How to Fix a Broken Glove Box Hinge: Easy Peasy Glove Box Hinge Repairs!

Your car glove box door breaking down can be a huge nuisance, since it is the one place inside the vehicle where we store everything expensive, important, and fragile. From our gadgets to our important documents, and of course the driving gloves, the glove box is where everything is stored until we need them.

This is why, when the hinges of your glove box break out or when the glove box door is no longer functioning, it automatically means that we can’t store anything important inside it and not risk everything falling out every time we put on the brakes of the car. 

How to Fix a Broken Glove Box Hinge by a Professional or Expert?

Like everything to do with repairing your vehicle, fixing your glove box hinge by a professional can set you up for hundreds of dollars. It might take up to $300 to fix the glove box or install a new one with functioning door hinges in your car. This is definitely an expense that no one wants to make unless they absolutely have to. 

If you take your broken glove box to a professional or a workshop, the verdict, most of the time, would be to change the whole thing, which is going to cost you a whole lot of money.

Alternatively, a professional might offer to fix the hinge so that you don’t have to replace the entire glove box, but that’s also going to cost you a lot. 

The most viable solution, in fact, is to five the hinges of your glove box yourself, so that it doesn’t cost you a lot. There are parts and tools that you can buy on cheap to fix the thing yourself even when you don’t have a lot of experience in this regard without having to rely on the expertise of a professional or taking your car to the workshop. 

What are the Different Ways to Fix a Broken Glove Box Hinge?

There are actually a few methods that you can try to fix your broken glove box hinge or door by yourself. 

The cheapest option to fix the glove box door would be to purchase a “universal glove box hinge repair kit” that can be purchased for as little as $15 or $20. These kits come with multiple brackets and screws that you can install yourself into your car, and fix the glove box hinge.

A Universal fit for most cars, these brackets and screws can also be used to repair not just glove box hinges, but also to repair other worn or broken components in the car. 

These universal glove box hinge repair kits can be bought in workshops, hardware stores, and online. They are easily available and almost universal in their fit. This may be a cheap option but it is also quite long-lasting and effective.

Another temporary solution will be to use quick glue to keep the glove box hinges working. This is a good solution only if you are in the middle of a journey and don’t have a lot of time to fix your glove box door.

It’s not a permanent fix but a good and strong glue can actually keep the glove box door and hinge working for a few hours until you are ready to try a more permanent solution. 

When Should You Fix the Hinge of Your Car’s Glove Box? 

There are actually quite a few ways that your car’s glove box can prove to be a problem, i.e. 

• The hinge might be broken. This is highly inconvenient if the hinge of your glove box breaks and you cannot open and close it perfectly, let alone lock it. You’ll know that the problem is with the hinge of the glove box when it is difficult to open and close it with ease. The lock may still be working fine, but you’ll definitely have trouble moving the door if there’s something wrong with the hinge. 

• It is also possible that the problem lies with the lock, whereas the hinge is working perfectly. If this happens, you’ll be able to open and close the glove box door but unable to lock it, as the lock has malfunctioned. 

Most of the time, the problem actually lies with the hinge of the glove box instead of the lock or any other part of it.

This can happen when someone has – accidentally or unknowingly – overloaded the glove box and then applied force to close the door. Or, it can happen because of too much usage, i.e. if the glove door has been opened and closed too many times. 

Good news! It is entirely possible to fix the glove box door hinge yourself, without having a lot of experience in this field. It is important, though, to have all the right tools and parts for the job. 

What Would You Need to Fix Your Glove Box Hinge Yourself?  

These are the things you’ll need for the job: 

• Screwdriver 
• Hinge Pin 
• Pliers Drill with a small hammer 
• Plastic Spacer Sleeve 
• A Rubber mallet step ladder 
• A WD-40 
• Safety Glasses 
• Gloves 
• Cardboard Newspaper 
• Masking Tape 
• Pencil Car Jack 4-C Clamps 

How to Fix Your Glove Box Door by Yourself? 

Step#1: Open the glove box and empty it, especially if it contains something expensive, important, or damageable. This will make it much easier to work with fixing the glove box door. 

Step#2: If your glove box is metal, remove all the hinges, especially the hinge pin that is in the middle of the hinge. You are mostly going to need a flathead screwdriver for this job. 

Step#3: Next, remove any pieces of rubber or plastic inside the glove box with the help of a pair of needle-nose pliers. This particular kind of pliers is going to make this step easier to accomplish. 

Step#4: By this time, your glove box hinge should be uninstalled and ready to be removed from the car. Do so while wearing a pair of safety gloves and make a note of where the hinge was inserted into the glove box. 

Step#5: Note if there are any clips or screws that were holding your glove box door hinge installed in the car. 

Step#6: Drill out or weld out the plastic plugs that are attached to the glove box. Your process depends on whether your car has a plastic or a metal setup. 

Step#7: Again, use a flatbed screwdriver to pry off each screw or plug from the hinge that you have taken out of the glove box. 

Step#8: Use masking tape and your pencil to mark each of the arms of the hinge. This will make the hinge perfectly symmetrical on either side. 

Step#9: Use plastic spacers as replacement parts to attach the glove door back. Plastic spacers usually come in 5/16” or ⅜” sizes, and they should fit your glove box door perfectly. They can also be cut into shape if you need something more specific.  Metal spacers, however, only come in one particular size and fit and cannot be adjusted. 

Step#10: Insert the new pin back into your hinge and it will be ready to install back into the glove box. 

Step#11: Open and close the glove box door a few times to see if it has been installed correctly. If you still have trouble using it effortlessly, the hinge might need a little adjustment. Use the pliers to bend the hinge into shape until the whole movement becomes effortless.

Step#12: Replace the different clips and screws (if any) that was previously holding the hinge down to the glove box. 

Conclusion

When you have all the important tools and found the perfect replacement hinge, you can fix a broken glove box door hinge yourself without having to spend hundreds of dollars for a professional to do it.