YIKES! Getting that crack in the middle of the door window sill - any possible fixes?
01-08-03, 01:25 AM
#16
Racer
Thread Starter
You mean, I can buy parts from a dealer/junkyard and install them myself??? WOW!!!
Hang on, Pard- I gotta call CNN on this hot news flash of yours.
OK, OK, I'm not gonna add yet another pi$$ing contest to the already sizeable collection on ClubLexus, so I'll just say thanks for the insightful suggestions, and let our already submitted posts speak for themselves.
OK, OK, I'm not gonna add yet another pi$$ing contest to the already sizeable collection on ClubLexus, so I'll just say thanks for the insightful suggestions, and let our already submitted posts speak for themselves.
Last edited by PERRYinLA; 01-08-03 at 02:43 AM.
01-08-03, 03:14 AM
#17
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Re: You mean, I can buy parts from a dealer/junkyard and install them myself??? WOW!!!
Originally posted by PERRYinLA
Hang on, Pard- I gotta call CNN on this hot news flash of yours.
.
Hang on, Pard- I gotta call CNN on this hot news flash of yours.
.
01-08-03, 09:09 PM
#20
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Update on the fix.
1. First I removed all the ribs except the two that are 1/2" apart by the door pillar. I used pliers for this just like Perry.
2. Used a pencil grinder to get all the ridges from the ribs out. Also I used the pencil grinder to rough up the inner surface.
3. I cut and bent three 3/16" steel rods, just like Perry's which were to fit along the whole length of the bottom, (these were 25" long, not just a foot like Perry).
4. I cut one piece of 1/2" angle iron, 26.5" long. As this would sit on top of the two remaining ribs, I used the pencil grinder to cut 1/8" off the top and sides of these two ribs.
5. Mixed up some fiberglass jelly and pasted it onto the roughened surface of the frame. Then put some glass mat onto to the frame and coated this with jelly as well. This mat was to provide some extra strength for the whole panel.
6. Quickly placed the three bars in position on top of the mat, just like in Perry's photo and added gobs of fiberglass jelly.
7. Then I placed the 26.5" long piece of angle iron on top of the rods, pasted it with jelly and used three C clamps to hold it in position. (The angle iron provides the same profile as the ribs that were removed) The flat horizontal surface of the angle iron sits flat on bottom panel when the panels are bolted in position, so all stress is removed from the top panel.
8. This provides a very very solid fix.
1. First I removed all the ribs except the two that are 1/2" apart by the door pillar. I used pliers for this just like Perry.
2. Used a pencil grinder to get all the ridges from the ribs out. Also I used the pencil grinder to rough up the inner surface.
3. I cut and bent three 3/16" steel rods, just like Perry's which were to fit along the whole length of the bottom, (these were 25" long, not just a foot like Perry).
4. I cut one piece of 1/2" angle iron, 26.5" long. As this would sit on top of the two remaining ribs, I used the pencil grinder to cut 1/8" off the top and sides of these two ribs.
5. Mixed up some fiberglass jelly and pasted it onto the roughened surface of the frame. Then put some glass mat onto to the frame and coated this with jelly as well. This mat was to provide some extra strength for the whole panel.
6. Quickly placed the three bars in position on top of the mat, just like in Perry's photo and added gobs of fiberglass jelly.
7. Then I placed the 26.5" long piece of angle iron on top of the rods, pasted it with jelly and used three C clamps to hold it in position. (The angle iron provides the same profile as the ribs that were removed) The flat horizontal surface of the angle iron sits flat on bottom panel when the panels are bolted in position, so all stress is removed from the top panel.
8. This provides a very very solid fix.
01-08-03, 09:22 PM
#21
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By the way, Bentley1, I caught my panel before the vinyl tore. The plastic underneath had cracked, but the vinyl had not broken. Thus my repair looks as good as new but is better than new!
Also, I looked at four SC's when I was buying mine. All of them had done 60 to 90,000 miles and all had one or two interior panels with cracks. (Check the common problems for these cars and you'll see this is one of the things that goes wrong)
Thus buying a panel that has not cracked from a scrap yard would not be a wise alternative unless you were going to strengthen it as well, as they all seem to crack given time. This same comment also applies to buying a new panel, as it will also crack unless you strengthen it.
I am going to do the same work to my other door panel tomorrow, even though it has not yet broken, as it is only a matter of time.
Perry, thanks for getting me started on this repair.
