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On a recent Boy Scout outing the rear door of my ’03 SCAB became inoperable. I found a few scattered threads here using the search function, and decided to try and put together a more comprehensive thread for this repair.
Being the cheap bastage that I am I took the “el cheapo” approach. Most of the pictures will help someone understand how to do this with “new” parts……….but that is no fun! Here are the tools I used:
Phillips screw driver
Small flat screw driver
10mm socket
Nut driver handle (my favorite tool in my box) I didn’t need the ratchet
Channel lock pliers
Drill with bit slightly smaller than 3/8
Grinder with cut off wheel (can substitute hack saw)
Duckbill pliers
Cold chisel
Hammer
Here are the back-up tools………just in case.
So first thing is to get the back door open to be able to work on it, this is pretty easy. Move the front seats all the way forward then fold up the rear seats and climb on in armed with a Phillips screw driver, 10mm socket and ratchet, and a small flat blade screw driver.
Using the Phillips driver, remove the 2 machine screws holding the window LATCH (not the glass at the hinges).
Then pull the upper trim straight out from the door, it is held in place with spring clips so wiggle it as This will work the clips loose as you pull. Set it aside.
Next you will see at the top of the lower panel a 10mm nut, 2 Phillips screws, and a push pin.
Remove them all, I pushed the center of the expansion push pin through and pulled the panel loose and was able to re-use it, but it will probably break. I think Auto Zone has replacements. The next step is to remove the lower panel. Grab hold of that baby and LIFT STRAIGHT UP, do not pull out like most door panels or it will break the tabs!
With the panels off peel the plastic moisture barrier from the top down until the latch is exposed.
Now you can open the door.
The cable is visible through the square hole above the handle, pull the handle and pull down on the cable and the door should open right up.
Then remove the cable from the mechanism. The white button looking thing on the latch. Don’t just push it out because there are 2 tabs that hold it in place, gently depress the tabs one at a time while pushing it out. Now bring the cable end outside of the door to see the problem.
At this point if you are replacing the cable-then you’re on your own, but if you live in “El-Cheapoville” pay attention.
As you can see the end of the cable is broken off in the previous picture, and it should look like the picture above. My fix was a metal clip that I fab’d up.
I started with an LTP-4 clip (available at Home Depot) I work in construction, so I had it lying around. The metal thickness seemed about right to me.
I laid out a rough shape that would clamp around the cable and hold the bottom broken part in place.
A note for anyone making a bent metal bracket, if you punch a line with the cold chisel where the bend needs to be it will come out nice and neat. To roll the bracket around the cable I punched about 5 lines parallel with the cable so it would wrap around. I pinched it into place with the channel locks until it was tight on the cable. Then snap it back into place and test your work.
If yours is broken the same way mine was when you open the door panel the cable will be parallel with the ground. When it is done it should be toward the top of the mechanism for the door latch.
Put everything back together in reverse and pat yourself on the back for a job well done!
As a bonus if your weather strip rubber is loose….. here is the fix for that too. Lay it face down and use a pair of pliers to squeeze the groove that goes onto the door together, just enough to make it tight then pop it back on.
I hope this long winded post will help someone else, thanks for reading.
10-16-2016, 07:25 PM
