Innermost nut from top door hinge... Driving me insane! Right up in the corner there, short socket too short long socket too long, and no range of movement for spanner.... Even short socket with short extension bar is too long... I dont know what else I can try, as I have a few socket sets and they are all identical... other than a RBFH.... dang that wouldnt even work.... cant even cut it off lol....
Hope you understand what im talking about, it is hard to explain....


Help?

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Size DOES Matter!!!

Yes, its a PITA

I do that last one with an open ended spanner until loose, then use my fingers.

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Too many cars, and too little time.

I've done it with a 3/8 drive driver, through a 3/8 - 1/4 adaptor to a 1/4 socket onto the nut. That seemed to give me about the right length to avoid the angled bits of support and the inner guard.

A 7/16" ring spanner with a 'Z' shaped end and grind the out ring down a bit

( by Z shaped - there is a near vertical section about 1" long between the 'handle' and the ring bit - you need to grind the ring bit so it will fit between the nut and the back wall of the wheel arch)

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David L


My greatest fear in life is that when I die my wife will sell my Mini and tools for the price I told her I paid for them!

Put a hole in the inner doorskin and reach in with a long socket extension.


(I just use a regular small spanner, no problems there).

lol i just did mine up bout 10 seconds ago... i use an open ended spanner... every time you turn it you have to flip it around... hard to explain... but its a pain in the ass

Steve, (ala Brickworx) has a little socket driver (about 10cm long) that made that job so flippin easy.

Thanx so so much for the fast replies

Ok, some ideas for me to work with there, I will have to see if i have an adaptor, because the larger drive socket is slightly shorter, but the ratchet head is thicker so I do understand that using an adaptor to the smaller drive would help

z-shaped spanner also sounds great, I dont have one but if it comes to that I will get one!!! I know i will get plenty of use out of it.

Im not having any luck using a conventional spanner... lucky if i have 3mm movement... the car is jacked up with the wheel removed too.

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Size DOES Matter!!!

I use a 1/4 drive socket set. 7/16 socket & an extension bar about 8'' long.
I hold the socket up inside the door with my hand and i fit the extension bar in through the small gap between the inner door skin & the door release. Easy peezy The bottom one you can get at with a short extension bar or remove the kick plate on the door, theres a hole behind it.

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Have a Nice Day.
If already having a nice day please disregard.

Since you have a few socket sets, cut down one of the longer ones to the right size...then you will be prepared for when it has to go back on and you can rent it out to all the others when they are having the same problem

I don't know why, but no ones mentioned a universal joint yet,
thats what i used, but when i put it back together i'll be makeing sure that the threads are really good and mainly doing it by hand.
what a pain.

Nathan

Believe me, I have thought about cutting one! I do have about 5 sets for some reason....

And uni joint.... hmmm... I will give that a go, it hadnt crossed my mind, it may be too bulky but worth a go.

850man and harley, I am working under front quarter guard, door is off and long gone, Ive never had any dramas with that side of the hinge. thanx heaps for the input

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Size DOES Matter!!!

oh sorry, the top inner guard nut is quite hard to get at, clean out all the crud and use a 1/4 drive rachet, socket & uni joint as suggested above. Wrap some elec tape arpund the uni joint or use some heatshrink on it to stop the uni joint from floping around as much.

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Have a Nice Day.
If already having a nice day please disregard.

Yep, I realised that after I posted.
Mine were done last week with a lot of swearing and a spanner.

I got myself a cheap socket set from Cheap as Chips, took the 1/4" drive screwdriver and bent the shaft 90 degrees as cose to the end as possible. Worked perfectly, very easy to get in and out.