Stainless hinges to replace the plastic ones?

[scooper77515]

Anyone had any experience using stainless hinges to replace the flimsy plastic ones on the boat cooler hatch and the "rope" hatch?

Both of mine are starting to wear out, and before i lose the hatch, I want to "batten them down".

Just wondering if they fit in the gap, or if there was any interference anywhere.

Too expensive to buy 4 of them and get them home to find they won't work....:ack:

 

[scooper77515]

Really...???

Nobody has done this?

Well, I bought enough to do one door, being stainless, it cost me almost $15 in hing and screws.

Maybe I will be the "stainless hinge pioneer" :reddevil:

 

[Dans97challenger]

Let us know how it goes!! I am pretty sure mine are still in great shape and don't need replacement. If it works good though I might have to make the switch too!!

 

[scooper77515]

Mine are still holding pretty well. I have one that is pretty thin, and torn a little at one side. Snipe said his rear "rope hatch" flew off once because the hinges finally ripped completely off, and had a hell of a time replacing it. He said it sunk like a rock, and was nearly $300 to replace it.

I would rather pay the $30 now then $300 later...

 

[scooper77515]

Nope!

The hinges I found had the correct length and hole spacing to use in the original holes, but the height was too big. It stuck WAY up.

I might be able to go with a smaller hinge, but I still think you would have the rounded hinge part sticking up above the deck and it would catch on clothes or scratch you as you enter and exit the boat.

I will have to see if I can just replace them with the original plastic hinges...

 

[seadoosnipe]

Cool!.........

Cool Scooper.....I just got my rope locker hatch in yesterday but did not order the plastic hinges because I wanted to look into the same thing.

I'll look at the 2" hinges, but I was thinking of finding a stainless piano hinge so it wouldn't leave to big an imprint on the surface, for the same reason you stated............

 

[scooper77515]

Let me know what you find...:cheers:

 

[kustomkarl]

You might save yourself a lot of aggravation by using the original hinge set up...look at how long it took to break...uh the doo is a 97. Will you even have it in 11 years? Just my 2 cents...remember the KISS theory...Keep It Simple Stupid
works for me.
Karl

 

[scooper77515]

I thought i WAS keeping it simple. How much more simple can it be to drive a mile to the hardware store and buy a hinge?

I just found out AFTER the fact that it is more difficult this way.