Door Panel Removal & Installation

(5th Gen)

Removal of the interior Door Trim Panels is necessary any time you need access to repair or replace parts such as the Door Mirror, inner or outer Door Handles, Lock Key Cylinder, Power Lock Actuator, Door Glass, Window Regulator, or Power Window Regulator, or the Latch mechanism. It’s also necessary when replacing the inner and outer glass Felt Wipe Seals along the top of the Door.

It’s a fairly simple task but like everything else, there is an orderly process to getting them off of the Door Shell. You’ll need a couple of basic tools such as #2 & #3 Phillips Screwdrivers, a small, flat-bladed one such as a Pocket Screwdriver, and a 2mm Metric Allen Wrench.

You’ll also need a couple of specialty tools depending on your truck. A Trim Panel removal tool is very helpful for releasing the barbed panel retainers, especially if you would like a better chance of reusing the retainers.

If you have manual window regulators, the tool for removing the horseshoe clip retainer for the Crank Arm is useful in helping to avoid sending the clip across the garage into oblivion, never to be found again.

There was a coated paper moisture barrier glued or rope-caulked onto the Door Shell and a Jute Insulation Pad in place between the Door Panels and the Door Shell. There is also a tertiary lower Door Seal that attaches to the Lower Panel retainers and is captured between the Panel and the Door.

Accessing Panel Fasteners:

Start with removing the manual Door Lock Knob by unscrewing it off of the Lock Rod.
Remove the Arm Rest pad on the Lower Panel by removing the two #2 Phillips head trim screws inside the hand pull relief area and sliding the Pad forward towards the front of the Door to unhook the hooks on the underside of the Pad from the Lower Panel.
Remove the two large #3 Phillips head screws securing the panel to the door.

Carefully remove the two Door Pull Strap End Cap Trim Inserts by gently prying behind one end of the insert in order to get it to flex enough to disengage. Try not to scratch the chrome on the End Cap.
Remove the two #3 Phillips Head Screws inside of the Door Handle Pull Strap End Caps securing the panel to the Door.

Disconnecting Manual Window Controls:

With Manual Windows, you will need to remove the Window Crank Handle before the upper Panel can be removed.
Cover the pivot end of the Crank Handle with a shop rag to capture the Horseshoe Clip when it disengages, otherwise, the clip can spring off and fly across the area and be lost.
Using a special tool, slide it behind the crank handle and drive the Horseshoe Clip out of the handle to release it from the splined shaft on the Regulator, and hopefully into the shop rag you placed.
Put the clip in a safe place until ready for reassembly in order to use the Crank Handle to move the Glass up or down if needed. You can reinstall the clip into the Window Crank Handle for ease of reinstallation later as well so that it doesn’t get separated and accidentally lost.

Removing the Upper Panel:

Using a Panel Removal Tool, disengage the Retainers at the ends of the Upper Panel from the Door by prying out about an inch. Use care not to pry at the retainers in a way that causes them to pull through the Trim Panel door card material if possible.
Unhook the top curved portion of the Upper Panel from the Brackets on the Door by pushing the Panel towards the outside of the Door.
The bottom edge of the Upper Panel will be captured between a metal bracket attached to the backside of the Lower Panel and the Lower Panel itself, which may make removal of the Upper Panel difficult. It may be necessary to remove the Lower Panel first.
With Power Windows, you will need to disconnect the Wiring Harness from the back of the Switch assembly, but this cannot be done easily with the Upper Panel still in place.

Disconnecting Power Window Controls:

With Power Windows, you will need to disconnect the Upper Panel from the Door and pull it away from the Door enough to disconnect the harness from the back of the Switch assembly.
Remove the retaining knob-type nut off of the contact stud on the Switch and pry the wiring connector off of the switch using care to not break the connector body or the switch.
Detach the Switch assembly from the metal bracket in the Upper Panel by releasing the end tabs and push it through the opening.

