Question about windshield hinge

[Ralph Moore]

Getting ready to put my windshield in, but it seems something is not right.
The hinge has two places where the metal is bent up( on purpose) for reasons I can't figure out. If I mount it like it is then the screws around this area will pull the rest of the hinge in a bind and the entire hinge surface will not be flat and twist.

_____/---\_____________/---\______

Kinda looks like this

I'm i missing something?

[wrndln]

What kind of car and year are you working on?
Rusty Nelson

[Ralph Moore]

31 coupe,
It would seem to me that the hinge would fit better if it was flat from one side to the other.

[BudP]

I just hung a front window into a 1931 coupe. The hinge was flat. Your common sense is correct. The real problem is the windshield frame gasket. It's slightly thicker than what you removed and makes fitting the window at the bottom a problem. A better solution might be a butyl compound: never silicon.

[Marco Tahtaras]

Originally Posted by BudP

I just hung a front window into a 1931 coupe. The hinge was flat. Your common sense is correct. The real problem is the windshield frame gasket. It's slightly thicker than what you removed and makes fitting the window at the bottom a problem. A better solution might be a butyl compound: never silicon.

If you are talking about the rubber seal above the hinge forcing the windshield too low, that problem is typically caused from the installation of new header wood. It's kind of a moot point at this stage of the game but I wrote about that here about a month ago.

I agree about the flat hinge but sure would like to see Ralph's hinge in question!

[Ralph Moore]

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I'll see if I can get a picture posted, all I have now is this phone and it doesn't work most of the time(posting pictures that is)
I have not bought my seals yet, any recommendations?

[Kevin in NJ]

I had a guy that could not get the windshield to close.

Turns out the header wood did not fit the cover pan so the pan did not fit flat to the wood.

Something to check at this stage.

[Ralph Moore]

I had the same problem, I had to trim the ends of the metal header cover so that it would go back far enough for the screw holes to line up and the windshield screws to not be hitting thin air.

[Ralph Moore]

lets see if this works, here is a picture of my hinge, I
think I may have to flatten this to make it work.

[Ralph Moore]

looks factory to me, like it was bent in a press, and they are evenly spaced, and the width of the hinge fits properly. Seems to me it would be shorter in length if someone did this to the original one.

[Roger V]

Also never saw one like it. Hard to see but the frame looks like it doesn't have a draft deflector. Therefore, the windshield assembly isn't original.

[Ralph Moore]

By "draft deflector" do you mean the large flange at the bottom that covers the slots in the dash rail when the windshield is closed?

[Ralph Moore]

Here's another strange thing, when I put the garnish moldings in and mock up the windshield the brackets for the swing out arms hit the garnish and don't allow it to close all the way.

[Ralph Moore]

Looks like I have a 28-29 frame, if I change the brackets for the swing out arm, will it still work?

[Canuck64]

Deflector flange across bottom has to be trimmed to clear windshield posts, as per Marco's pictures. Also slider arm brackets have to be changed to 30-31 that extend closer to center of car. Those brackets can't be extended with spacers, ask me how I know.

Canuck64

[Ralph Moore]

Thanks Canuck, I have already trimmed the flange as I have a 36 dash mounted in my car. I'll see if I can come up with a pair of those brackets. And I guess I will have to flatten the hinge as well.

[Ralph Moore]

That's the ticket, and I don't have to look for another windshield,
Thanks
Ralph

[Marco Tahtaras]

I believe that upper hinge will present numerous other issues as well. Look closely at cross section shape of Coupe's pic I reposted here.

[Ralph Moore]

other than the taper at the end, I don't see the difference.

[Marco Tahtaras]

Originally Posted by Ralph Moore

other than the taper at the end, I don't see the difference.

Ok, now I can see better. It's been a LONG time since I helped with a '29 windshield install and was thinking the hinge was different. Your first pics had me confused as I didn't realize it was still attached to the top of the frame. Sliding the hinge apart is one of the first things most folks do.

[Ralph Moore]

Well I spoke to a buddy of mine and lo and behold he had an extra 30-31 windshield frame. It's missing the wind deflector, but otherwise in good shape.
The only issue is the hinge is frozen, if I can free it up this will work great

[partscollector]

Hey guys, I'm facing the same question as Ralph. I have the exact same hinge and the stampings are factory. I have found three or four different style hinges just in my collection of model A windshield frames. Some have square cut outs, some have none, one has the stampings like the one in Ralph's pic and there are at least three different spacing arrangements on the screw holes. I can make any of them work but it would be nice to know which is correct for what model. If anyone has figured this out I'd like to compare notes.

[farrellaf]

Repro windshield hinge gasket comes solid. Anybody got inkling if should be notched fr installation or holed fr screws? Notched look as if would make install easier. Holes would immobilize. Kinda torn my own self and of crse tossed the old one. AFF

[townsedan29]

I believe its a briggs fordor hinge from my research. I used the same windsheild frame and hinge on my late 30 ccpu. I cut the two raised sections out and welded in peices to make it flat. I also changed the swing arm brackets on the frame to the 30-31 style worked well on my truck