Trunk hinge bent - repair or replace?

tdwesty

Veteran Member
Joined
Nov 9, 2009
Location
Vancouver Island, BC, Canada
TDI
'04 Jetta TDI GLS Spice Red, 1.6TD Westy
My new '04 was hit in the rear, and the left side hinge appears very slightly bent. It binds when lifting, and the front corner of the trunk lid just touches the glass as a result. Has anyone successfully straightened these, or should I try to find a good one at a wrecker?

Thanks
 

tdwesty

Veteran Member
Joined
Nov 9, 2009
Location
Vancouver Island, BC, Canada
TDI
'04 Jetta TDI GLS Spice Red, 1.6TD Westy
Ok, so I tried the local wrecker (Malahat Auto Parts), and they didn't have anything. I'll keep checking back, but since I appear to have one of the rare colours (2004 only Red Spice), it may be hard to find one in my colour.

Does anyone have experience with trying to straight a hinge? There's no visible damage, so it's hard to tell where it is bent.
 

tdwesty

Veteran Member
Joined
Nov 9, 2009
Location
Vancouver Island, BC, Canada
TDI
'04 Jetta TDI GLS Spice Red, 1.6TD Westy
Lube those hinges!

I found the problem I think, and thought I'd post it, in case others encounter trunk lid problems. I could see no signs of damage to the hinges (car has had minor rear end damage), so I watched closely as each hinge opened & closed. The left side top-most hinge pin had over 1mm axial play in it, where the right side had no visible play. 1mm = 3mm or more at the front edge of the lid. There were signs of rust indicating poor lubrication. Not sure what I can do about this, short of a new hinge, or possibly pressing in a new pin.

So... lesson learned: Lube those hinges! There appears to be significant force on the upper-most pins just as the lid is raised, and the front end of the lid wants to dip down at this point. If the pins wear, the lid will dip down and the corners will contact the edge of the rear window. I can't see any way to adjust this out once the pin is worn. For now, I've put a rubber bumper on the lid edge to prevent contact with the glass.
 

tdwesty

Veteran Member
Joined
Nov 9, 2009
Location
Vancouver Island, BC, Canada
TDI
'04 Jetta TDI GLS Spice Red, 1.6TD Westy
Lube those hinges!

It seems I need to heed my own advice... last week I returned from a trip, and opened the trunk where the car had sat in airport parking for 2 weeks, and the driver side hinge snapped. Maybe it was the damp weather and sitting for 2 weeks, and it just seized. The pin at the rear most pivot point sheered off. I can get a replacement on ebay for $25, or a used wrecker one for $45, but neither will match my colour. First I will try to drill it out and see if I can put a new pin in.
Funny that when googling broken hinges, I came across my own old post... wish I had oiled these hinges more often - I did it once or twice, then forgot!
 
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