SVX door hinge replacment/repair?
 

I just recently got my SVX and noticed that both door hinges pop when opening/closing them. Any thoughts on how to fix or why they do that?

Re: SVX door hinge replacment/repair?
 

Do you mean the two hinges or the stopper/damper? The damper assembly thats located between the top and bottom hinges, about halfway up the door open makes such a noise. Lubricate that arm with grease and operate the door a few times to see if that helps. Its common to have some semblance of a "pop" noise when the door is opened fully.

Re: SVX door hinge replacment/repair?
 

I was talking about the moving hinge. The popping sound happens when the articulation in the door hinge moves like opening/closing, and that's were the sound come from. The drive door has done so since I got the car a couple weeks ago. The passenger door started last night after my 250lbs friend got out of the car and leaned on the door getting out. Now both make the same sound in the same place.

Re: SVX door hinge replacment/repair?
 

I am purchasing some Krytox grease which is supposed to be very effective and very safe for just about every type of surface. It is also very expensive but a little goes a long way. I am actually going to use it for my rubber door, hood and trunk seals along with Zymol conditioner. I am also going to to try it on that stopper/damper part Mike mentioned.

Re: SVX door hinge replacment/repair?
 

It is the door regulator, or "stopper" as Mike621 describes it that produces the popping nose. Put your white lithium grease there and it'll go silent.

Re: SVX door hinge replacment/repair?
 

I bet its the stopper. Mine are trashed and I need to pull them for sanding/painting. Opening a door sounds like you are in some bad horror flick and things are about to get much worse.

Re: SVX door hinge replacment/repair?
 

Re: SVX door hinge replacment/repair?
 

I agree with all that it's the "stopper." On my teal the popping is worsened by the fact that the spot welds failed and I have sheet metal screws holding the stopper pivot to the door frame, and they constantly need tightening.

dcb

Re: SVX door hinge replacment/repair?
 

Did this car really cost $35K new in the early to mid-90s?!?!?!? I know older cars always have something wrong but the stuff I read on here and the stuff I experience on my car is unbelievable. My 1997 Outback had a fraction of these issues and was about the same age as my SVX and had 90K more miles on it!!! Hell, I didn't even have a head gasket problem with that car and the HG was supposed to be THE issue with it. I attributed that to my easy driving style but that isn't keeping the SVX from developing rattles and squeaks and leaks that the Outback simply never had. I guess the previous owner could be to blame as he had it for most of its life. Well, either this car has issues that a $35K car shouldn't have at its age and mileage or I need to buy cars that have fewer or no miles and age on them so I know they weren't abused. That sucks because a new car is a bad financial decision due to the initial depreciation.

Re: SVX door hinge replacment/repair?
 

LS-Ls listed at $28,000+ in 1991 and topped-out at $34,000+ for MY 1997. I remember when they first came to market, my then-wife and I decided twenty-eight grand was about ten grand more than our budget could handle.

Aside from the obvious mis-steps with transmissions and wheel bearings (and those spot welds... anybody else have that problem on an early '92?), I think my cars still reflect ahead-of-their-time design, engineering, and construction.

But yeah, that was a ton of money when a very nice Legacy could be had for under $20,000.

As luck would have it, my cars are in totally decent mechanical shape to be 20-year old daily drivers. I think many of the failures we're reading about are attributable to years of hard driving.

dcb

Re: SVX door hinge replacment/repair?
 

The problem with the wheel bearings seemed to be that when one would go, when it was replaced, it came packed in shipping grease and not hi-temp bearing grease. They were installed as is and of course, would fail within 10k miles, and rinse and repeat. That is where I believe the issue comes into affect with them.

As far as the brake warping issue that I read about all over when I started looking into them and its because it is a heavy car, thats a load of bull. I've had cars much heavier with smaller brakes, cars of similar weight with smaller brakes, and never had an abnormal issue with rotors warping. Even on a stop from 130 mph and other heavy braking and having fun, still no issues with the brakes on my silver which were on the car when I got it. Oh yeah, and I am running Nissan steelies with snow tires, so its way more unsprung weight on it than a stock SVX would have and no issues with the brakes or bearings....

As far as transmissions, the issues seem to be mostly resolved with the major update to the transmission drums to allow for better fluid flow, and on a high performance car with an auto transmission, an auxillary trans cooler is pretty much a must.

You have to realize that this was a huge undertaking for Subaru at the time and not everything was tried and true at the time. It was the heaviest car they had ever produced at the time, and also the most powerful when it came out.

sorry for the hijack, I agree with most everyone else here, it's the door stopper:)


Also Husky, you have to realize that it is a 15 year old car in your case... even if it is taken care of, it has 15 year old ball joints, bushings, etc...

Re: SVX door hinge replacment/repair?
 

Also both the transmission and wheelbearings are Nissan parts... So its not like Subaru is really at fault. They selected two parts that should have been upto the task but weren't.

I think the transmission is part the ratio was a bit too tall with a bit too much stall speed... and lacking the cooling required to deal with it. Likely more agressive driving than its other applications given 300zx having manuals for thier "sporty" drivers, and most SUV drivers rarely flogging the crap out of the things.

Wheelbearings I dunno. Perhaps bad batch or poor design coupled with bad repairs once the first bearings died. I'm certain they were spec'd plenty strong and used in other applications just as heavy.

Re: SVX door hinge replacment/repair?
 

Wheel bearings I can see. It is a known Subaru thing. They all seem to have that problem. Why they can't get it right, I don't know. But my 1997 Outback didn't have the same number of clunks, rattles and leaks that this car has at the same age and much lower mileage. Failed welds? Really!?!?!?! Good lord, for that price they should have put the time and effort into making sure the strut mounts wouldn't self destruct and welds fall apart.

Re: SVX door hinge replacment/repair?
 

:plot:HIJACK:plot:

Re: SVX door hinge replacment/repair?
 

The more rewarding a car is to drive, the more expensive it is to own.

It's just a door regulator, and the car is nearly 20 years old. Maybe you should write a complaint to Subaru of America about the poor build quality.