Rear hatch hinge starting to break through hatch sheet metal

[unpredictable1]

I think this is an odd one, in the pic below you can see that the sheet metal of the hatch where the hatch hinge connects, is starting to flex/crack. This is also causing my hatch not to close easily. Only a matter of time before that works its way through the hatch sheet metal and then it's really hosed.

Not sure anyone fixed this before without changing out the hatch completely - but my thought is to let go the hinge and weld along the cracks and also probably drill those little spot weld areas and re-weld them. Just looking for any pointers someone might have!

 

[Pete Deering]

I think this is an odd one, in the pic below you can see that the sheet metal of the hatch where the hatch hinge connects, is starting to flex/crack. This is also causing my hatch not to close easily. Only a matter of time before that works its way through the hatch sheet metal and then it's really hosed.

Not sure anyone fixed this before without changing out the hatch completely - but my thought is to let go the hinge and weld along the cracks and also probably drill those little spot weld areas and re-weld them. Just looking for any pointers someone might have!View attachment 456529

?can you get behind that hinge?
You can add a 1/8 inch flat bar stock too the face.
Go around the hinge on three side.
Drill holes in the place where the 5 holes are and weld them together.
And weld the flat bar stock too the hatch all around and weld the hinge too the flat bar stock.
? Why it Sheet metal fatiguing?

 

[Pete Deering]

? is the hinge lube up or seized?

 

[unpredictable1]

? is the hinge lube up or seized?

it has to be something like that from lack of use. A close friend owned this for the last 10+ years and it most definitely wasn't opened on a regular basis. The driver side appears fine.

I can't get in behind where the hinge attaches, that's internal to the hatch itself. Going to try and beef up the outside.

 

[Pete Deering]

it has to be something like that from lack of use. A close friend owned this for the last 10+ years and it most definitely wasn't opened on a regular basis. The driver side appears fine.

I can't get in behind where the hinge attaches, that's internal to the hatch itself. Going to try and beef up the outside.

I looked at my hinge area on the 95. I would slice a opening at the bend point along the hinge area. Hinge area is 2 inch wide. Slide a 6" long x 1 1/2" x 1/16" thick or 1/8" thick flat bar in behind the hinge.
I would pre-order drill and tap holes in the bar stock. At the two mounting bolts and two additional holes on each side of the hinge. To attach a additional 1/16" thick plate to the out side. You would need too pre-fab the two plate together, so the mounting holes line up. You made need two longer factory hardware. I would drill and tap too factory hardware size. You may need longer factory hardware size to install the stiffener plates with effecting the hatch alignment.
Then weld up the slice.