Hinge Adjustment

[JimDyer]

One of my closets has a door that won't stay open. Does anybody know how to adjust the hinges ?

[Gerald Farris]

Jim,
If the 98 Marquis uses the same hinges as the latter model SMC built Marquis coaches, there is no adjustment to the hinges. However the problem with the doors no longer staying open is caused by a small plastic detent in the hinge that brakes. The only correction is to replace the half of the hinge that is attached to the door.

Gerald  

[JimDyer]

Thanks, Gerald. So to confirm the diagnosis would I need to swap out all three hinges, or is one failure enough? Or do I just need to take the hinges off and the broken ones are obvious?

[Glenn Perkins]

Hey Jim - Hope all is well for you and Sue in FL.  I had this same issue in spades on our 99 Marquis and just ended up buying about 30 of the Blum hinges (http://www.specialtysupplies.com/blum-compac-33-110-degree-faceframe-hinge-hinge-only-p-1922.html?manufacturers_id=5) and as one breaks, replace it.  I think every hinge in our cooach has failed in the past 12 years.

Best
Glenn and Betty

[JimDyer]

Hi Glenn,

Hope you and Betty are having a great time in Arizona this winter. It's been 80's here all December until the last two days. We were in the pool Saturday with 18 other people.......air temp 86F.  I was planning to pull out the address for the Blum hinges you gave me, but I'm just wondering if there's a quick way to separate the two broken hinges from the one good one, assuming that the three on that door aren't all broken....

[Gerald Farris]

Jim,
I have found that usually when the door no longer stays open, all of the hinges need replacing. You can remove the hinge and identify a bad one by comparing it to a new one. I buy hinges in a lot of twenty at a time and keep them in the coach and replace them as necessary. I have been fulltiming in a 2000 Marquis for 8 years, and I have probably replaced every hinge in the coach, or close to it with some more than once.

Gerald

[JimDyer]

Thanks, everybody. You guys are great!

[Glenn Perkins]

Jim,

I take a slightly different tact than Gerald.  I pull the door after which you can clearly determine the broken hinge (it has no resistance in it's movement) and replace the bad one (or more) and then remount and adjust the door's closure.  I do keep a number of new replacements on hand as well though and when I get down to quantity of 5 or so on hand, reorder more.

As for the 80s in FL ... must be because we are not there this year  .  It's been in the 60s here in Yuma since Thanksgiving with a few nights in the 30s.  We went to Vegas last weekend (to aid their local economy) and it was only in the 50s there .  brrrr.

ANyway, enjoy the warmth for us please.

Glenn and Betty

[JimDyer]

Glenn,

After reading your post I pulled a closet door and it's three hinges. Turns out the broken plastic piece runs across in front of the bingeing part and you can feel whether or not it is broken. Makes it easy to figure out which ones need to be replaced.

Thanks

Jim