How-To: Removing Door Pillars

[lukeinva]

I found that I did load most pics on my computer. After writing this I found I am missing one pic. Well the wife gets home tommorow so I will have my camera back and I will edit this to add the pic I need to.

TOTAL TIME TO REMOVE PILLARS ABOUT 30-45MINS.
TOTAL TIME TO REINSTALL PILLARS ABOUT 1HR. IT TOOK ME 15MINS TO PUT THE 4 LONG PILLARS IN. THE BACK TRIANGLE PILLARS TOOK ABOUT 45MINS CAUSE I COULDNT FIGURE OUT HOW TO GET THE WEATHER STIPPING FROM UNDERNEATH THE PILLAR. THEN I USED THE PLASTIC PUDDY KNIFE! IT GOT THE WEATHERSTIPPING FROM UNDERNEATH PILLARS!

TOOLS YOU NEED!!
DRILL (Preferably Cordless)
Drill Bit (5/32) Big enough to drill out the rivet but not make the rivet hole any bigger!
Socket (5/16)
Star Screw Head (T-27 I believe)
Plastic Puddy Knife (As thin as possible)
Pliers

STEP ONE: Open all doors and put the windows down!

STEP TWO: Pull back the weather stripping on the front door to reveal the rivet. The stripping is held on back little plastic tabs which you call pull out pretty easy with the use of some pliers.


STEP THREE: Using your 5/32 drill bit drill out the rivet!

STEP FOUR: Look at the bottom of the pillar on the inside of the door you will see your star screw. Remove screw using your T-27 star bit.



STEP FIVE: Once rivet is drilled out and screw is removed you will be able to remove the pillar. You have to slide it left and right also you have to slide it up. The pillar has a long piece that goes behind the chrome outside door trim. Thats what the star screws is holding along with the pillar.

STEP SIX: Repeat step 2-4 on all other doors for the 4 long pillars. Each pillar has a rivet and star screw. Here is a pic of the rear rivet and star screw! Sorry I alread drilled out the rivet. On the rear doors the rivet and screw are located in the same place as the front doors!




REAR STAR SCREW!




STEP SEVEN: To remove the rear TRIANGLE PILLARS you have to remove the rear door panels. There are a total of 6 phillips screws. There are 4 on the bottom, 1 behind the door pull and 1 underneath the door handle. You will need a small flat head screw driver in to pull the tabs down that cover the screws. The plastic rivets that are TAN need to be taken out also! To do this use an allen wrench and just push the little circle piece in the middle IN! DO NOT PUSH IT TOO FAR IN IT WILL POP OUT AND GO INTO THE DOOR!!! REMOVE ALL TAN RIVETS!! Once all plastic rivets and screw are out the panel can be removed. There is a metal tab lock that is located in the back corner of the door panel. Its right under where the triangle pillar is. You have to push this in with either a screw driver or some pliers. DO NOT PULL HARD ON THIS YOU MAY BREAK IT OFF!!

Here is a pic of the plastic rivet with the circle pushed in!


Here is a pic of the screw behind the door pull!


HERE IS A PIC OF THE DOOR HANDLE SCREW!



STEP EIGHT: Once the door panel is off you have to remove the dark gray plastic rivet. Only the one that is on the side with the triangle pillar. Once removed pull back the gray trim to reveal this hole! This will be covered with clear tape. I just cut it with a razor knife then after I installed the painted pillars I just put clear tape back over the hole! Use your 5/16 socket put it in the hole and remove the bolt. Its good to have a magnetic socket so you dont drop the bolt.


STEP NINE: Once bolt is removed you can just pull off the triangle piece! Be careful but it just comes right off. You may need to use a little force but not that much.

STEP TEN: GO GET THEM PAINTED!!!! After you get them painted. Reinstall the 4 long pillars. Screw them back into place and then rivet them back in!

STEP ELEVEN: The back trianlge pillar is a little tricky. You can get it on pretty easy but the black weather stipping will be stuck under the pillar. BEFORE YOU BOLT IT BACK ON use you plastic puddy knife wedge it under the weather stipping closest to the window and just slide the puddy knife slowly across the bottom of the triangle pillar. In the pic put the puddy knife where the WHITE triangle points too!!! This will put the stripping in the correct place. BECARFUL WHEN YOU DO THIS!! IF YOU TRY TO GO TO FAST OR YOU USE TO MUCH FORCE YOU MAY DAMAGE THE WEATHER STRIPPING!!! I used some force but the weather stipping just came right up from underneath the pillar.


STEP TWELVE: Once you have the triangle pillar back on correctly bolt it back in and put the door panel back on! YOU ARE DONE!!
Here is a closeup of the pillars INSTALLED!



STEP THIRTEEN: GO HAVE A BEER AND TAKE A PIC OF YOU CAR!!!

[mebe]

Quick question luke. I am going to do this tomorrow hopefully. But i am wondering if the rivets you removed are reusable or do i have to buy new ones? If i do have to buy them did you get them at Chrysler or like Auto Zone or something similiar.. Also did you have any problems with the weather stripping going back on?

[mebe]

ok so i ventured on my own and did this tonight.. I found you dont have to drill anything out the rivets are just star screws that screw out. (now i dont know why but maybe thereis a difference between Non C and C). @nd the triangles are a muthafer..lol.. But really be VERY VERY careful with these things they bend easily while pulling them out. 3rd Like Luke said in step 7"There is a metal tab lock that is located in the back corner of the door panel. Its right under where the triangle pillar is. You have to push this in with either a screw driver or some pliers. DO NOT PULL HARD ON THIS YOU MAY BREAK IT OFF!!" This will break very easily and it doesnt look like its replaceable. This is the area that i really failed at it is hard to tell which way you actually have to press or pull but i broke one, got lucky on the other.

All in all i would rate this 45-55 minute job a 2.5 out of 5 in difficulty. ONLY due to this fantastic write up.

[D's300C]

those were star tips you unscrewed. My C has 3 star tips and one rivet (drivers front). Scabrs C has all four pillars riveted, its wierd. you have to drill the rivets out, just use a 5/16" drill bit, and DO NOT open the hole up while drilling. you can get a decent rivet gun for $18 and get 1/8" aluminum rivets. its easy to use the pop rivet gun. just go to home depot to get it. To get the triangles off: since you have the door panels off, remove the top (black) panel. Right next to were the triangle bolt is, there is star tip. There is another one of these on the front side of the door, but NOT behind the door panel. It is behind the weather strip. remove these two star tips and pull of the lower window trim (make sure window is down before removing door panel, best to do this in a garage or on a sunny day). Then remove the nut holding the triangle in (careful not to drop the nut, or you'll be fishing in your door) With the window trim off there is no prying needed. as you get the bolt shaft on the triangle out of its hole, slide the triangle towards the front of the car (there is a little lip that goes between the window seal and the door frame. Keep windows down, or else it is a b!tch sliding that trim back in. Just did all this to paint my pillars this weekend.