PHATKOP

DON'T PULL IT TO MUCH, only enough to get tools on it.

Jason94z

iTrader: (3)

Thanks I have a habit of breaking stuff lol

Jason94z

iTrader: (3)

I only got the two bolts in the rear by the door latch out. It's taking way too long for this project. Hah. Now I have no idea how to get the front out. I can't even get a socket on them.

I even started cutting the bar with a small hacksaw. Not going to happen. Switched to a dremel and got 1/4 way through. Gave up. Now I have one dangling bar on the passenger side that is 1/4 cut.

You guys that got it out in 15 mins on a Camaro give some more pointers please!

I gues I will need to go buy a 12 point, 10mm, have it cut, take it to a shop, and have the special tool made? <sigh> heh

Ed I wish I listened

Jason94z

iTrader: (3)

I cracked and had a tool made today at a shop. Took them a bar and a socket and showed them a picture of the one on the first page here. The mechanic smiled, walked to his tool chest, and took one out he already had made for himself a long time ago, and it wasn't even a Fbody shop just a regular place. www.kenchampauto.com if you are in Canada rocks. Here's the tool he made for me. I just could not do the two 10mm bolts on the front of the LT1 camaro doors without this tool. Do not even attempt this job wihout this tool. Trust me I bought swivel sockets, 1/4 breaker bars, everything, and nothing worked on those front bolts except this tool.



I took the bars out the front wiring loom hole and through the front fender like suggested after taking the inner fender plastic part off. What a *****.

Bars weighed 8 lbs each, 16 lbs total.

Ed Wright

iTrader: (1)

"Bars weighed 8 lbs 16 lbs total."

How did you weigh those? Just small diameter tubing.
Mine did not even weigh 2 lbs each! On digital scales.

Jason94z

iTrader: (3)

Stood on digital bathroom scale, then stood on with bars. These are definitely not 2 lbs - I weightlift and my 10lb plates are about the same feel, no way these are like my 2.5 lb plates! These bars are not thin wall at all - I'll grab a pic and throw one on my food scale tomorrow.

Ed Wright

iTrader: (1)

Mine is a '96 TA, what is yours? A '94 Camaro?
They would have to be solid bar stock to weigh that much.

Jason94z

iTrader: (3)

Mine's a 1994 Camaro.
My digital food scale craps out above 3 lbs so I couldn't use it sorry. I double checked on my digital bathroom scale, me on it, them me holding bar, and it was over 7 lbs almost 8 lbs for 1 bar.

Here's how thick my bars were, were yours thinner?

6secNaLs1

iTrader: (5)

My bars out of my 97 camaro weighed 7.5 each

11SECSS

iTrader: (199)

Yes that the average weight of a door bar 7-8lbs each guess it depends on the length and how much paint is on the bar and what scale is used. But all the weight adds up if you trying to lighten the car as much as poss .

themealonwheels

iTrader: (20)

Bump

I was inspired by the initial post, then I was DRIVEN by this post! In an effort to make this as difficult as possible, I told a machinist what I intended to do without the special tools. When he asked if I would like the special tools created, I thanked him and called him a fool, then set out to prove that anyone could do this in a Camaro with basic hand tools.

I started around 4P by taking the door panel off. 5 minutes later, took the speaker out. 5 minutes later, I had taken off the 15mm nut on the quarter panel side of the door with a standard vise grip and a 15mm socket. Easy, this thing will be out in 15 minutes! Boy was I wrong...

With a combination of standard vise grips, needle-nosed vise grips, a 10mm socket and a 10mm ratcheting wrench, I had the two 10mm bolts out around 5:40P. And with another 5 minutes of working the adhesive loose, I had the bar sitting loose in the door.

At this point, I literally stared at the back of the door for 5 minutes thinking hole-saw. But reminding myself that I was determined to do this with basic hand tools, I decided to take the wheel and liner out. Glad I did, because maybe 10 minutes was spent jacking up the car, taking the wheel off, pulling back the liner and pulling my Excalibur from the rock that is my huge Camaro door.

So in just under 2 hours, I did one door with a 10mm socket, a 15mm socket, a vise grip package from Advance Auto, a ratcheting 10mm wrench, a flat screw driver to pry the bar in various directions to loosen the glue and a stubbornness I'll always have.

Then I read the Camaro Knights' charter to my wife as I held the still-in-tact sword at my side.

I don't know why this 7lbs of weight gave me such pride to remove, but thanks to everyone in the thread for providing insight and inspiration!

NVUSZ28

iTrader: (5)

Anyone have a thread on removing everything from the door, except the windows?

sillysspeed

iTrader: (21)

Yep bumping this old thread up. Just got done this and man what a job! About an hr in I started wondering if it was worth it. I envy the pontiac guys who have just a bit more room to get those 2 10mm bolts out. After it was all said and done it was still worth it but I would not recommend this mod unless you have a cage. 16 more lbs gone!

nj02z

iTrader: (6)

Just getting ready to do this myself. I just installed my roll bar.Did you use standard tools or did you make the special tools? So far half the projects I get into I wonder what I am thinking but they all work out.

sillysspeed

iTrader: (21)

Reg sockets and ratchet will not fit. I have the Snapon 1/4 and 3/8 low profile socket set w/ratchet. Also used a flat ratcheting 10mm wrench at times. 15mm nut is a breeze but the 10mm's are still a pita. I made 2 cuts to the bar and then was able to longer piece out without hole sawing the door. I'd recommend cutting the bar toward the back before you start on the 10mm bolts. Cut it almost all the way thru and bend it towards you. That will give you just a little bit more space to get your ratchet or ratcheting wrench out of the 10's after they back out. Ofcourse if I got hasty and cut all the way thru on the first side and made it a lot harder. Passenger side was less than an hr.