Detaching the Lower Panel:

The Lower Panel can be removed before the Upper Panel if needed.
Using a Panel Removal Tool, disengage the Retainers at the ends and along the bottom of the Lower Panel from the Door by prying out about an inch and pulling it away from the Door.

Removing the Lower Panel:

The Lower Panel will need to be able to slide forward on the Door to clear the Inside Door Handle so that it goes through the opening in the Panel to remove it.
There is a metal plate along the top edge of the panel that is plastic-welded to the backside of the Lower Panel and captures the lower edge of the Upper Panel. This plate can make it difficult to slide the Lower Panel forward. Don’t be too rough with it and break off the plastic studs that are melted over and attach the plate to the Panel.
If not previously removed, the Upper Panel may need to be loosened by disengaging the retainers at each end of the Panel, or completely removed first in order to give enough clearance to move the Lower Panel forward.
Note that the Door Mirror Remote Cable and Power Door Lock Switch will each need to be disconnected before the Lower Panel can be completely removed.

Disconnecting the Mirror Remote Cable:

The Control Lever end of the Remote Cable is retained in the Trim Bezel on the Panel by an Allen set screw. A 2mm Allen Wrench is needed to loosen the set screw enough to slip the cable head out of the Bezel.
Unplug the Power Door Lock wiring connector from the switch being careful not to separate the halves of the switch itself.

Using Window Controls:

With Power Windows, you will need to temporarily reconnect the Wiring Harness to the Switch assembly in order to move the Door Glass up or down as needed for access to any necessary fasteners.
Unclip the Switch from the metal bezel in the Upper Door Panel and lightly reconnect it to the harness plug.
Also route the Mirror Remote Cable in such a way that it will not get tangled in the Window Regulator mechanism and get damaged.
For Manual Windows, reinstall the Crank Handle without the Horseshoe Clip in place.
Place the clip in a safe place until ready for reinstallation onto the Window Crank.

Tip for Replacing Window Sweep Seals:

Mark it’s location and remove the Door Glass Down Travel Stop in order to be able to roll the Glass j down low enough to access the three middle fasteners of the outer Sweep Seal for removal and installation.

Replacement Hardware:

The Door Panel Retainers. Door Panel Pull Straps, Strap End Covers, End Cover Trim Inserts, Water Barrier Plastic, Jute Insulation Pads, Inner and Outer Door Handles, Door Lock Cylinders, link rod clips, Window Regulator Motors, Regulator Rollers, and Door Latches are available through many of the common restoration suppliers such as Dixie Restoration Depot, Mike’ Montes, Original Parts Group (OPGI), Eckler’s, National Parts Depot (NPD), eBay, and etc.

Reassembly:

Reassembly is the reverse of removal.
After repairs are completed, reattach the Moisture Barrier and Jute Insulation Padding. It may be necessary to tape it in place with Duct Tape. Just be sure the tape will be hidden behind the Panels when they are reinstalled.
Route the Window Wiring and Mirror Remote through the barrier and insulation for attachment as needed.
It’s usually easier to partially install the Upper Panel first, hooking it over the upper mount brackets, but not inserting the end retainers into the door fully just yet. Make sure the Window Switch and Wiring are in back in place and connected.
Position the Lower Panel in a location where the Mirror Remote Cable and Door Lock Switch can be reconnected.
Position the Lower Door Panel over the Inner Door Handle and slide it into place while guiding the bottom edge of the Upper Panel into the gap between the Lower Panel and the Metal bracket.
Align the retainers and screw holes to the appropriate holes.
Push the Panel firmly onto the Door at each retainer location so that the Panels fit to the Door surface as tightly as possible.
Reinstall the larger #3 Phillips Screws into their respective locations. It may be necessary to use a Scribe-type tool to align the Panel holes to the holes in the Door.
Reinstall the Arm Rest Pad and the two #2 Phillips Screws.
Reinstall the Door Pull Strap End Cover Trim Plates once you’re sure you don’t need back into the Door. They can be fragile so limit removal and installation as much as possible. (It may be necessary to glue them back into place if one or both of the tabs break off).
Reinstall the Lock Knob.