The Door Hinge Pin is Stuck. Now What?

Removing a door from its hinges is about as simple a DIY job as comes along. Yet more than one hinge pin has refused to budge even after employing a variety of tools and methods. If this has happened to you, we’re here to help.

There are two sources of trouble that cause a hinge pin to be difficult to remove:

1. Inability to hit the pin squarely and on target
2. Friction

We show you how to deal with both, neatly and efficiently.

Hit It Squarely

The old technique of putting a big common nail under the hinge pin and whacking it with a hammer is a perfectly good way to knock the hinge pin from its bore. Until it isn’t. I’ve seen more than one pin held so securely in its bore that the nail will bend before the pin budges. That is, the striking force from the hammer goes into bending the nail and not loosening the pin.

The solution is to use a specialized tool. Mayhew makes a spring-loaded hinge pin remover. The tool is assembled from three parts: a tool steel punch pin tip, a powerful spring, and a small weight attached to the spring’s end.

Mayhew’s hinge pin remover doesn’t require a hammer. It knocks out a pin quickly and efficiently. Most importantly, it’s the best way to knock out a hinge pin in a tight spot where it’s impossible or very difficult to swing a hammer.

Place the tool’s tip at the base of the hinge pin and pull back on the striking block attached at the opposite end to the spring. When you release the striking block, the tool’s spring drives the block against the tip, delivering a precise, powerful blow. In most cases, this will cause the hinge pin to lurch up in its bore. Another shot from the hinge pin remover moves the pin up enough so that you can lift it out by hand or with a pair of pliers.

The Really Stubborn Pin

There are rare instances when more stern measures are called for and, as good as the Mayhew tool is, it’s not powerful enough to knock out a really stubborn pin. That calls for a two-step solution:

1. lubricate the hinge
2. knock the pin loose with a pin punch and hammer

The WD-40 pen gets the famous lubricant right where it’s needed without making a mess. Just press the pen’s tip into the small gaps between the hinge leaves and at the top, where the pin meets the hinge. Let the lubricant soak in.

After the lubricant has a had a chance to soak in, use a large ball peen hammer (20 oz.) and a 3/16-inch pin punch to knock the pin out of the hinge bore.

Roy Berendsohn

Senior Home Editor

Roy Berendsohn has worked for more than 25 years at Popular Mechanics, where he has written on carpentry, masonry, painting, plumbing, electrical, woodworking, blacksmithing, welding, lawn care, chainsaw use, and outdoor power equipment. When he’s not working on his own house, he volunteers with Sovereign Grace Church doing home repair for families in rural, suburban and urban locations throughout central and southern New Jersey.