this post was submitted on 27 Apr 2024
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Home Improvement

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Looking for help in solving a problem where the lower door hinge pin on my entry door keeps creeping up and causing the deadbolt to become slightly misaligned making it more difficult to lock. Reading online, I keep coming across suggestions of tightening a screw that’s supposed to lock the pin in place but my hinges don’t seem to have that screw.

Anyone have any other ideas on how to fix this problem?

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[–] glimse 6 points 6 months ago (2 children)

Just to make sure I'm on the same page...the pin that connects the two hinge plates is coming out on its own?

You can try taking the pin out and lightly hammering the middle knuckle so it's pinches the pin more. Alternatively, hammer a slight bend in the pin.

They also make pins that go through the hinges and screw on

[–] Veedem 4 points 6 months ago

A screw in hinge pin might do the trick. I have to look into that.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 6 months ago

Bending the pin helps with auto closing doors too.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 6 months ago

I'm not a carpenter, but as a mechanic, if the hinge pin is doing that AND the deadbolt has a problem, I would expect a third problem. Maybe the door frame isn't square, or since it is the bottom hinge pin, maybe a threshold issue. The pin shouldn't be migrating, and if it did, the deadbolt shouldn't care. There should be three hinges on an entry door. Is the door warped?

[–] [email protected] 3 points 6 months ago

Do the hinges actually line up correctly? If one of them is crooked, on the door or jamb, that could probably cause the pin to work it's way out.

[–] Kethal 2 points 6 months ago

Other people have better ideas, but a very small dab of blue Loctite (the one that isn't permanent) on the bottom knuckle would keep it in place but probably be removable with a hammer and pin.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 6 months ago

Take some large grit sandpaper and give the pin a few twists to rough it up and create horizontal groves.

[–] SatansMaggotyCumFart 2 points 6 months ago (1 children)
[–] Veedem 6 points 6 months ago (1 children)

That doesn’t sound like good solution if I ever need to remove the door.

[–] SatansMaggotyCumFart 4 points 6 months ago (1 children)

Good thinking.

I’m out of ideas.

[–] drislands 7 points 6 months ago

Thanks for trying, SatansMaggotyCumFart.

[–] morphballganon 1 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago)

You might need to pry the cylinder the pin goes in in the opposite direction of where it's trying to trend. E.g., if the two pieces' cylinders don't want to line up, you probably need to pry them over so that when the pin is in, they sit flush. This might be counter-intuitive. You might think you need to pry them together, but that will cause them to sit farther apart when the pin is in. Pry them away from each other, just a couple mm, so when the pin is in, they are closer.

Also check your pin for damage.

[–] CosmicCleric -5 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago)