Door Panel Cracks

[wnmech]

I bought my 2001 formula from the original owner and it was in immaculate condition except for both door panels. Each panel has a crack towards the aft top portion of the panel and I was viewing more firebirds on e-bay and several of them had similiar cracks. Was that a factory defect? I guess there is no easy repair.

[Stricken1]

yeah I have them on both of my doors.........not worth the cost of replacing them though.

[T/AKing]

just a sad fact of life. why theyre so prone to it???? idk mayb somethin with the sheer size of the panels? (our doors really are freakin big) but who knows.

deff not worth the cash to fix a minor eyesore that i only see when i concentrate on the back part of my door lol. (how often do you do that while driving haha)

[svt_eater]

When people beat the crap out of the 5.0 Mustangs, they cracked A-pillers. Since we don't have those, perhaps it's a stress point in the doors. I have sfc's to hopefully prevent anything bad like that.

[{FzS}BlacKMagicK]

Can anyone post a pic of these door panel cracks?

What is an sfc?

[T/AKing]

sub frame connector

[Mr. Luos]

SFC = Subframe connectors
But they won't prevent your door panels from cracking.

It is the design of the doors. They are held on with clips that are too stiff. They don't allow for flexing so something gives.
I have them on my bird as well. Thinking about drilling a very small hole at the bottom of the crack to prevent further cracking and filling in with epoxy. The epoxy part I might have a shop do...as I don't work well with that stuff.

[{FzS}BlacKMagicK]

I don't have them...yet...anything I can do to prevent it?

[PontiacFan]

I don't have them...yet...anything I can do to prevent it?

Maybe, take them off & remove the staple in the area that is prone to cracking.
And do not lower the window all the way down, if possible.
Watch the panel stress during the last two inches of travel when putting the window down.
SFC will not help, I don't believe it has anything to do with the car structure.

[wnmech]

Can anyone post a pic of these door panel cracks?

What is an sfc?

My daughter has the formula in east Texas at college she is coming home this Friday I will post a pic then.

[4get gto]

Can anyone post a pic of these door panel cracks?

http://69.42.146.24/forums/attachmen...6&d=1139465000

[svt_eater]

http://69.42.146.24/forums/attachmen...6&d=1139465000

Oh, I see now. I was thinking it was actually the door skin...not the interior panel. I'm sure the very hard plastic it is made from is part of the problem. If it goes through a lot of heat cycling over the years, I can see that being a factor as well as the window stress.

The Grand Am's and Sunfire's do this as well. Must be an all-round GM thing I think. That can't be good.

[{FzS}BlacKMagicK]

http://69.42.146.24/forums/attachmen...6&d=1139465000

Thank you...I appreciate that. Of course, this is not something I'm looking forward too...pretty much sucks.

So I guess it happens in the exact same area if a staple behind the area is responsible. Makes me worried about even attempting to take the door panels off.

Wnmech, still wouldn't mind seein' your pics when you can get them. Would like to be sure it happens in the same area every time.

I had read before elsewhere in the forum that some believed it was from rolling the windows all the way down which puts stress on the area, I haven't rolled my windows all the way down since reading that. But then I read about a guy whos says he was just driving along when he heard...POP...POP...and both the doors cracked at the same time...sorta hard to believe but I guess it could happen.

[4get gto]

I had read before elsewhere in the forum that some believed it was from rolling the windows all the way down which puts stress on the area, I haven't rolled my windows all the way down since reading that.

Watch your door panels bow as you lower your windows and you'll see why this can happen.....Still no excuse.

[Kajun Taz]

http://69.42.146.24/forums/attachmen...6&d=1139465000

HHHmmmmm, I can't open this link, it says I am not logged in, but I am??

[{FzS}BlacKMagicK]

Watch your door panels bow as you lower your windows and you'll see why this can happen.....Still no excuse.

If that's what it takes to prevent it, hell, my windows won't ever be goin down all the way. I keep having to remember to catch it when I hit it once for the auto down though...lol

So far, so good. I also think it couldn't hurt to close the door like you actually care about the car...not closing it by the window...closing it gently...sure couldn't hurt anyways.

[bwinch]

If that's what it takes to prevent it, hell, my windows won't ever be goin down all the way. I keep having to remember to catch it when I hit it once for the auto down though...lol

So far, so good. I also think it couldn't hurt to close the door like you actually care about the car...not closing it by the window...closing it gently...sure couldn't hurt anyways.

I agree closing the doors by the glass has to put some stress on the panels. I never close mine by the glass and I roll my windows down all the time but i dont have them.

[Kajun Taz]

My pass. side door has one that goes all the way through the upper part of the door trim, and another one on the lower part that is about half way through......... looks like crap, but not going to spend the money to replace that panel.