Door detent check link roller

The plastic bushings for the detent rollers on the front doors of my 1991 OCC have worn out and are no longer present. The rollers themselves seem to be ok. The roller does its job, but without the bushings, I'm afraid they'll eventually wear down too much.

I found these on replacements on Ebay.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/OEM-NEW-Front-Door-Check-Link-Roller-Chevrolet-GMC-Buick-Oldsmobile-Cadillac/191770933067

It is GM Part 20058035, but the lookup function says it isn't compatible with my car. They look the same.

Does anyone have any experience with replacing this part?

Looks like the spring will need to be compressed and the hinge removed in order to install the new roller and bushing.

If I simply kept a lot of heavy duty grease in between the roller and the hinge, would that suffice and help me avoid the whole hinge removal hassle?

Any other options?

Thanks in advance.

I have not found a compatible detent rod assembly. The one in the hinge is swaged in place. The end can be ground/cut off, so it is possible to replace. I found a similar one, but it needs to be modified to fit. It is an Av-ue-co 19782. I must have a step cut in the bottom of the shaft from 1 1/16 inch from the bottom to the end, and 3/8 inch in diameter. Then it can be cut to 5/8 inch long, and threaded. Use a nylock nut to keep it from loosening.

Fred, I found this, as you suggested: http://www.dixied.com/product8341.html and http://dixie.hypermart.net/Auveco/apc507.pdf

What I'm hearing from you and seeing is that it is a complete assembly that requires modification before it will fit.

Wish I could simply put another plastic bushing between the roller and the pin.

I believe I will simply force a large amount of heavy duty wheel bearing grease into the void created by the lost bushing and keep an eye on it.

The doors both seem to close fine without the bushing.

Thanks for your usual detailed and "been there - done that" response.

The pin in the top is pressed in, and if you can remove it, you could replace the bushing and roller.

Correction: The diameter you need to reduce the shaft to is 5/16, not 3/8. A 5/16 by 18 thread would be sufficient to hold it in place. You do not have to cut the shaft of the new part off, because there is plenty of room for it below the hinge.

I marked the length with a line around the shaft, then I just used a grinder, and rotated the end against it until I got a 5/16 diameter shank. I used a file to square up the step, then threaded it with a 5/16 18 die. The shaft does not have to be really pretty, because most of the surface will be removed by the die. It is then, just a matter of getting a spring clamp (they are available), retracting the spring, and grinding the bottom off of the old shaft. There is a large "washer" on the bottom, and the shaft end is peened over to keep it in place. It is a little difficult getting to the end for grinding, and a dremel tool, or die grinder should be able to get to it with a small grinding wheel.

mtennant wrote:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/OEM-NEW-Front-Door-Check-Link-Roller-Chevrolet-GMC-Buick-Oldsmobile-Cadillac/191770933067

It is GM Part 20058035, but the lookup function says it isn't compatible with my car. They look the same.

it says 91-96 caprice,. ?  close enough.

The roller does you no good unless you can get the pin out of the old one.

I'm having to replace this roller on a car right now. Has anyone tried actually removing the roller pin from the hinge assembly, and better yet, with the door in place?

I'm wondering if I can purchase a spring compressor, remove the spring, then use a long prybar or a wonderbar and a big hammer and drive it up from beneath to get the pin and old roller assembly. I will try in on a junkyard car first. I did see a youtube video with a 4th gen F-body guy who got the pin out but he was doing it with the hinge on the workbench.

There is a collar on the bottom, and the shaft is peened over. You must grind the end off, and then you can drive it out with a drift, and a few taps of a hammer. There is a tool for for compressing the spring. It looks like a large metal clothes pin.

If you read the May 17 2018 post at 4:15, it explains what you must do. This is the easiest way replace the part.

I misspoke in my earlier post.  What I meant to ask was if you had tried removing the little pin that holds the roller into the top of the larger pin that mounts into the door hinge, like in this video.  But from what you describe, it's easier (and cheaper!) to replace the entire pin and roller assembly.

You can have the entire post ready to swap, and you do not have to remove the hinge.