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

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

pry gently in the indention

pry gently underneath

step two: remove 3 10mm bolts from below the armrest and inside the door handle:

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

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.

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).

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

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

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):

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.

 

[BillBlatt18]

 

[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.


Sent from my iPhone 4g using Tapatalk

 

[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?

 

[THE YETI]

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?

 

[THE YETI]

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]

[timmyhide] 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. [/timmyhide]

 

[THE YETI]

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.

 

[THE YETI]

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?

 

[domin8]

Thanks for the write-up Timmy. I will definitely be referring to this when I install some mirrors on my truck.

 

[04ctd]

bumpers for a GOOD post.

i pulled this page up, set the laptop in the seat, and it only took a few minutes to do all three.

FWIW, if you have one broken, order all four, and then just do them at the same time.

i had one break...then the other two broke within a month or so.

I bought the GM handles (~$100?) and they came with the GM instructions, which were pretty confusing.

 

[07Burb]

Just wanted to give Timmy props here. Perfect write up! Couldn't sleep tonight so I put on my passenger side chrome handles. I'll put my drivers side on first thing in the morning but didn't feel like rearranging the parking in the garage at 11:30 at night this write up make the job extremely easy

 

[04silverL]

Great write up. Changed my door handles out this weekend. Thanks

 

[phattire]

Thank you, this was extremely helpful. My daughter's school gives the parents laminated signs with the student/teachers name listed. It dropped in there the 1st week after buying the Suburban. Now it's not there anymore!

 

[THE YETI]

Timmy says "you are welcome"