Does anyone have a suggestion on what to use to keep the wire clips in place on the door panel.
I was thinking maybe window calk that is non hardening but sticky enough to keep them in place while installing

 

Change them out to these. They work better and less of a chance of breaking the panel clip mounts.

https://www.dennis-carpenter.com/tru...zmDcl2rbawgpHk

I don't necessarily recommend dennis carpenter, just wanted you to see the picture. I am not sure what year they are for but I have been happy with them. You can get this style from about anywhere that sells auto parts.

 

I managed to reuse the metal ones on the drivers side but had to go the plastic route for the passenger side. I had to cut a V so it would slide into place then I epoxied it. Haven't got back to it yet to see if my method will work. Fingers crossed 🤞
I bought mine from JBG.... they are the same ones DC sells.

 

Some of mine were already broke, so I made my own panels, but I did still have my OEMs and decided might try to dress them up and maybe give them another chance. I drilled the panels from the back to about 3/8" then epoxied sections of a tube in each that gave me a solid tube for screws, was gonna use rivet like nuts in the door holes ... but afterwards I abandoned the project after I kept finding new cracks. They are back in storage.

 

QUOTE:"gonna use rivet like nuts in the door holes ... but afterwards I abandoned the project."
I thought about that route too but I don't have the tools to do a good quality job. If I had access to a Winslow...then I'd be in business.
A Winslow is a pneumatic drill (used in aircraft manufacturing) that drills both holes and a small countersink for the pull rivets. I could probably freehand it but don't want to run the risk of effing it up.

 

Those metal ones work great when new and once, like when you are installing or reinstalling the door panel for good. But come take it back off time, better have one of these to prevent the metal clip destroying the back side of the door panel.

https://www.harborfreight.com/panel-...4aAnLPEALw_wcB

X2 use the Xmas trees for a snug fit, but once again better get the pliers if you have to remove the door panel ever again. GM ones are taller. X3 notch to get them to go in the panel clip area.


OEM clips should have a sticky paste like stuff on them. Not sure what it is exactily.

 

That was foam
The older ones like my 69 used butyl rubber
That was "Ford Quiet" at the time
Remember the Lincoln commercial where the jackhammer was going and the guy rolls up the window, sound went completely away?

 

Cool and now I and we know what that stuff is, thanks.

 

I found it helpful to mark the front of the door exactly where the pins are also, so when your pushing them in you dont Crack the old brittle plastic.

 

I used the plastic Christmas tree ones that I epoxied to the mounting locations that I slotted a bit so it would slide in. First time in 10yrs the door panel has been on the truck.( I forgot to take a before pic).

 

Omg, those old plastic panels were brittle way back in 1996 when i built up my '77 F350 from pieces.

i broke a door panel right off the get-go. Cheesh, even back then those plastic panels were more fragile than Chinese plastic.
There is a small round hole molded into the panel backside where the metl clip seats.
I drilled thru those holes with a 1/8" bit for starters.
Next I got some metal Nut-Serts from the jphn deere dealer, Drilled out the clip holes in the door and inserted the insert. Bingo.
Well, the idea of the metal inserts was good, but the hex head machine screws I used simply backed-out due to oscillation.
Oh, too, the dang Nut-Serts would spin in the door skin. Not good. _ _ _ I devised another idea:
I purchased a few bags of those white square plastic inserts that accept metal-type threaded screws.
Using the white nylon or poly type square inserts, the screws do not back out with oscillations of the pickup.
The machine screws with head that accepts an allen wrench must be a number 8 or 10, and I think I screwed them into the white nylon nut inserts.
Note: - for the metal inner door skins to accept the whitel nylon square nut inserts, i simply used a triangle file to square-up the existing holes to now be SQUARE.
No, I have not yet repaired the cracked panel, but it stays in place very well, and both panels simply unscrew with no prying.

I did this on all FOUR DOOR PANELS on my Crew Cab pickup. _ _ _ good luck finding an OEM rear-door plastic panel. right !

 

And if you are in the door panel work process, with the door panel off take the padded arm rest off. And dremel notch to clear where the 2 bolts that hold the opening handle L bracket too the inner door skin. Notching them will let the door panel set more flush. When put back on, the arm rest covers the notchs.

The notches from the back side and some other overhauling work.

2 part epoxy, JB plasti weld, JB weld. I have tried several things.

The notch to use the Xmas trees. 2 part epoxy to hold it on.

JB weld.

So what is the white thing with JB wled on it.....



This below is the piece under the finger cup, and on top of the L bracket, that has 2 phillips screws go thru, that holds the finger cup in place and holds the center of the door panel to the door. And the area that takes ALL the door closing force, can break often.

I made some sheet metal reinforcement tabs.


Even if the piece is missing...

I made this one just a bit to short to wrap around the lip on the LH side.


Then JB weld the piece to the door panel.

Make sure the area where you are going to put the adheasive is clean and even scratch it up a bit to give the eopxy or JB weld a surface area to grab onto.

 

My original door panels were way too brittle to save.






I used the white ones when I bought new door panels.
I didn't want to reuse those wire ones.