PSA: stop trusting the 'just use more hardener' advice from the parts store guy

Last month I had a 2017 F-150 with a tailgate that kept sagging on the left hinge. The guy at AutoZone in Columbus told me to just grab some stronger epoxy and layer it thicker, said it would firm right up. Took his word for it, spent $38 on the stuff, and two days later the hinge cracked clean through while I was test closing it. Customer came back and I had to eat the part cost plus redo the whole repair with proper spot welds. I get that body filler and adhesives have their place, but for structural hinges that guy had no clue what he was talking about. Anyone else had to undo a parts store shortcut that cost you double the time and cash?

2 comments

2 Comments

phoenix_brown8526d ago

Learned that lesson on a work van door, now I always drill out bad hinges and bolt new ones in, takes longer but it sticks.

baker.christopher26d ago

My buddy Mike had a similar thing happen with a leaf spring mount on his old Silverado. The guy at O'Reilly's swore by some marine-grade JB Weld, said it would handle anything. He went through the whole prep, let it cure for a full day, and the bracket snapped off the first time he hit a pothole on I-70... scared the hell out of him. He ended up having to rent a welder and do the whole thing over in his driveway on a Saturday.