CDJ-2000 Road Case Hinge Repair & Decal Removal

In this video we remove some decals & sticker residue from the exterior of a riveted road case for DJ turntables and replace some old and worn rusty quick release split style hinges that are mounted with rivets allowing you to split the lid from the base for ease of setup for road gigs.

Road cases for audio equipment and other musical gear tend to take a beating. Even though they are made of impact absorbing plastics, foam and feature aluminum or steel framing that is riveted together, sometimes parts of the case take damage and need to be replaced. Parts such as quick release hinges or rotary latches can take damage and wear overtime. This article and feature video can be used to guide one to replace such parts as necessary.

In this case we are repairing a road case for Pioneer CDJ-2000 DJ Turntables and Mixer, specifically the quick release split hinges that hold the two halves of the case together. The old ones were stretched, worn and rusty so they were causing poor fitment and trouble getting the pieces back together. While we are at it we are removing some vinyl decals and the sticker residue from the exterior of the case.

Some of the tools needed to undertake the task for this case are: Rivet install tool, Rivets (5mm diameter, 12-15mm length), 5mm flat washers, drill & bits, pliers, picks, wide vice grips, replacement hinges (from road case parts supplier, measured for size prior to ordering), small hammer, small punch, adhesive remover, spray adhesive, paper towels & a blower and/or broom to clean up metal shavings.

First you need a drill bit large enough to drill the head off the installed rivets, a 10mm bit worked well for me. Do not drill all the way through the rivet only drill the head, this is crucial because if you make the mounting hole bigger you will have a hard time getting the new rivets to grab. Once the head of the rivet is removed use the pliers to pull out the shaft part from the opposite end, you may need to remove foam backing from the interior of the case to get these exposed for removal. Take additional care when drilling not to catch the foam backing. With the old rivets out, you can use a properly sized drill bit (5mm) in this case to smooth out the holes for the new rivets, this cleans out any burrs or leftovers from the old rivet.

Rivets are pressed in place with the rivet tool and are a “permanent” mounting type, so they can be somewhat temperamental to remove at times. If you are having trouble getting an old rivet out it can help to use a very small drill bit (smaller than 5mm) to drill it out from the inside without making the hole bigger. A good set of automotive picks come in handy here because sometimes the sleeve of the rivet will be stuck in the hole, use a good pick to finesse it out of there. You will have to alternate between drilling, pliers and picks for the troublesome rivets.

From the pressures of drilling the framing of the road case can flex or become slightly deformed. This is where the wide mouth vice grips come in handy, set them just a tad tighter than the thickness of the deformed portion and press them around the affected area to straighten them back out. You do not want to set them too tight because it can cause fitment issues later.

Once all the necessary rivets are removed and the holes are free of old rivet material and your mounting surface is adequately prepped, it’s a good idea to sweep or use an electric blower to clean the metal shavings so they don’t get embedded in your skin and clothes.

A good rivet tool is paramount to making this job much easier, there are small handheld ones, large handheld, pneumatic (air) & electrical ones. The difficulty of mounting lies in holding the washer on the backside of the rivet to get a better grab on mounting the rivet while simultaneously operating the tool. Use of one of the assisted latter tool types would make this a lot easier, if you only have the basic hand operated tool it might help to have a buddy’s aid for the extra hands. In this case we had the small handheld one to get the rivet started while holding the washer in place, and a larger handheld rivet tool for the final pulling to reduce hand fatigue.

Now it is time to mount the replacement hinges, align the holes in the hinge with the holes in the case and place the rivets through the top to guide and hold the hinge in place. This helps to keep things aligned. Place a washer on the back side of the exposed rivet end on the inside, you may need to pull back on the interior foam more to make placing and holding the washer easier. Using the tips from above, simultaneously hold the washer to mounting surface with one hand while operating the rivet tool with the opposite hand. It may take a few pulls to get the rivet shaft to detach, once the first pull is holding the washer in place you can use both hands to operate the tool if necessary.

Repeat this process for the remaining hinges, once completed test the fitment of the closed case. Sometimes you may need to use a small punch and small hammer to tap the hinges slightly to promote proper alignment. Also, be very careful when first closing the case after hinge install, depending on differences in hinges it may be a tight fit, just carefully work the case closed so it can settle into place without damage.

For this job, to make the cases look a lot cleaner I went ahead and removed the worn vinyl decals at the customers request. Carefully peel off the old stickers, and then clean off any remaining sticker residue with your favorite adhesive remover. Finally, since we had to remove some foam backing to get to the rivets use spray adhesive on the backside of these areas and re-mount the foam.

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