gtschallenge

I'm replacing the limiter strap on my driver side door.


The part that bolts to the A pilar is broke on mine, so I need to remove the old one. The problem is the nuts on the backside turn with the bolt. How do access the nuts with a wrench so the part can be removed?

Thanks, Mark

Zero10

there is an access hole just below the strap. I had this problem with mine. I couldn't get a wrench or anything through the hole, but I managed to get some superglue on my fingers then jam my fingers around and glue the nuts to the body in that location. It really sucked to do but I was short on time and it's all I could come up with.

Terrible design idea there.

PeteL

Pics of the "access hole"?

F18Rep

Boy I'm really getting to be a wimp, I would not have tried that one;] Bruce

gtschallenge

There has to be access to it. They put it on in the factory, and I'm sure they didn't use the 6" finger/superglue method. I'm guessing that removing the kick panel or the fender will provide access. I just prefer not to remove both before finding out which one does it.

Zero10

ergh, I shouldn't have said "mine", it was a friend's car, and I insisted we should remove the carpet on the side to check for access to the rear of it but he was paranoid it would rip the edge off the carpet (since this happened when he tried to pull back the other side). There is a grommet a couple of inches down the A pillar from the doorstop, I managed to get one finger up there to glue them in place. Too bad I had longer fingers than my friend or he would have been the one suffering from his stubbornness.

I am pretty sure if you peel back the carpet you could sneak in a 1/4" ratchet with a long extension to reach the back side of those nuts. If you are successful please post pics.

fbgh2o

Nope. They are welded nuts (or were)

IIRC, I was able to get a stubby wrench in the bottom one, by peeling back the kick panel and carpet, but the top one is not accessible. I ended up cutting the top cap screw with a dremel (as close the body as I could) to get the base plate off (the top nut and small piece of bolt did not fall out the bottom btw) . Once off I drilled both holes and used rivet nuts and new stailess cap screws to reattach the new base plate.

gtschallenge

Even if they are welded, there had to be access to it.

Maybe I'm just too much of an optimist. Did you try removing the fender?

I might just remove the kick panel and cut a hole if i have to and re weld the nuts.

joes

They are not welded. It is a "nut sert" or something similar. They are installed from the outside with a special tool that crimps a threaded insert to the body like a pop rivit. Once the insert falls out or comes loose from the crimp, the hole is ruined. It's real hard to repair. There may be a repair insert that you can drill out the hole and get a bigger insert with the same size bolt hole but I have never looked into it.