1985 90 Rear Door Check Strap Removal!

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84ninety

Active Member
Posts
194
Location
Devon
Hi All!
After a bit of advice on dismantling my rear door check strap.
I'm stripping my rear door down to see if I can extend its life a bit and Ive got everything off except the door strap. Which I cannot get off!
I wanted to replace it and the rubber stoppers.

Is the only way to get it out to bend up the bit of metal at the end of the runner? May be im missing something?

Any top tips? :)

Thanks, Paul.
IMG_7854.jpeg
 
I thought there was a slot at the right hand side of the strap housing on the door, so the rubbers and check bar could pull out?
 
No sadly no slot on this one!
It’s a really early model!
I think I’ll just leave it be. If I try and bend I’ll risk damaging the skin and I don’t want that as that sides in great shape!
Ok thanks anyway for the reply :))
 
No sadly no slot on this one!
It’s a really early model!
I think I’ll just leave it be. If I try and bend I’ll risk damaging the skin and I don’t want that as that sides in great shape!
Ok thanks anyway for the reply :))
I mean underneath. If you take the pivot pin out of the check strap/bar at the hinge end, can you not then slide the bar along the rectangular tube and take it out of the end (underneath)
 
No definitely no slots underneath accept the main one! Ive tried jiggling it all angles and it won't come out!!!

IMG_7657.jpeg
IMG_7658.jpeg
 
Hi! Thanks for the replies!
Yes you are correct you do have to bend the end out!
I found a pic of a brand new door of the same type and it shows the tab bent up.

Unfortunately the door frame is a bit worse in the middle! And cracked in two places :-/
I’m hoping to stabilise it or it will be a new door. Shame as it’s ok on the outside!
upload_2021-8-17_20-17-25.jpeg
 
Recon it is just bend the tab up at the right hand side in top pic. For an early door that is in good nick, that bit most times fubar.
Hawk eye there mate! I didn't see that tab hiding behind the cable and tape in the first pic. It really stands out on the last picture.
 
@84ninety
The frame doesn't look too bad. I've seen a lot worse. You can peel the folds of the door skin open and take the skin off. If the frame's not too bad you could get the cracks welded and get the thick of the rust off then get it galvanised, then put the skin back on. Galvanising is not that expensive to get done.
 
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You may not want to go down the road of a complete strip down, de-rust and rebuild with a new skin, but I'll write this anyway just in case, and for the benefit of others who may want to.

My door was worse than that. Plus the skin was cracked and holed around one of the wheel carrier mounts. And this has the bigger triangular mounts. I removed the skin and had the frame shot blasted and zinc primered. It came back looking lovely. Then I drilled some strategic holes and injected Dinitrol. I got some galvanised steel skin panels to refit. It wasn't too bad a job to fit them. You need a big enough table to work on. Fold the edges over a bit at a time, working backwards and forwards. I used some polyurethane sealant as a jointing compound. Once the edge was tapped over as far as I wanted to go using a hammer, I used a sturdy G clamp with some protective strips to crush the edge down to its final position.

After carefully working out where the lock hole should be and cutting it out, much to my annoyance I still had to move it sideways a bit. Fortunately the plastic insert on the rear side just covered it up.

On the inside of the door I bonded some reinforcing plates in the recesses where the wheel carrier bolts came through. You might want to consider an alternative type of wheel carrier to the one you have, depending on how you value authenticity over practicality and door longevity.

Removing the glass to carry out the blasting and re-skinning started out to be a major problem. I struggled and failed to release the sealant holding it in, and started to think that the only way it would come out would be to smash it and chisel the remnants out. Then I tried my vibrating multi-tool thingy. I used the plain knife edge tool. At first I thought the vibration would crack the glass but it held up. It easily cut through the sealant to its full depth and the glass came out with no trouble at all. If you haven't got one of these tools then get one. They are surprisingly useful for all sorts of jobs.
 
You may not want to go down the road of a complete strip down, de-rust and rebuild with a new skin, but I'll write this anyway just in case, and for the benefit of others who may want to.

My door was worse than that. Plus the skin was cracked and holed around one of the wheel carrier mounts. And this has the bigger triangular mounts. I removed the skin and had the frame shot blasted and zinc primered. It came back looking lovely. Then I drilled some strategic holes and injected Dinitrol. I got some galvanised steel skin panels to refit. It wasn't too bad a job to fit them. You need a big enough table to work on. Fold the edges over a bit at a time, working backwards and forwards. I used some polyurethane sealant as a jointing compound. Once the edge was tapped over as far as I wanted to go using a hammer, I used a sturdy G clamp with some protective strips to crush the edge down to its final position.

After carefully working out where the lock hole should be and cutting it out, much to my annoyance I still had to move it sideways a bit. Fortunately the plastic insert on the rear side just covered it up.

On the inside of the door I bonded some reinforcing plates in the recesses where the wheel carrier bolts came through. You might want to consider an alternative type of wheel carrier to the one you have, depending on how you value authenticity over practicality and door longevity.

Removing the glass to carry out the blasting and re-skinning started out to be a major problem. I struggled and failed to release the sealant holding it in, and started to think that the only way it would come out would be to smash it and chisel the remnants out. Then I tried my vibrating multi-tool thingy. I used the plain knife edge tool. At first I thought the vibration would crack the glass but it held up. It easily cut through the sealant to its full depth and the glass came out with no trouble at all. If you haven't got one of these tools then get one. They are surprisingly useful for all sorts of jobs.
Thanks for this information all posts. Really useful:)
Especially about getting the glass out! When you get a moment could you post a pic of your special tool? Then I can get one!!
 
I tried to post a link on Amazon to one but it won't show. Do a search on there for oscillating tool.

There are cheap generic ones, with a wide range of prices from under £40 up to 3 figures. Even Lidl and Aldi sell them on occasions for less the £30.. They all take the same fitting tools but beware Bosch. While finding this link to post I looked at a Bosch one and the reviewers are saying that Bosch have changed to their own fitting with attachments at Bosch ripoff prices. I've got an older Bosch and it takes cheap attachments from Lidl/Aldi. I buy some every time they have some in stock.
 
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I tried to post a link on Amazon to one but it won't show. Do a search on there for oscillating tool.

There are cheap generic ones, with a wide range of prices from under £40 up to 3 figures. Even Lidl and Aldi sell them on occasions for less the £30.. They all take the same fitting tools but beware Bosch. While finding this link to post I looked at a Bosch one and the reviewers are saying that Bosch have changed to their own fitting with attachments at Bosch ripoff prices. I've got an older Bosch and it takes cheap attachments from Lidl/Aldi. I buy some every time they have some in stock.
Thanks for this, I’ll have a look over the weekend :)
 
Hello All,
I just thought I would put something up to say I have nearly finished my rear door!
In the end I managed to find a new old stock door of exactly the right type. So I got it sprayed and then refurbished all the bits and built the new door. Its taken me for ever but really pleased with it. Saving all the motors and glass was a big win. Just got to get the door card and the other trim bits back on and that will be it! A couple of pics follow!
Thanks for all your help :)
Paul
 
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