HOW TO: Remove Door Panels 07+

[Timmy]

ok. so some guys were talking about paying someone to do this (why can't I live around them? :(), so I decided to do a quick write up on how to do this.


tools needed:

3/8 drive ratchet
6" extension
10mm deep well socket
standard tip screw driver

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b131/amest33/Jesup-20110830-00048.jpg

ok. i don't take my door panel all the way off because it's not necessary.

step one: remove plastic trim pieces like so:

grab here and pull
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b131/amest33/Jesup-20110830-00051.jpg
pry gently in the indention
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b131/amest33/Jesup-20110830-00053.jpg
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b131/amest33/Jesup-20110830-00050.jpg
pry gently underneath
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b131/amest33/Jesup-20110830-00049.jpg

step two: remove 3 10mm bolts from below the armrest and inside the door handle:
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b131/amest33/Jesup-20110830-00055.jpg
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b131/amest33/Jesup-20110830-00054.jpg
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b131/amest33/Jesup-20110830-00057.jpg
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b131/amest33/Jesup-20110830-00056.jpg

step three: unclip switch bezel (only if changing the mirrors, if doing door handles, skip to step four.)

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b131/amest33/Jesup-20110830-00064.jpg

step four: grab the door panel here and pull to loosed the clips. when one is loose, work your way around the door panel and remove them all.

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b131/amest33/Jesup-20110830-00058.jpg

step five: lift up on the door panel to get it out of the "groove" that makes it flush.

by now the door panel will be dangling by the handle cable. it'll take the stress, no worries.

step six: decide if you're doing mirrors or handles THEN move on to step seven.

if you're changing the mirrors:
step seven: unplug the factory connectors from the back of the driver or passenger door module (switch pack).

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b131/amest33/Jesup-20110830-00062.jpg

step eight: remove the wiring harness from the door. (no pics, but held in by white clips, pull them out with needle nose pliers)

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b131/amest33/Jesup-20110830-00061.jpg

step nine: unbolt the mirrors by removing the 3 10mm nuts shown here:

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b131/amest33/Jesup-20110830-00060.jpg

step ten: put it back together using the opposite steps

if you're changing the door handles:
step seven: unbolt the door handles through the 2 holes shown here (2 10mm bolts, don't drop them):

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b131/amest33/handles.png

step eight: unhook the latches from the handles (no pics) and slide the handle towards the front of the vehicle and pull them out.

step nine: reinstall using the opposite steps.

[05nali]

:Handshake:

[04ctd]

excellent write up!! very impressive

what about the back doors?

my DSide rear handle is hanging out in the breeze...

[Timmy]

excellent write up!! very impressive

what about the back doors?

my DSide rear handle is hanging out in the breeze...


The back door is the same way, but only has 2 bolts holding the door panel on in the same place.

When you get the panel off, look inside the door and you'll see the bolts for the handle.

[edgaranah1]

Nice write-up. Lets see if soulsea tackles this project himself.


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[soulsea]

I haz questiun ...

Let us say hypothetically that I tried to do this to swap mirrors ...what would I then have to do if I also wanted to swap mirror lenses? Meaning that I want to swap mirror assys but put my Tahoe mirror into the newly installed Esky mirror.

Is this hard to do?

[SuperchargedSS]

hard? no. hazardous? yes. You can easily crack the mirrors...EASILY.

[soulsea]

hard? no. hazardous? yes. You can easily crack the mirrors...EASILY.

Mmm, is the danger in removing them or snapping them back in ... or both? :think:

[SuperchargedSS]

ask Timmy... he's shattered a few.

Serge, i love u man, but don't reinvent the wheel. Just install them as-is and ride happy.

[soulsea]

Actually I don't think I'm going to be installing them unless the body shop doesn't have time to do it monday when they do the bumper. If I have to do it myself I definitely won't be messing with the mirrors themselves. However if the body shop guys are doing the mirror assy swap I was going to ask them to also swap the mirrors themselves ... I'm asking cause I wanted to know how much extra work I'd be asking them to do. But don't tell the T man cause he has high hopes for me doing it.

[SuperchargedSS]

question: why are u wanting to swap the glass?

[soulsea]

question: why are u wanting to swap the glass?

Because the Esky mirrors are the older version with the dots and my mirrors have the straght led arrows.

[SuperchargedSS]

ahh, ok, thought you had purchased a newer set. In that case, I'd let the dealer do it, but i wouldn't personally do it. It's roll of the dice if they break, no thanks!

maybe consider just swapping the entire housings.

[soulsea]

Yeah that would be the plan ... but I was wondering if this is a five minute deal for him who knows how to do it or if it's time consuming even for him?