Upper Door Panels

[maliahmed.scu]

Hi all,

Bought replacement upper door panels and can?t for the life of me get them lined up properly to install.

Is there a trick to it or am I just losing it?

[Rich]

The main fore-aft alignment is controlled by the fir tree fasteners along the upper edge and the plastic tabs along the bottom of the panel.

Before starting be sure the upper outboard edge is fitted with all of its fir trees. If the fir trees are old/mangled install new ones before you start, otherwise the panel will tend to pop up along the upper edge which looks bad.

Lower the drop glass/window.

There are 3 attachment features on that panel you to deal with, more or less in the order of installation:

1. The 3 trapezoidal plastic tabs along the bottom slide loosely into corresponding slots in the plated steel armrest bracket of the door between the armrest vinyl and the door structure. Carefully push the panel toward the bottom of the door until it bottoms out. Be sure to use a wide, thin tool like a putty knife to guide the vinyl trim that's along the bottom of the panel downward past the edge of the black plastic escutcheon trim that's around the door lock switch and the door handle, otherwise you may tear that vinyl and the bunched-up vinyl might make the panel ride too high at the escutcheon. Alternately fit the panel to the door before you install the escutcheon making sure it doesn't scrape the panel vinyl when you press it in.

2. Loosely fit the upper edge of the panel against the door glass. The edge will sit high because the fir trees will ride on top of the black metal bracket along that edge of the door. Working from the window opening, the front or the rear of the door move each fir tree into position over the hole it will fit into. A long screwdriver or a loose hacksaw blade is handy for persuading some of them into position. Do NOT press any of the trees into their holes until ALL of them are aligned in the holes. Then press them all the way down so the upper edge is secure, aligned with the window sill. A small wood board is useful for pressing on the ones along the fixed glass.

3. Work the spring bracket that's on the upper rear of the panel into place relative to the wire loom in the door and then push it over the inner rim of the door. It clicks into place snugly to pull that edge of the panel tightly onto the door.

Done