[DeTomaso] ........fixing door rattles

Stephen steve at snclocks.com
Sun Sep 25 23:30:28 EDT 2016


Good point Mike - one of the previous times I had the panels off I cut some
small pieces of wood so that the upper screws can be tightened and the shell
held in place by the pieces of wood.  Helps to get the top of the panel to
lay better.

 

Stephen Nelson

 

 

From: MikeLDrew at aol.com [mailto:MikeLDrew at aol.com] 
Sent: Sunday, September 25, 2016 3:31 PM
To: bill at incendium.com; steve at snclocks.com; audionut at hushmail.com;
detomaso at server.detomasolist.com
Subject: Re: [DeTomaso] ........fixing door rattles

 

One thing worth mentioning is a lesson I learned from Kirk Evans.

The fiberglass door panels are secured to the metal door frames with a bunch
of tiny sheetmetal screws that run all the way around the edge of the panel.
They are different lengths (at least on the cars I have worked on, they are
different lengths, but some might have been changed?), but the significant
factor is that the metal structure of the door is significantly smaller than
the inside diameter (if you will) of the fiberglass panel.

What does this mean?  It means that when you install the panel, if you
tighten the top screws first and then work your way around to the bottom,
the panel will be hanging slightly low.  If you tighten the bottom screws
tight, it will bend and distort the panel both at the top and the bottom.

The way to install the panel is to lay it in place and insert the bottom
screws first, then tighten them all the way.  This lifts the panel as high
as it can go.  Work your way around to the top, and when you get there, the
inside of the panel might be a quarter of an inch above the metal structure
below it.  That's why you need longer screws there.  Insert the screws but
only tighten them so that they are just snug, not tight enough to start to
distort the top edge of the panel.

This will also help prevent the awful situation where the screws are
inserted at the incorrect angle, and instead of running almost parallel to
the glass, they go into the door at a 45 degree angle, and the end of the
screw scratches the inside of the glass!

DOH!

Mike

-------------- next part --------------
   Good point Mike - one of the previous times I had the panels off I cut
   some small pieces of wood so that the upper screws can be tightened and
   the shell held in place by the pieces of wood.  Helps to get the top of
   the panel to lay better.


   Stephen Nelson



   From: MikeLDrew at aol.com [mailto:MikeLDrew at aol.com]
   Sent: Sunday, September 25, 2016 3:31 PM
   To: bill at incendium.com; steve at snclocks.com; audionut at hushmail.com;
   detomaso at server.detomasolist.com
   Subject: Re: [DeTomaso] ........fixing door rattles


   One thing worth mentioning is a lesson I learned from Kirk Evans.
   The fiberglass door panels are secured to the metal door frames with a
   bunch of tiny sheetmetal screws that run all the way around the edge of
   the panel.  They are different lengths (at least on the cars I have
   worked on, they are different lengths, but some might have been
   changed?), but the significant factor is that the metal structure of
   the door is significantly smaller than the inside diameter (if you
   will) of the fiberglass panel.
   What does this mean?  It means that when you install the panel, if you
   tighten the top screws first and then work your way around to the
   bottom, the panel will be hanging slightly low.  If you tighten the
   bottom screws tight, it will bend and distort the panel both at the top
   and the bottom.
   The way to install the panel is to lay it in place and insert the
   bottom screws first, then tighten them all the way.  This lifts the
   panel as high as it can go.  Work your way around to the top, and when
   you get there, the inside of the panel might be a quarter of an inch
   above the metal structure below it.  That's why you need longer screws
   there.  Insert the screws but only tighten them so that they are just
   snug, not tight enough to start to distort the top edge of the panel.
   This will also help prevent the awful situation where the screws are
   inserted at the incorrect angle, and instead of running almost parallel
   to the glass, they go into the door at a 45 degree angle, and the end
   of the screw scratches the inside of the glass!
   DOH!
   Mike


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