I've got a chopped fuel door because of fender flares and it looks great but my hinge is starting to wear out. Theres no lock on it and it pops open while I'm driving and I'm afraid it is going to get worse or hit the side of the bed. I'm wondering whether anyone knows either 1) a replacement hinge or 2) another solution to keep the door shut. I rigged up a spring to keep it closed for now but it is an ugly solution. Also, crossed my mind to take it off completely but I have a fiberglass bed and there is a big ugly hole there. Any ideas, guys?

 

I just put a magnet on the door. Holds it closed and the magnet will stick to the bed or the door when you open it. Mine stays on the door every time.

 

Oh ˟˟˟˟ you have a fiberglass bed so scratch that idea lol

 

Not a terrible idea but I've got a fiberglass bed so I'd probably have to figure out a way to screw a magnet in.

 

There you go. Get a round magnet with a hole and bolt in on. Best idea I had because I hate the locking caps. Might eventually plug the lock hole and get the holding stuff off a 2nd gen and make it work.

 

Don't do that. Why do you think every car made has a door covering the fuel-filler? Stylin'? It's part of the system that keeps gasoline inside the tank instead of all over you.

 

some of it might be stylin', too. to have smooth body sides, and no protruding neck.

the door itself isn't liquid-proof, but caps nowadays are plastic, so the door also serves a protectionary function. the caps on my cj and dodge truck are both chromed steel, with an exposed neck. the fuel doesn't come out of them that way, though.

 

I'd have to agree with this- I've had jeeps for years and the fuel cap has no door. No lock even.

 

69 F250 open drivers door, remove cap, fuel...or take it off out the window.

 

In the 1980s, a 60-Minutes competitor TV "news" show did an expose on pre-1972 GM pickup trucks. With those trucks the fuel tank was ("gasp! can you believe it!!") inside the cab.

Despite the hoopla, that's actually a very good location for a fuel tank (if the cab is hit hard enough to rupture a fuel tank, the occupants won't survive the impact. If a fuel tank down by the frame rails is ruptured, it doesn't matter whether the occupants survive the initial impact). The problem was that it had that external chromed fuel cap. If the truck gently rolled onto the left side, just sliding down the road would either grind off the fuel cap, or often just spin it off. The collision was insignificant, but now gasoline is pouring out of the tank right by your ear as a steel truck is grinding down a stony pavement. VERY bad.

So GM stopped using the external door-less fuel cap in 1972. The fuel door isn't liquid tight, it's to prevent the cap getting ground off in an otherwise not-too-bad sideswipe. So leave the door closed. And think twice about driving around in those old Jeeps.

 

Just curious how many vehicles have you people been in that were on fire ??

At this time it has been 5 or 6 I am not sure one was when I was quite young

My gas cover door was broke off the 4Runner years ago when it was frozen and I needed fuel one of those projects that never got fixed

 

i noted the minor protection function the door provides for the ubiquitous plastic caps. the door was also added as a stylistic element. that isn't debateable.



really, probably best to just stay off all roads, and never get in a vehicle.


leaking gas can ignite; however, not as easily or frequently as portrayed in "film". a "minor sideswipe"? how minor is it if it flops your vehicle over on its side? the fuel door isn't preventing loss of integrity to the refueling apparatus from a crash of that magnitude, especially if the point of impact is the fuel door.

wally

 

How about hacking the spring that's making it pop open hold it closed instead. Seems like way more work than the magnet...