Sc400 doors keep breaking
Thread Starter
Driver School Candidate
Joined: Oct 2016
Posts: 11
Likes: 2
From: IL
Sc400 doors keep breaking
iv fixed my pass door 2 times in a month the outer handle was broken when i bought it. i fixed that and the regulator, 3 days ago the handle broke again. i think its the crappy plastic clip i replaced once. but today the inside plastic handle snapped off almost totally and can barley open the door now. has anyone replaced the stock panels with sheet metal or something similar. my panels are shot the guy before me literately tried to rip them apart and messed them up and there moldy. i was thinking of going b is for build style and using key tags. if you got any tips shoot em my way thanks for all the help on this fourm.
I tried coming up with a replacement for the door cards, but it's a tricky shape to DIY up something to fit. I did see a craigslist ad where someone did up diamond plate for them, which probably required a bunch of spacing in back.
My current project car had the broken rod clip for the outside handle. I replaced it and it has popped off again twice. Annoying as heck, but at least I'm door card-less on this car and it's pretty easy to get back in there. The aftermarket clips must be a bit smaller than the stock ones. I might have to go the cotter pin approach like this:
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sc-...anism-arm.html
My current project car had the broken rod clip for the outside handle. I replaced it and it has popped off again twice. Annoying as heck, but at least I'm door card-less on this car and it's pretty easy to get back in there. The aftermarket clips must be a bit smaller than the stock ones. I might have to go the cotter pin approach like this:
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sc-...anism-arm.html
Yeah, I tie wired my last one in. Piece of crap, and it is almost impossible to get to this area to do this work. I took a 2" hole saw and made a large enough hole just inside where the door panel covers it that I can at least see what the heck I am doing.
^ I figured that'll be my next attempt if it pops off again. Getting the clip on is tough enough blind, but wrapping it adds a degree of difficulty.
I had planned to cut away as much of the inner door frame as possible, leaving behind just what's needed to mount stuff, before realizing how much water pours in through the opening without the plastic in place. Good thing I hadn't started cutting holes yet.
They really didn't do us any favors with a lock mechanism that's: a) prone to failure in multiple ways, and b) very difficult to get to. A bigger access panel would have helped immensely.
I had planned to cut away as much of the inner door frame as possible, leaving behind just what's needed to mount stuff, before realizing how much water pours in through the opening without the plastic in place. Good thing I hadn't started cutting holes yet.
They really didn't do us any favors with a lock mechanism that's: a) prone to failure in multiple ways, and b) very difficult to get to. A bigger access panel would have helped immensely.
Thread Starter
Driver School Candidate
Joined: Oct 2016
Posts: 11
Likes: 2
From: IL
thats whats up guys thanks for the help, i did not tank in the fact that the pannel comes into the car about 2 inches so the flat panel idea might not work. i was thinking about taking a dremmel and cutting the plastic handle out of the door and using a cable tie pull chain and a gromit. for the inside and some how replace the plastic clip for the outside handle with a homemade metal one. im pretty crafty at building stuff from scratch. i will post a diy if it turns out will haha. thanks for your input guys this fourm is really grate.
Thread Starter
Driver School Candidate
Joined: Oct 2016
Posts: 11
Likes: 2
From: IL
i fixed it and ill post a how to soon it was simple. the outter handle rod fell into the window track, my friend rolled down the window and bent the flat part of the rod around the latch. total locking the mech up so thats why my plastic handle snapped off. what a cluster fak am i right, after finding the problem i fixed it and added two holes in the door pocket about 3 inches above the latch and used a zip tie to hold the rod in place. and drilled a hole threw the door card behind the broken plastic lever, but just before the cable mount point threaded the cable threw the hole and used a key tag for the handle. it sounds weird but ill post a how to haggered your door, haha
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dogwisper
SC - 1st Gen (1992-2000)
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Nov 18, 2011 04:04 PM
