Quote:
Originally Posted by PDC
Here is the driver’s door. I really like the pull-strap delete look. And the lower hard plastic panel does screw down onto the L-shaped bracket with machine screws, so the pull-cup in the lower panel is a rock solid place to use to close the door.
The PUI panels are not exact reproductions of the GM panels. A couple of the holes for the metal fasteners needed to be carefully ‘elongated’ the get the clip in line with the hole in the door. I used the original panels as a guide and carefully measured where the original clips were located on the original panels. That allowed me to get 90% close on the first try with minimal massaging after that.
As far as having the upper rail lay tight down to the top of the door - that can be tricky. I found that the holes on the PUI panels that you use to attach the lower door panel were located too low / too close to the bottom of the panel. So when you pop the lower door panel fasteners into place, it would shove the upper panel and top rail up off the top of the door. So I took some more measurements and carefully elongated those holes upward to allow the lower door panel to attach in higher position. That allowed the lower door panel fasteners to mate up with the holes in the door without shoving the whole assembly upward.
The PUI parts are sturdy and well made. They look nice. My advice is carefully measure where every factory fastener attaches to your factory door panels and do as much careful modification / enlargement / relocation of the fastener holes in the PUI panels as possible before you make the first ‘test fit.’ That way, you are not prying the panel on an off multiple times - which can fatigue the fasteners in the door and can fatigue the fiberboard where the fasteners attach to the panel.
|
thanks for the update on the panels. i didnt elongate the lower holes for the plastic push pins, mine seemed to align nice & didnt notice any upward push on the panel as a whole.
are you saying that by elongating those lower holes for the plastic push pins that will bring the whole panel down enough so that the top rail will fit tightly & securely to the top of the door like the GM ones do? doesnt something have to clip or hook onto the felt pads like the gm ones do in order to actually hold that top rail tight? i dont see anything on the PUI panels of a few years ago that would allow them to do that. there are 3 metal tabs that can be bent but they arent hooks of any sort & dont grab the felt pads like the gm ones do... i dont see those 3 tabs on the metal top rail in your pics, maybe they changed or removed them?
with the door open, are the top rail of yours tight like GM ones are? in other words, can you lift up on that top rail where the inner window seal strip or hole around the door lock is? mine will lift up there with the door open & every other set or PUI ive seen on other cars do the same thing. next time my door panels are off i will look at elongating the lower holes & try to get the side metal push pins to align better, but still dont see how the top rail will be secured to the top of the door.