>From: Michael G Hering <MGHering@world.std.com>
>Subject: TR4 Door Check Strap Problem
>The wind took the door from my grasp and flung it forward
>with such force that it broke the check strap and continued on into the
>front fender. The long and short of it is that my car now has a slightly
>dented door, cracked and chipped paint on the door and the edge of the
>front fender, and a broken check strap.
> The problem with the ckeck strap is that it gave way on the piece
>that is attatched to the door, not the door-jamb. I removed the interior
>door panel, and (aside from discovering that the door had originally come
>from a red TR) I found that this piece appears to be welded in place. My
>question is: has anyone here had experience in replacing one of these?
>What is the best way to go about: removing the old piece? 2. Installing a
>new one? Can it be done with simple tools? (i.e. Sears propane torch or
>the like) Can it be done without ruining the remaining paint? Should I
>go for a new doorskin while I am at it, or is that a whole lot of trouble?
I recently replaced a door checkstrap pivot on a TR6, all the door from TR4-TR6
all the same.
You are correct, the door section is welded in place. It seemed like hundreds
of spot welds but there was only a dozen or so to drill out. To start with you
will have to remove the old bracket by drilling out the spot welds from the
inside of the door, it will probably mean having to remove the glass and
channels to get your drill inside. Be careful not to drill right through the
door frame.
Once you have the old part out, it is a fairly simple task to fabricate a new
one, using the old part as a model. Make sure that the steel that you use is as
heavy as the old piece.
Fitting the new part back in the door, well I MIG welded mine in and would
recommend that you do the same! I would think that if it was bolted, it would
move in time and eventually do more damage to the door frame itself.
In the line of tools, I used a drill, tin snips, MIG welder and then all that
was necessary to repair the paint work on the door frame.
Greg Black
gblack@bmr.gov.au
TR4A
TR5 Currently for sale
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