Ever removed a door panel from a 2000+ chevy fullsize?

[SomeHairyOldGuy]

If so, got any tips?
SHOG

[Biomanjcs72]

Hey SHOG, What's up man-

I've never taken a panel off of a truck, but off of a BMW, a Celebrity, another bmw, a buick..

anyway,


Generally here's how it usually works, but ask someone, new engineering could have replaced my procedures or made them obsolete.

Generally, door panels are held on by just a few screws (usually on stuff that'll be loadbearing in some manner: armrest, door pull, etc.

The "lining" So to speak is usually held on by plastic "grommets, retaining clips" or something of the like.

WHat you do is get a drywall crowbar (the wide flat kind) or a spackle knife and feel it around the side of the panelling where the metal door frame meets the lining, etc. GENTLY!!!

YOU'll feel basically "stud points" that are where the grommets are, you want to pry those off gently so as to not bust anything.

IF it resists, look, maybe it's a screw not a grommet-

ONce that is done, the screw identification is usually easy, gentle wiggling of assocaited door parts will reveal their binding points.

Look for "screw covers, holes, etc. get them off and out.

Easy wasn't it- (Gentle is the word here, if you pry anything too hard, it'll break, and you;ll cuss, maybe even me-)

HTH -

John-

[RadioPlay]

Hey SHOG,

I have removed door paneling off quite few cars to install audio equip and it basically follows as Bio has said but I just wanted to warn you that the locking mechanism can some time be a pain to disconnect and reconnect. IMO I would recommend stopping by barnes and nobles or other bookstore and take a look at a reference manual they usually have quite a few that are not sealed and they are basically walkthroughs with pictures.

IME the manuals have basic instructions with pictures so you shouldn't have to buy the book, just skim the section for door panels and it will probabaly answer your question. If I would have tried to pull off my saturn door without looking I would have fouled up the autolock pretty bad.

Good luck.

Ryan

[Biomanjcs72]

I wasn't even thinking about electrical crap, nice add radio-

[icemark]

hmmm, I thought all the new C/K product used slide down door panels...

remove all the screws and slide the door panel up, if it doesn't have push in tabs on the backside.

[SomeHairyOldGuy]

Thanks for all the input guys. I was finally ablt to try and do something as it was almost 40 degrees outside today! Anyway there where 3 screws total (1 right by the lever, 1 on the underside at the bottom and one more that was by far the hardest because it was under the window/lock switch panel)and the panel just lifted up and out like Icemark mentioned. Thanks again for all the help.
SHOG