University of Extrication: Door-Hinge Designs & Styles

Aug. 1, 2014

A very common door-hinge design is typically referred to as the 'C-shaped' hinge design. It consists of two horseshoe-shaped hinge elements that face each other with some means of joining them together with a pin-type attachment. These hinges can be of a relatively large size both in opening of the hinge as well as thickness of the hinge elements themselves. Cutters, spreaders, sawing or chisel tools can be used to remove this door at the hinges. If a light-duty power cutter is used to sever this style of hinge, consider cutting the upper section or 'leaf' of the hinge first and then cutting through the bottom leaf by itself as a second cut. Attempting to cut through the entire hinge assembly will crush each leaf of the hinge together and may stall out a small or less powerful hydraulic cutter tool. — A very common door-hinge design is typically referred to as the "C-shaped" hinge design. It consists of two horseshoe-shaped hinge elements that face each other with some means of joining them together with a pin-type attachment. These hinges can be of a relatively large size both in opening of the hinge as well as thickness of the hinge elements themselves. Cutters, spreaders, sawing or chisel tools can be used to remove this door at the hinges. If a light-duty power cutter is used to sever this style of hinge, consider cutting the upper section or "leaf" of the hinge first and then cutting through the bottom leaf by itself as a second cut. Attempting to cut through the entire hinge assembly will crush each leaf of the hinge together and may stall out a small or less powerful hydraulic cutter tool.

SUBJECT: Door Hinges

TOPIC: Door-Hinge Designs & Styles

OBJECTIVE: Determine the most appropriate tools and techniques to remove a door from a vehicle

TASK: When assigned the task of total door removal, the rescue team shall be able to select appropriate tools from their rescue tool inventory and utilize them in both a primary and backup technique based upon the design and construction of the door hinges.

This University of Extrication article is a follow-up to an initial article on door hinge design published in the May 2010 issue of Firehouse Magazine. This second article presents an overview of some of the more common door hinge designs on late-model vehicles as well as provides various extrication tips to accomplish total door removal as a safe, efficient and effective assignment. Door tasks are one of the more common assignments at injury crashes so responders must remain up to date with the latest designs and techniques pertaining to total door removal.

TASK: When assigned the task of total door removal, the rescue team shall be able to select appropriate tools from their rescue tool inventory and utilize them in a primary and backup technique based upon the design and construction of the door hinges.

About the Author

Ron Moore

RON MOORE, who is a Firehouse contributing editor, recently retired as a division chief with the McKinney, TX, Fire Department and now serves with Prosper, TX, Fire Rescue. He self-published the Vehicle Rescue 1-2-3 training manual and serves as the forum moderator for the extrication section of Firehouse.com . Moore can be contacted directly at [email protected].