Technical Door hinges and suspension/steering problems

[sparkybhoy]

I have some problems on the Mrs' Stilo.

It pulls to the left yet the tracking is fine, also clonks when wheel is turned left or right of centre, you can even feel it. Feels like a broken spring but it's not and no other obvious indicators of what it could be.???

Also the driver's door has dropped, badly, are the pins replaceable, and if so, what kind of a job is it?

I did have a wiper problem, where the wipers were parking up instead of down, I had created a post but it seems to have disappeared anyway, sorted it, the nut on the motor link was loose

 

[ROWENA]

Sounds like your clonking on the steering could be a track rod end, jack it up take the wheel on 1 side off and check for play, It doesn't take much ware in them to start making noise, then do the same on the other side.

Karl

 

[sparkybhoy]

Thanks for the reply, but definately not track rod ends, it's a really heavy clonk?

Anyoone know anything about the door hinges?

 

[Morty Mort]

Also the driver's door has dropped, badly, are the pins replaceable, and if so, what kind of a job is it?

She has propably driven the car so hard it has bent the chassis.

 

[Steve148]

I have some problems on the Mrs' Stilo.

It pulls to the left yet the tracking is fine, also clonks when wheel is turned left or right of centre, you can even feel it. Feels like a broken spring but it's not and no other obvious indicators of what it could be.???

worn drop-links?

 

[sparkybhoy]

She has propably driven the car so hard it has bent the chassis.

Ha, no!

You can see and feel the door drop and you can lift it, surely someone knows something about the hinges?

Drop links wouldn't make it pull they would just cause a knock over bumpy surfaces.

 

[Deckchair5]

Re your suspension
Possible lower suspension wishbone worn out? Had mine done a few months back, caused outside edge tyre wear and heavy clonking on that side



Stilo door lower hinge.
Re your door, maybe the lower door pin has sheared for it to move that much.


Bravo door lower hinge sheared off
Looks identical, did the same job on my Bravo the other week, here's the old one sheared off and Stilo is similar. It was quite an easy job, all done in 30mins. Disconnect electrical plug, disconnect door stay, undo top hinge bolt nut and lift up the door and remove. Need a good fitting allen driver for those bolts though, round those off and you're in trouble

 

[Yellow Peril]

I'd say that Stilo hinge was considerably more beefed up than the Bravo, Decks. One looks like a casting, the other a pressing.

 

[Deckchair5]

The hinge pin is the same even though the rest of the mount is manufactured differently. There's not much else that could make a door drop so much on opening. It's a hell of a sideways shear load on it and it snaps like a carrot

If you have to pull the door up just to close it then that will be the problem

 

[frances]

Did you check the top bearing on the front struts my berings are shot just collected new ones today and will attempt to install tonight.

 

[Morty Mort]

Did you check the top bearing on the front struts my berings are shot just collected new ones today and will attempt to install tonight.

If you are on standard springs you will need 4 spring compressors or 2 v-e-r-y long ones with extra wide grip (distance from grip to threaded bar).

 

[frances]

If you are on standard springs you will need 4 spring compressors or 2 v-e-r-y long ones with extra wide grip (distance from grip to threaded bar).

Job done took 1 hour for the first side 45 mins for the other inc changing my brake pads and buffing off the ridges on the outside of the discs.
Got away not a bother with one pair of clamps now my old stilo drives like new no clunk going from lock to lock:slayer:

 

[sparkybhoy]

Regards hinge, yes, much beefier on the Stilo, it looks like the top hinge pin has snapped (it has no bottom half lol), phoned Fiat and you can only buy the hinge complete.

Took the car to KwikRip a few weeks back and they couldn't find a fault, but did suggest bottom bearing but said it's not replaceable you have to replace the whole unit (can't remember exactly what he said).

However it passed it's MOT the other day and nothing was amiss.

 

[sparkybhoy]

Well got the new hinge, and it turns out they don't have a pin, it's all bolted together, it was a small bolt had fallen out of the hinge, so I used the one from the bottom hinge on the passenger door, it's the opposite way up to the top hinge so when removed gravity keeps it together, wish I'd known this before buying a new hinge!