Door crack fix
Thread Starter
|
Member
Joined: Jan 2000
Posts: 61
Likes: 0
From: Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Door crack fix
Warning: Not for the faint hearted!
I just noticed the cracks in my long out of warrenty '97 Lariat. The Pass side was just visible and the Drivers was not (under weatherstrip and not onto door face yet). I didn't waste any time getting out a fresh supersharp 1/8" drill bit and my high speed drill. I drilled the hole at the end of the crack (being carefull not to push too hard and spread the crack before I was done).
The metal at the spot of cracking is very thin due to the large compound bends. It is aggrevated by the compairatively thick surrounding sections therefore concentrating the flexing on the weaker material. I caught mine early while still mostly concealed by the weatherstrip. I will get it welded but IMHO you must drill the crack at the end to stop it's spreading even after welding. I'll keep you posted if this doesn't work but... I am confident.
Bruce
------------------
'97 F-150 Lariat,4.6, S/C, 4X4, SB, 17"wheels, no mods.
I just noticed the cracks in my long out of warrenty '97 Lariat. The Pass side was just visible and the Drivers was not (under weatherstrip and not onto door face yet). I didn't waste any time getting out a fresh supersharp 1/8" drill bit and my high speed drill. I drilled the hole at the end of the crack (being carefull not to push too hard and spread the crack before I was done).
The metal at the spot of cracking is very thin due to the large compound bends. It is aggrevated by the compairatively thick surrounding sections therefore concentrating the flexing on the weaker material. I caught mine early while still mostly concealed by the weatherstrip. I will get it welded but IMHO you must drill the crack at the end to stop it's spreading even after welding. I'll keep you posted if this doesn't work but... I am confident.
Bruce
------------------
'97 F-150 Lariat,4.6, S/C, 4X4, SB, 17"wheels, no mods.
Senior Member
Joined: Sep 1999
Posts: 508
Likes: 0
From: Ohio
Bruce:
I am a structural engineer, and you are right on the money with drilling a small hole at the crack tip. The stress is incredibly large at the tip, and the hole distributes that stress around its circumference. Unless you mistakenly drill the hole in the crack behind the tip, the crack should not propogate any further. However, I would be tempted to simply dab a little primer and paint on the area, then apply a little silicone sealer to the area later, and leave it go until Ford comes up with a proven tested fix. Welding the area may work, but your door stress still exists and may also just find the next "weak link" area in the surrounding metal and decide to start a crack there. This may happen where the new weld stops.
------------------
2000 XLT Black Sport, Flareside, 2WD, Ext. Cab, 5.4L Auto. Other factory options: 3.55 LS, Class III tow, 6-way Captains chairs w/CD changer, Remote entry , and Slider window.
Mods: Undercoat, window tint, headlight & tail light covers, removed "Sport" decals, upgraded Triton tailgate emblem, Linex spray-in bedliner, and an ARE LSII lid.
Wish list: Flowmaster duals, K&N FIPK, and a Belltech 3/4 drop.
Check it out at: http://home.columbus.rr.com/selva1/
I am a structural engineer, and you are right on the money with drilling a small hole at the crack tip. The stress is incredibly large at the tip, and the hole distributes that stress around its circumference. Unless you mistakenly drill the hole in the crack behind the tip, the crack should not propogate any further. However, I would be tempted to simply dab a little primer and paint on the area, then apply a little silicone sealer to the area later, and leave it go until Ford comes up with a proven tested fix. Welding the area may work, but your door stress still exists and may also just find the next "weak link" area in the surrounding metal and decide to start a crack there. This may happen where the new weld stops.
------------------
2000 XLT Black Sport, Flareside, 2WD, Ext. Cab, 5.4L Auto. Other factory options: 3.55 LS, Class III tow, 6-way Captains chairs w/CD changer, Remote entry , and Slider window.
Mods: Undercoat, window tint, headlight & tail light covers, removed "Sport" decals, upgraded Triton tailgate emblem, Linex spray-in bedliner, and an ARE LSII lid.
Wish list: Flowmaster duals, K&N FIPK, and a Belltech 3/4 drop.
Check it out at: http://home.columbus.rr.com/selva1/
Thread Starter
|
Member
Joined: Jan 2000
Posts: 61
Likes: 0
From: Calgary, Alberta, Canada
selva1, good to here from you, and thanx for the backup (I always feel better when I have a confirmation from anouther Eng.)
I'm a Mech. Eng. so I was confident that this would stop the spread and I was hoping to point out that the drill tip pressure was exponentially higher than anyone may have considered and therefore give warning to use very light drill pressure at high speeds (Thanx for your fantastic clarity!).
I have decided against silicone sealant due to it's outstanding paint repellant qualities! I don't want to have to scrape for hours when it's paint time!
I have elected to use a Thermoplastic sealant. It looks loke silicone to the eye be it has far greater Co-hesive qualities than adhesive, therefore it will come off without scraping.
If you need a source for this check a Window and siding supply dealer. (about $4/tube), I own a window company so if you can't find any, I'll send a bit to anyone that needs it.
Oh BTW my truck is white so naturally I used white sealant. Balck may also match but any other colour truck will need to use clear.
I'm a Mech. Eng. so I was confident that this would stop the spread and I was hoping to point out that the drill tip pressure was exponentially higher than anyone may have considered and therefore give warning to use very light drill pressure at high speeds (Thanx for your fantastic clarity!).
I have decided against silicone sealant due to it's outstanding paint repellant qualities! I don't want to have to scrape for hours when it's paint time!
I have elected to use a Thermoplastic sealant. It looks loke silicone to the eye be it has far greater Co-hesive qualities than adhesive, therefore it will come off without scraping.
If you need a source for this check a Window and siding supply dealer. (about $4/tube), I own a window company so if you can't find any, I'll send a bit to anyone that needs it.
Oh BTW my truck is white so naturally I used white sealant. Balck may also match but any other colour truck will need to use clear.