X-Squared Hinge Issue

[DropkickMurphy915]

Hey,

I bought a pair of X-Squareds off a member year a few years back and it was time to replace the wear-and-tear parts. Bought new orbital gaskets and temple washers from Chris at OXMParts along with new orbital and hinge screws. Long story short, after wrestling the new tight-fit temple washers into the right hinge joint and putting the new screw in, I can't for the life of me get the hinge to tighten fully. I followed the instructions on OXMParts.com for replacing the temple washers and the left hinge tightened as expected, but no matter what I do I can't get the screw to go all the way into the right hinge.

I'm squeezing this thing together as hard as I can and the screw just keeps backing off. Obviously, it's possible I just got a bad screw, but is there anything I can do to get this thing to tighten fully? Is there anything inside the hinge that I could have stripped taking the original screw out? Kind of at a loss at this point, they're wearable but I don't trust the screw not just fall out taking them off.

 

[SecretNinja]

@zwc0442, you have any time to make this guy a longer screw?

 

[DropkickMurphy915]

Well that would sure as hell solve my problem!

 

[zwc0442]

I can send you some oem spec washers and use those instead so it doesn't open up the hinge and make the screw unable to grab.

 

[DropkickMurphy915]

I can send you some oem spec washers and use those instead so it doesn't open up the hinge and make the screw unable to grab.

I've already opened up the hinge, though, per the instructions on OXMParts. I'm not sure the OEM washers would help at this point, I think I'd probably need a longer screw

 

[zwc0442]

Did the screw strip out by chance? An oem screw will be threaded in about 4-5 threads. I couldn't see how the hinge area could be spread that far apart and not break it.

 

[DropkickMurphy915]

Did the screw strip out by chance? An oem screw will be threaded in about 4-5 threads. I couldn't see how the hinge area could be spread that far apart and not break it.

I'm almost certain the screw did strip out. The head on my OEM screw was already no good, but it was tight. The replacement screw is just going in without me having to turn it, it's just not grabbing anything at all, but it's also not going in all the way. Like I'll start to tighten it and it'll feel fine and then it'll just slip.

There's no way the hinge is so far apart that the screw shouldn't be grabbing, I forced the right hinge together far enough that it was hard to even get the new washers in, which I did not do with the left hinge and the left hinge is as tight as I expected. I may have another set of screws coming from OXMParts, the original order vanished in the mail but may arrive eventually, but right now I have nothing else to use and I'd like to get this solved somehow.

Edit: at the same time, the OEM screw is doing the exact same thing which makes me wonder if something inside the hinge could have stripped and then I'm just boned.

 

[SecretNinja]

I'm almost certain the screw did strip out. The head on my OEM screw was already no good, but it was tight. The replacement screw is just going in without me having to turn it, it's just not grabbing anything at all, but it's also not going in all the way. Like I'll start to tighten it and it'll feel fine and then it'll just slip.

There's no way the hinge is so far apart that the screw shouldn't be grabbing, I forced the right hinge together far enough that it was hard to even get the new washers in, which I did not do with the left hinge and the left hinge is as tight as I expected. I may have another set of screws coming from OXMParts, the original order vanished in the mail but may arrive eventually, but right now I have nothing else to use and I'd like to get this solved somehow.

Edit: at the same time, the OEM screw is doing the exact same thing which makes me wonder if something inside the hinge could have stripped and then I'm just boned.

If that's the case, it can be retapped.

 

[DropkickMurphy915]

If that's the case, it can be retapped.

How would I do that? Or would I need to send them somewhere?

 

[SecretNinja]

Like Zach said. A 4-5 tap and the tap wrench to hold it.