Inner Door Panel Removal

[Guest Anonymous]

Hi Board- This has probably come up plenty of times, but how do you get the inner door panels off the doors without messing up and bending the chrome/aluminum trim strip? I've got all the knobs and levers off, have released the plastic retainers and have the door panel just hanging there. Is it a press fit to the top edge? Thanks in advance for your help.

[esty]

pop the clips out of the holes then lift the door panel straught up and off...it helps to use a putty knife or something similar to pop the clips

[heinrich]

But the problem is that you can't really just "lift the panel up and off", right? It's pretty stuck in there. I've taken my panels off a few times recently, and what I've done once I've gotten to the stage you're at is to start at the rear edge of the metal trim strip and use a screwdriver to gently pry the edge up off the frame. I also tapped the screwdriver a bit with a little hammer, again, very gently. Then you work your way forward, prying and tapping the strip up. Once you get a certain amount of it freed up you will be able to grab the panel on both sides and lift it up and off. Good luck...

[Napes]

under the panel on a very large screw driver. Keep moving forward and it'll come up off the top of the door. Key word here is gently. You don't want to mar the chrome strip across the top.

[Delia]

The spring clips that hold the chrome strip on the inner door may be rusted or frozen. Do not pry the aluminum strip. It's very expensive to replace.

Screwdrivers and putty knives may slip and make holes in vinyl or scratch paint.

Take block of wood and hammer: place the wood lengthwise across the bottom edge of the panel, and beginning at the rear, tap the wood smartly upward.

The rearmost edge of the chrome strip should free itself. Keep working the wood with the hammer forward until the strip moves moves a bit, then lift the whole door panel straight up.

Patience is important.

Cheers!

Delia

[PeteinMissionViejo]

I second the use of wood to tap with. I've used about a 16" long molding strip - about 1" wide by 1/2" deep and gone inside the panel tapping gently up and moving along the horizontal length of the panel. Same method on the back panels and no damage.

Pete

[DukeRimmer]

used screwdrivers, but the special tool of PeteinMissionViejo sounds great.

Delia's technique is safest.

If stuck, make a PMV tool or use the old two foot screwdriver. The top of the door trim panel is vinyl over thin sheet metal. Place your PMV tool 1" in from the trailing edge of the door trim panel and push, or hammer, up as close as possible to a 90 degree angle (straight Up). It should pop up half way. Grip the rear of the trim panel and lift straight up. Listen to Delia and watch that aluminum strip. It bends very easily, especially at the trailing edge of the vent glass.

Occasionally they are so stuck there is danger of pushing your long screwdriver through the top of the panel (that's why a PMV tool is such a good idea). You can, if you must, pry from the end of the door. The sheet metal of the panel curves over the top of the door shell and ends at about the same place as the fragile moulding. You must pry the metal of the panel, not the moulding. The most stuborn panels want you to pry, and use the PMV tool simultaniously.

Replace your vapor barrier useing thin plastic and spray adhesive. Leave no water leaks.