LopeyZ

iTrader: (2)

I damaged my drivers side door skin recently and can't decide what the best approach would be to fix it. I'd really hate to replace the entire door over such a minor flaw because I don't want to lose any of the original stickers. Would it be best to fix the damage or replace just the skin? Then lets say I find the same color door skin... is it possible to remove the donor skin without destorying the paint?

1320Chicken

iTrader: (4)

Post a picture of the damage on the inside. From what I can see it's not worth putting a skin on it and it can probably be contained so that you don't get into the structure of the door where the stickers are. Removing the door skin is going to require a heat gun. If your patient and careful you could remove a donor skin without damaging the paint. You are going to have to clamp it back together so you'd have to use a block of wood to evenly distrubte the pressure. That way it doesn't dimple the panel or mess up the paint. If the inside isn't bad it looks to me like less than a 2 hour repair plus paint.

LopeyZ

iTrader: (2)

Is this what you wanted to see?

J1D2warrior

iTrader: (2)

from what I can see in the photos that should be repairable. no need to skin it.

EDS01SS

iTrader: (30)

yup i agree. very easy repair there

LopeyZ

iTrader: (2)

Any DIY repair guides out there? I have already read a standard glass repair isn't going to last. Or due to the size of the repair am I better off letting a pro do it?

JOHNNY59

iTrader: (398)

need to use repair materials for SCM panels, not fiberglass.

1320Chicken

iTrader: (4)

Yes. You'll need to use SMC materials. We use this at work

http://www.lord.com/products-and-sol...%28heat-set%29

Using resin is not going to work on that spot. With the fusor you're just using that in place of resin.

Where are you located?

JOHNNY59

iTrader: (398)

from what I have read, you can and should use epoxy resin on smc.

LopeyZ

iTrader: (2)

I'm located in Kansas.

My original plan was to use a resin that would seep into the fractured areas. Then before it cures, use a wood form and clamp to the door edge to force it back into it's original position. Does that plastic repair adhesive require you to cut a V notch into the crack before applying?

1320Chicken

iTrader: (4)

I've never used epoxy resin. We used polyester resin until about 9 years ago and then switched to the fusor. It's very versatile and much faster than resin, polyester anyway. If you apply it and your matting correctly you can sand it with 80 grit do a thin glaze coat and be done, in far less time as well.

Yes you would need to v out the crack a little bit. Truthfully no matter what you use you should v the damage. It's a mechanical bond, so you need all the bite you can get.

JOHNNY59

iTrader: (398)

any thing that's polyester based will have trouble adhering to a smc panels as the mould release agent is mix in the smc compound. so the product should be epoxy based. there are some polyester based adhesive that may work.

1320Chicken

iTrader: (4)

Exactly why we switched from the resin we were using to what I recommended. 9 years later in a production truck shop and I have yet to have a job come back for poor adhesion. We have an account with Ryder and will see the same truck at least 5 times before they take it out of service, and no one is easy on those rental trucks.

I'm not 100% on how the release agent is applied, I've never needed to know, but we did have adhesion issues when SMC became common in trucks.