Cracked interior door panel...:( *DON'T QUOTE PICS!
09-04-2007, 05:50 PM
#282
well i took my car out sooner than i thought. the crack on my passanger side door is prlly lenn than .5" On my drivers side door it less than .25"
to me it seems it is where you rest your elbow with the T-tops off/ you know how you have your elbow bent at a like an L and the elbow portion is right where the cracks are..
to me it seems it is where you rest your elbow with the T-tops off/ you know how you have your elbow bent at a like an L and the elbow portion is right where the cracks are..
09-05-2007, 12:09 PM
#284
Launching!
iTrader: (5)
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Syracuse NY
Posts: 244
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I performed the HPP door fix on the passenger door panel of my car. The panels havent' cracked yet, but there was a sag in the door, and after taking the door panel off, there was the very beginning of a stress crack right under one of the staples. I need to do my driver door panel next so it won't crack.
09-07-2007, 11:43 PM
#286
12 Second Club
iTrader: (4)
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Albuquerque, NM
Posts: 310
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Both of my door panels are cracked as well. Now it seems that threre is another crack starting on both panels but much closer to the mirrors than the first ones....Damn...
09-19-2007, 09:01 PM
#289
Teching In
Join Date: Apr 2005
Posts: 14
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Praise and a big Thanks to BANDITCAR on page 8 of this thread and to HPP mag. for a great write up on how to fix this nightmare. I have an '02 Trans Am WS6 with 21k miles on it and it is in a climate controlled garage and babied. But since none of that seems to matter, yesterday, I checked and sure enough on the passenger door panel was just the very beginning of the dreaded crack. Followed BANDITCAR's write up and HPP's and removed the door panel and repaired the crack. Decided to follow their advice and go ahead and do driver's side as preventive maintenance. I am letting the epoxy dry overnight and tomorrow will replace both door panels. Glad that fix is over with!! A BIG THANKS FOR THE INFO!!!!!
10-03-2007, 06:05 PM
#291
TECH Enthusiast
iTrader: (4)
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Maryland; USA
Posts: 539
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I am fixing my drivers side since I did the window motor today.
so far I took out all staples, then used some thin wire and pulled the crack back together.
then I used the same thing wire and replaced all staples with homemade ones.
now I couldnt find the plastic welder at wallmart so I bought some epoxy instead, it says it works as quick as 5 minutes and works on plastic.
I did find the vinyl leather repair in the automotive section.
tonight after work I am going to sand the the crack then add flat piece of plastic to make sure the crack is straight before epoxying the rest. as long as it doesnt crack anymore which it shouldnt the crack is hardly noticable now since its pushed back together.
before I was covering it up with black silicone on the outside and it looked bad.
I noticed it was crack when I bough the car, my passengers side isnt cracked yet so I am going to take out the huge way over done staples and just put in some metal wire and call it a day.
I also agree not putting down the windows to the full bottom might help also. I tested my window motor a few times and the whole door moves when it hits the very bottom. but I think the main problem is that weather stripping pieces, it has 12 staples that connects to the door panel, way overdone IMO. no reason why there should be that many as well as they should of just used something more lose.
should be an action packed day tomorrow
those staples are on there good. also I saw at least 2 other spots where the plastic was really stress further up the panel and I would of guessed they would become cracks also.
so far I took out all staples, then used some thin wire and pulled the crack back together.
then I used the same thing wire and replaced all staples with homemade ones.
now I couldnt find the plastic welder at wallmart so I bought some epoxy instead, it says it works as quick as 5 minutes and works on plastic.
I did find the vinyl leather repair in the automotive section.
tonight after work I am going to sand the the crack then add flat piece of plastic to make sure the crack is straight before epoxying the rest. as long as it doesnt crack anymore which it shouldnt the crack is hardly noticable now since its pushed back together.
before I was covering it up with black silicone on the outside and it looked bad.
