believe I have been too distracted to have thought of this long ago.

The Mindless Philosopher can indeed be quite "mindless" at times...

[rocketsteve]

Did you decide on sticking to the original design of the original (broken) parts - or change to something different?

Looks like you could do without the middle slot in the hinge, that would make it a bit stronger.

[The Mindless Philosopher]

Did you decide on sticking to the original design of the original (broken) parts - or change to something different?

Looks like you could do without the middle slot in the hinge, that would make it a bit stronger.

The middle slot would definitely have to go. No idea why it's there, unless this was a mass-produced piece that was shoehorned onto the body?

My plan is to go with a much less complicated custom fabrication (unless the family member who is trying to help me finds a source for something comparable first.)

If nothing else, I'll end up with two different sets of hinges. It never hurts having a backup.

I anticipate this dragging out another month or so, as other obligations have me tied up pretty tight.

[The Mindless Philosopher]

My sources backed out on me. No worthwhile profit to be gained from me, I guess? I won't complain. I won't whine. I bought the pieces-parts to build my own hinges. My good friend Dremel let me down while whittling along the hard way. Champagne appetite on a generic beer budget. Such is life. I'll buy more junk to put my friend Dremel back in action. Simple little piss-ant repairs taking all kinds of time. No worries. Priorities, priorities. This is not high on the ladder for now. I'll get back on the road soon enough. I won't be defeated.

[SQ4MN]

Seems Boss Hoss just ought to send you new hinges.

[Paul H]

This trike is a bike converted to a trike by
a non BH mechanic. Last name is Breedlove.
A home built mount was fabricated and
over the years it has now on a number
of occasions failed and been rigged up
to keep him riding. Now he's gonna fix
it right.
Course if Adrian was still around he could
just buy one of his tilt body kits???
Good luck, Sir.

Paul H

[The Mindless Philosopher]

HA! I have to share this: the anti-hinge "gods" have conspired against me yet again! I made the mistake of leaving my new Dremel attachments beside my easy chair, so my pit bull decided she would annihiliate them while I was at work! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAA!!! She (fuguratively) "ate" (didn't actually swallow them) all my grinding wheels.

She has also "eaten" ceramic bowls, tin cans, metal mason jar lids, Boss Hoss fuses, a car telephone charger, plastic water bottles, and mail. I inspect her teeth all the time. I have no idea how she does this without ripping her mouth to shreds. 1000 lbs. per square inch alligator chops, I reckon?

It would be nice if she would only eat my homework and not my tools and appliances! I have no doubt she would (and could) demolish my computer, too, if she ever decided to go after it.

At least I can buy more stuff. Back to the starting line again! HAHAHAHAHA!

[rocketsteve]

Maybe she's responsible for chomping on your hinges when you're not around Brent!

[The Mindless Philosopher]

Maybe she's responsible for chomping on your hinges when you're not around Brent!

HAHAHAHAHA! Her way of keeping me home so I can feed her real treats?