Cracked interior door panel...:( *DON'T QUOTE PICS!
#401
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Can't say it enough...
...even if you don't have cracks, you will eventually. Take the panels off and do the fix. It won't even take a whole day, just a few hours and you never have to worry about it again.
For the guys and gals with the cracks all the way through to the insert...the fix wont work. Only solution is to get another door panel and then reinforce that one so it won't crack.
My do it yourself is post 159 here:
https://ls1tech.com/forums/pontiac-f...ml#post5321834
Good luck
Oh and its not the sun. Well not directly, anyway. Its the temperature rather than the UV. The variations in temp cause the plastic to expand and contract, but the panel is reinforced along the window guide with a steel insert that doesn't allow it to do so freely causing the crack at a weak point.
...even if you don't have cracks, you will eventually. Take the panels off and do the fix. It won't even take a whole day, just a few hours and you never have to worry about it again.
For the guys and gals with the cracks all the way through to the insert...the fix wont work. Only solution is to get another door panel and then reinforce that one so it won't crack.
My do it yourself is post 159 here:
https://ls1tech.com/forums/pontiac-f...ml#post5321834
Good luck
Oh and its not the sun. Well not directly, anyway. Its the temperature rather than the UV. The variations in temp cause the plastic to expand and contract, but the panel is reinforced along the window guide with a steel insert that doesn't allow it to do so freely causing the crack at a weak point.
#403
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Mines cracked also, 2002 TransAM just start last year. Haven't found anything yet on the internet about it until now. I use AeroSpace on the inside and seals of my car. They use it on boats. MD~
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#407
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Rarely browse these forums anymore, but thought I'd add my name to the list. I thought mine was just a result of bad luck, and florida temps / road conditions. My driver side started cracking at 80K or so from what I remember. Passenger side around 95K. now at 110K Driver's side is cracked all the way, and passenger about half way there. I started ignoring it a year ago.
#411
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The colors though of the older LT1 plastics are slightly off. You really have to know it to see it though.
#412
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My drivers side panel has a pretty big crack in it. The passenger side has a smaller one.. prly about a half inch. They are both in the same spot and are both vertical. I would like to replace the panels or have them covered at some point but I have an even bigger problem.
I had my windows tinted when i bought the car and there are huge scratches that go from the bottom to the top of the window on both windows right about the cracks in the door panels. This is f*cking BS! I'm gonna take the door panels off one day to see what I can do to fix this. Then i'll have to have then retinted and purchase new panels. Such an expensive and pain in the *** project just to fix another lazy mistake GM made!
Does anyone else have scratches in their window tint above their door panel cracks? I'll take pix and post them next time i'm home.
I had my windows tinted when i bought the car and there are huge scratches that go from the bottom to the top of the window on both windows right about the cracks in the door panels. This is f*cking BS! I'm gonna take the door panels off one day to see what I can do to fix this. Then i'll have to have then retinted and purchase new panels. Such an expensive and pain in the *** project just to fix another lazy mistake GM made!
Does anyone else have scratches in their window tint above their door panel cracks? I'll take pix and post them next time i'm home.
#413
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ive got 100k miles on mine and race it every single weekend and close and some times slam doors on my car and drive it every single day and still no cracks? maybe im lucky
#415
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My drivers side panel has a pretty big crack in it. The passenger side has a smaller one.. prly about a half inch. They are both in the same spot and are both vertical. I would like to replace the panels or have them covered at some point but I have an even bigger problem.
I had my windows tinted when i bought the car and there are huge scratches that go from the bottom to the top of the window on both windows right about the cracks in the door panels. This is f*cking BS! I'm gonna take the door panels off one day to see what I can do to fix this. Then i'll have to have then retinted and purchase new panels. Such an expensive and pain in the *** project just to fix another lazy mistake GM made!
Does anyone else have scratches in their window tint above their door panel cracks? I'll take pix and post them next time i'm home.
I had my windows tinted when i bought the car and there are huge scratches that go from the bottom to the top of the window on both windows right about the cracks in the door panels. This is f*cking BS! I'm gonna take the door panels off one day to see what I can do to fix this. Then i'll have to have then retinted and purchase new panels. Such an expensive and pain in the *** project just to fix another lazy mistake GM made!
Does anyone else have scratches in their window tint above their door panel cracks? I'll take pix and post them next time i'm home.
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As per the fix for this issue you need to remove the metal staples then once the crack is epoxy'd reattach the metal felt strip back to the door panel using metal screws.
When you do the reattach aren't you creating the same problem you're there to fix? If the metal staples were the problem you're putting it back?
I'm doing this job right now, have the door epoxy'd up and drying.
When you do the reattach aren't you creating the same problem you're there to fix? If the metal staples were the problem you're putting it back?
I'm doing this job right now, have the door epoxy'd up and drying.
#419
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The key is to oversize the screw holes just a bit and only tighten down the screw and nut finger tight with a dab of locktite. You want it tight enough to hold the weatherstrip straight but give the door panel the ability to flex a bit. Kind of like working with making furniture and ensuring the drawer bottoms have room to expand and shrink a bit without cracking anything.