Disco 1 Back Door Retaining Strap

Having sailed through it's recent MOT needing just 2 anti-roll bar drop links and no advisories the delightful disco is now paying me back!

I noticed the other day that there was nothing to stop the pin in the bottom of the rear door frame dropping throgh - this is the one that has one end of the strap that stops the door opening too wide. I got a couple of replacement circlips and had fitted one but it keeps popping off. Having tried to give it another fix this afternoon I nudged the pin and it's disappeared into the metal work. I cannot see how to get into the box section to push it back through the hole (oh err matron!), any helpful hints please?

RichardIStone said:

I cannot see how to get into the box section to push it back through the hole (oh err matron!), any helpful hints please?

Click to expand...

Sounds like the metal that holds the pin in place has disappeared, the pin is fitted into a "blind" section in the bottom sill of the back door frame and should be attached by weld, it happened the same on my old '97 Tdi, mine was pretty rotten under the plastic combing mold that covers between the rear bumper and rear door frame. Remove the plastic bit, (pull out all the plastic rivets that hold it to both bumper and body), make an access opening into the area adjacent to the pin, I was not able to use the original pin but instead used a set screw and "half nuts", pulled out the old pin, fed the set screw, (7/16 dia I think), with a substantial flat washer under the head, placed another flat washer over the screw and tightened the half nut very tight, that gave a good firm engagement of the bolt to the body, placed the arm, (strap), over the bolt, used another half nut on top, cut off the excess set screw thread with the angle grinder down to flush with the nut top, peaned the thread with a punch to stop it wanting to undo and restored the control of the rear door opening, not concourse but it works, saves the door breaking the RH tail light lens and damaging the hinge.

I just dropped a long bolt in, job done. Worked fine.