4107 Rubber Hinges

[gus]

I need to replace the rubber hinge on the forward RH door over the air tanks.

I've already done all the hinges on my 4104 but this one appears to be another thing altogether!

I don't see enough space at the door edges to allow the door to slide over the hinge once it is installed in the body groove like on the 4104.

There are 3-4" slots cut into the centers of the door and body hinge grooves so I assume the hinge has to slide through these somehow but I can't get that picture just yet?

I can easily see how the hinge would slide into one or the other of these slots and grooves but can't see how the hinge would slide into the door groove once the hinge is in the body groove?

Does the hinge have to slide into both body and door grooves at the same time through the center slots?

Any help here will be appreciated.

At least it is a small door, I hate to think of the work involved in replacing one of the big door hinges!!

[roadrunnertex]

Does the hinge have to slide into both body and door grooves at the same time through the center slots?

Gus That is the only way use plenty of Palmolive soap and water for a lubricant.
jlv

[gus]

John,

Thanks, I was afraid you were going to say that! What I didn't realize before is there is another rubber hinge at the center of the door attaching the hinge panel.

I can see now that the hinge panel is all I have to hold up while running the rubber into the center of the grooves and not the whole door so that is at least a bit easier.

The manual sort of explains the method but it is really not too clear.

I'm just lucky this is a small door and not one of the big ones.

Again, thanks.

[roadrunnertex]

Gus,
On my 4905 large bin doors I changed them to stainless steel piano hinges on the inter door panels where they attach to the body.
I bought them from Edward Gallant back in August of 2003.
He sends you the complet kit for each door and good instructions.
Once you change them you never have to worry about them.
They work fine and will out last the coach!
I do not have a contact number for Edward Gallant since he has moved from Warwick,RI but he might be a member of this group.
jlv

[gus]

John,

Thanks, I looked at those a few years ago for my 4104 and decided I didn't want to cut the longer holes in the channels that are necessary for the SS hinges.

I've found that if I use good rubber stock the hinges will probably outlast me!

I once had some bad stuff that came with the bus and it lasted only a month but I now have the good stuff I got from IBP.

[gus]

I got half the job done today, it is one of the worst jobs I ever got into and this is a small door!!

It makes replacing 4104 hinges seem a breeze in comparison!!

[Cary and Don]

Wait until you fight those rubbers in the large door.  Then two years later they rip out again.  If your doors don't fit perfectly, they put a lot of stress on the rubber hinges and they split. Do the steel hinge. You only have the enlarge the center by about three inches.  They install faster, even with cutting the slot. It doesn't show from the outside.  Best money we spent on those doors.

Don and Cary
1973 05 Eagle
GMC 4107
Neoplan AN340

[gus]

Don,

After doing this small door I am now a steel hinge convert!.

I noticed that when the door is open one hinge is stretched to the max and when it is closed the other one is likewise!! Not a good design in my opinion.

The 4104 hinge is only stretched when the door is open, a much more sensible design. It is hard to believe they were both designed by the same company?

On the 4104 the rubber hinge is also the water seal but on the 4107 there is a separate rubber seal so the steel hinges on it won't result in any leaking.

Do you have the email address of the guy who sells the steel hinges?

[RJ]

Do you have the email address of the guy who sells the steel hinges?

Gus -

Ed's email address is:

edannbus@aol.com

FWIW & HTH. . .

[gus]

RJ,

Thanks. I just got the second hinge installed today and discovered I had the hinge panel reversed. My first clue was when the door wouldn't raise!!

At least my learning curve is much flatter now!

Anyway, I plan to use the SS hinges on the large doors when their time comes and rubber on the small ones.

[gus]

It took me two hours to install the rubber hinge in the top of the air tank comp door the first time. It took two minutes the second time. I decided to cut the hinge at the middle channel cutout where the usual drill is to force the one piece hinge through the cutout one side at a time. That took the two hours.

I can see no weakening of the hinge by cutting it in half since the cut is over the channel cutout anyway and it sure saves a lot of hand ruining labor. My hands still ache from the first job.

For the lower hinge I slid the one piece hinge into the door channel from one side, inserted the two screws to hold it, and just slid the door channel right onto the rubber hinge in the hinge panel - zip - two seconds. Of course this is a small door.

The door sure works a lot better now that I have it turned the correct direction and, needless to say, the rubber hinge doesn't stretch nearly as much!!

I'm not about to go through this with the large doors so I'm ordering some SS hinges from Ed for the large doors. The thing I really like about his system, in addition to the fact that the hinges won't tear, is that they can be replaced without removing the doors. Just cut out one rubber hinge half and insert the SS hinges while the other side is held up by the old rubber hinge half. Then cut out the other rubber hinge half and replace that with SS hinges. Neat!!

I did this job alone but there is no way I can do that with the large doors, they are 75" long and heavy.

Anyway, thanks for all the recommendations and info.

[artvonne]

  Does this Ed Gallant your talking about make hinges for MC-5's? Or is Luke the best for those?

[Ed Hackenbruch]

Paul, they work on the 5's too. I bought some from him a few weeks ago and have done all of my doors except for 2 of the bay doors. Been lazy lately......i think today i will go fishing.

[artvonne]

  Y'all have a number or email for Ed?

[gus]

Edannbus@aol.com

cell  401 575-3859 or home 828-248-3087 ask for Ed.

One thing I forgot to mention for articulated doors, you have to release the tension on the torsion bars before replacing the hinges. That is a very important safety item.