Peter
Also, I looked at four SC's when I was buying mine. All of them had done 60 to 90,000 miles and all had one or two interior panels with cracks. (Check the common problems for these cars and you'll see this is one of the things that goes wrong)
Thus buying a panel that has not cracked from a scrap yard would not be a wise alternative unless you were going to strengthen it as well, as they all seem to crack given time. This same comment also applies to buying a new panel, as it will also crack unless you strengthen it.
I am going to do the same work to my other door panel tomorrow, even though it has not yet broken, as it is only a matter of time.
Perry, thanks for getting me started on this repair.
Peter
09-06-03, 07:18 AM
#22
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I've been hunting, but cannot seem to find out if anyone posted a part number from the dealership for this trim piece... I called Park Ave Lexus (Club sponsor right?) and they seemed to think I'd have to buy the entire door pannel, which is rediculous, since it is a separate piece from the lower pannel...
I would brace up the new piece, so that it won't crack, but I don't like the look of leather patch kits, so I'd rather just buy new, and upgrade...
I would brace up the new piece, so that it won't crack, but I don't like the look of leather patch kits, so I'd rather just buy new, and upgrade...
09-06-03, 10:38 AM
#23
Racer
Thread Starter
Moved? Gimme a break!
This issue is unique to the SC300 and SC400.
Why this thread has just been moved to the general "Maintenance" forum is beyond me.
I don't want to sound unappreciative, because the moderators do an excellent job, but I gotta differ on this one.
Why this thread has just been moved to the general "Maintenance" forum is beyond me.
I don't want to sound unappreciative, because the moderators do an excellent job, but I gotta differ on this one.
09-07-03, 12:34 AM
#24
95sc300t, that part from the dealer new is like $690, and I ended up with a used piece from junk yard for $75(took a long time to find a good one), defintely need reinforcement lol on the plastic, but I am just happy the vinyl was in good shape.
09-07-03, 07:02 AM
#25
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thanx
Thanks for the constructive response PERRYinLA. 
Really thanks SC4Hundred.
I called Park Place Lexus, and they have the door piece for around $400, but I will be checking my local salvage yards to see what I can find... Problem is, I have the black interior, which I believe is pretty rare, so I'll have to really hunt to find one.. Or, get any color, and die it black, which would be easier than any other color to die I guess.
Really thanks SC4Hundred.
I called Park Place Lexus, and they have the door piece for around $400, but I will be checking my local salvage yards to see what I can find... Problem is, I have the black interior, which I believe is pretty rare, so I'll have to really hunt to find one.. Or, get any color, and die it black, which would be easier than any other color to die I guess.
09-07-03, 06:26 PM
#26
Racer
Thread Starter
Re: thanx
Originally posted by 95sc300t
Thanks for the constructive response PERRYinLA.
....I'll have to really hunt to find one.. Or, get any color, and die it black, which would be easier than any other color to die I guess.
Thanks for the constructive response PERRYinLA.
....I'll have to really hunt to find one.. Or, get any color, and die it black, which would be easier than any other color to die I guess.
And since you are so fond of keeping track of who is constructive and who is not so constructive, notice who started this thread and got everyone on the right track towards not merely fixing this problem, but preventing its recurrance. But instead, you'd rather point out how I ignored you. The nerve of me.
Have you heard? The world does not revolve around you and your problems. Deal with it
And by the way, here's another constructive response: The word you are trying to spell is "dye", not "die".
09-07-03, 08:18 PM
#27
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Hmm.. From the over-the top response zone, and non-cunstructive zone.... Perry again.
oops.. Did I spell cunstructive wrong?
Would you correct that in the next (Or in the next 3) posts? 
oops.. Did I spell cunstructive wrong?
Would you correct that in the next (Or in the next 3) posts?
01-05-04, 02:59 AM
#29
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Guys, a fix for this problem (any many others for that matter) can be found at: http://www.reepa.com/doortrim.htm
AUSoarer
http://lexus.australia.as
ALSC
AUSoarer
http://lexus.australia.as
ALSC
01-05-04, 08:31 AM
#30
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No, this is not a fix for the upper panel, the part where your arm would rest if you had the window open - that was what this thread principally applied to.
However, I did fix the other cracks shown in these photos, just by building up a layer of glass fibre and resin, which has worked great. Instead of a metal tab, I just extened the glass fiber and drilled a hole through it when it had set. It's now a year later and everything is okay. I took the panel off two weeks ago to fix a speaker problem and everything is as I fixed it before.
However, I did fix the other cracks shown in these photos, just by building up a layer of glass fibre and resin, which has worked great. Instead of a metal tab, I just extened the glass fiber and drilled a hole through it when it had set. It's now a year later and everything is okay. I took the panel off two weeks ago to fix a speaker problem and everything is as I fixed it before.