door check strap attachment

Hi,

I new to this forum, hope you can help me out with this question. The fitting on the door, that the door check strap attaches to is now oblong. I cannot find this part in any of the many suppliers out there. Any ideas on how to repair this? Almost forgot 1972 TR6.

Steven

PS, just trying to get this car back on the road. Every other day is like Christmas, new parts arrive in the mail. The only problem it that I had to pay, no gifts yet from Santa!

Steven- Welcome, do you have a camera to attach a photo? It would help to define the part.

I have the same problem with my 69. I made a set out of a couple of corner braces. Filed and dressed them as best I could. If I could figure out how to post a picture, I would.
If you would send me a PM with your e-mail I will try to send you a picture.

Good luck, Pete

Lets try this.


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At least your's are still there. I will be making a set of new tines with the appropriate diameter holes then welding them to the outside of the stubs and use a longer pin. You have more metal and could sister them over and under the original and do the same.

You could also have the holes welded up some, closer to the original diameter, then use a rat tail file to finish them out. A lot of work, just consider it a labof of love.

Steven B.- Hey they look like mine. When you figure out how to fix let me know. The only thing I could think of is stick a screw driver (phillips) and reef on it to straighten them out.

Try having someone TIG in a pair of steel washers, top and bottom, and use a longer pin. You can precision-weld using a TIG gun where a MIG or stick welder won't work.

Now I know how you make those fillings stay in place so well!

Do you have a M.I.G. welder or access to one? Or even an oxy acetylene torch will work, although you will need to be careful of excess heat.
slide a piece of copper in the slot between the two tabs {Tines} weld the hole in solid on both sides then clean the tabs up with a sander or small die grinder. {upper and lower tabs} then re drill to the size needed. {You may want to remove the door from the car so you can rotate the door for easy access}
Easy fix for any competent welder.

AweMan said:

Do you have a M.I.G. welder or access to one? Or even an oxy acetylene torch will work, although you will need to be careful of excess heat.
slide a piece of copper in the slot between the two tabs {Tines} weld the hole in solid on both sides then clean the tabs up with a sander or small die grinder. {upper and lower tabs} then re drill to the size needed. {You may want to remove the door from the car so you can rotate the door for easy access}
Easy fix for any competent welder.

Click to expand...

I'll defer to Kerry on the welding bit, my being a rank amateur. But we were once faced with this dilemma on a friend's car and the only acceptable fix was to go the washer route, short of fabricating new tabs and welding in from the inside. The problem that we faced for this "quick fix" was how to drill the hole afterwards. I see that his door is sitting on a work bench, a good thing, but the real issue is how to get a drill to work in that tight spot against the door, short of tearing everything up and, lord forbid, wallowing the hole out again. Without a really, really long drill bit, drilling the hole out is virtually impossible.

Again, being a rank amateur in the welding department, we employed the services of an expert TIG welder who made short work of molding in some new metal with quality steel washers (the word quality is important, don't use some mild steel washer that will wallow out again). The fix on my friend's car is still working after all these years.

I had this same welder move my bonnet brace over 4 inches so we could punch the hood with louvers on one side. He welded the brace back in place without even burning the paint on the hood. Never ceases to amaze me what serious welders can do. I am sure that Kerry has been there and done that in his career.

I drilled it out oversize with a 90 degree drill motor. Ordered bearing grade bronze hat bushing from McMaster. Now the 35 cent soft bearing wears out and not the door.

Gordo

I like the washer fix. Should only cost the minimum hour or half hour charge at the body shop. I would do that on mine, but unfortunately, nothing to weld it to.

Thanks for all the replies. Bill, the washer fix sounds interesting. The other opition would be to bush it. Being in avaitaion for the last 30 nyears I can't figure out why something like this was not bushed to begin with. Anything that wears on an aircraft usally has a bushing. TR did it right with the fine theards. All my old AN & MS stock is again usable for something. Maybe I will come up with a repair kit for these doors and be able to offset set some of the costs for all the repairs.

Steven

Steve -Keep us posted.

I will go with Gordo's idea. Hat bushings.

Now, the check strap on the driver’s side just fell out but on the passenger side it will not come out without a lot of prying or removal of the retainer that the strap passes through. I tried the new strap on the drivers’ side. No way is it going in unless I put it in backwards. Do the rivets need to be removed to install this thing?


Steven

Steven,
I've been working on aircraft for 30 years also. I tend to bring alot of that to my work on the car. My AN and MS stocks are somewhat depleted but when I replace something, I just call Spruce. Plan on doing the brakes this winter, all AN and e-brake bushed. I bush everything that moves.

Gordo