I noticed it was crack when I bough the car, my passengers side isnt cracked yet so I am going to take out the huge way over done staples and just put in some metal wire and call it a day.
I also agree not putting down the windows to the full bottom might help also. I tested my window motor a few times and the whole door moves when it hits the very bottom. but I think the main problem is that weather stripping pieces, it has 12 staples that connects to the door panel, way overdone IMO. no reason why there should be that many as well as they should of just used something more lose.
should be an action packed day tomorrow
those staples are on there good. also I saw at least 2 other spots where the plastic was really stress further up the panel and I would of guessed they would become cracks also. Last edited by MdFormula350; 10-03-2007 at 07:03 PM.
10-14-2007, 01:13 AM
#292
TECH Senior Member
iTrader: (4)
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Arlington TX
Posts: 5,276
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I found something I'm going to try to fix the cracks on an old door panel I have. If it works I'll use it on a very small crack I have. From looking at the instructions I might try to use it to reenfoce the area on the driverside panel to prevent cracking
10-14-2007, 11:07 PM
#293
It puts too much stress on those points when windows are rolled all the way down, try it and you'll see how those locations tend to pop out a little, stressing the plastic. I had a 1994 Trans Am, it had the Monsoon system (called 10 speaker bose system), and it never showed any cracks, it looked perfectly with 145k miles! I guess LT1s door plastics were better built. I have a 1999 Trans am and both cracks at the doors.
10-14-2007, 11:10 PM
#294
I was thinking of a different fix, I will remove them and reinforced them from the back, and I will hide the crack with something close to a stripe, like the GS Stripes but on the interior. I'll get pics whenever I get to fix it.
10-17-2007, 07:28 PM
#296
Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2007
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
high performance pontiac did an article on it last or before month they think its caused by the staples used to hold the rubber trim to the plastic so they removed the staples in the area to releive presure
10-17-2007, 08:13 PM
#297
TECH Enthusiast
iTrader: (4)
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Maryland; USA
Posts: 539
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I removed all staples and used metal wire instead. my drivers side has about 1 inch crack which I pushed together and then epoxied from behind, it blends in well now.
i did the same thing to my passengers side before it cracked also.
the door trim piece is stapled on the door panel with 11 or 12 heavy duty things. I mean these are like thick *** staples. Anyway with the constant temp changes and regular flexing the panel gives up and starts to crack. I saw 2 other stress points on my panels also. so in theory you could get at least 2 cracks on each panel in about the same spots on each side. fix these while u dont have cracks IMO.
i did the same thing to my passengers side before it cracked also.
the door trim piece is stapled on the door panel with 11 or 12 heavy duty things. I mean these are like thick *** staples. Anyway with the constant temp changes and regular flexing the panel gives up and starts to crack. I saw 2 other stress points on my panels also. so in theory you could get at least 2 cracks on each panel in about the same spots on each side. fix these while u dont have cracks IMO.
10-17-2007, 09:07 PM
#298
TECH Enthusiast
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: THE BANDIT'S LAIR in Louisiana
Posts: 720
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like
on
1 Post
Praise and a big Thanks to BANDITCAR on page 8 of this thread and to HPP mag. for a great write up on how to fix this nightmare. I have an '02 Trans Am WS6 with 21k miles on it and it is in a climate controlled garage and babied. But since none of that seems to matter, yesterday, I checked and sure enough on the passenger door panel was just the very beginning of the dreaded crack. Followed BANDITCAR's write up and HPP's and removed the door panel and repaired the crack. Decided to follow their advice and go ahead and do driver's side as preventive maintenance. I am letting the epoxy dry overnight and tomorrow will replace both door panels. Glad that fix is over with!! A BIG THANKS FOR THE INFO!!!!!
I'm quite glad that me taking a bunch of photos and putting my thoughts down in words has led so many people to fix a annoying problem that will make you cringe and dislike your car having to look at it day after day.
I never saw the HPP fix for the problem, but it seems like they go the same route as I did and came to the same conclusion.
