Hi all, the crack in my driver door panel had been getting worse and worse. I was tired of looking at it and wasn't going to pay $500(!) for a replacement panel so I decided to take a crack (lol) at fixing it. Here are my results and what I did to achieve them.
I forgot to actually take a before picture but my crack was way farther down and wider than this one:
![4495577]()
Here are the after pics:
![4495579]()
![4495580]()
![4495581]()
Here's how I fixed it:
1. Buy plastic welder for Harbor Freight or similar. The one I got is item number 60662, cost $16.99 and comes with everything you'll need.
2: Remove the door panel, there are plenty of youtube videos if you don't know how.
3. Remove the window wiper from the door panel. To do this, there are 6 staples you need to remove. Pry each side of the staple up on the side facing towards the inside of the door panel and then pry/pull out with the screw driver and needle nose pliers.
3a. All of the work will be done on the inside of the door panel (part that is not visible when installed) to provide the best final appearance. Do not scuff, weld or mess with the outside of the panel.
4. Clean the area of the crack with Windex.
5. Scuff the area that is an inch on each side of the crack with the included metal brush (inside only).
6. Cut a piece of the included wire mesh so that it will go one inch on each side of the crack and reach from the 90* reinforcement piece down to where the door panel curves in near that handle. (See step 7 picture if unsure of dimensions)
7. Weld the bottom right hand corner into place so the wire mesh will not move (Picture shows more welded, you only need to weld the bottom right).
![4495582]()
8. Figure out a way to hold the crack closed while welding, I wedged it between my leg and the kitchen counter. Ensure the entire time you are welding that the two sides of the crack stay even with each other or you will end up with an obvious repair.
![4495584]()
9. Tape a piece of welding rod into place that is in line with the crack and goes all the way from the bottom to the top of the reinforcement mesh.
![4495583]()
10. Weld from the bottom to the top of the rod stopping and waiting for the entire piece to cool for a few minutes every 1-2 inches. Also, check that side not being welded is not getting overheated (too hot to touch) while welding. Warning: This is deceptive, it takes a few seconds for heat to travel through the plastic so be cautious on your first few welds. If you go too fast, or get the piece to hot, it will warp and look bad. Ensure the entire time and until completely cool that the crack stays aligned on the other side and does not move.
![4495585]()
11. Fill in any places where you can see the wire mesh through the plastic welding material. As before, make sure you only do small 1-2 inch sections and do not overheat the plastic. It should stay cool enough to touch comfortably on the other side. It is best to hold the crack together while doing this.
12. Reinstall the wiper reusing the original staples or new ones and install the panel back in your Jeep.
13. Admire your repair and feel your wallet to confirm that it isn't $500 - $1000 lighter.
I forgot to actually take a before picture but my crack was way farther down and wider than this one:
Here are the after pics:
Here's how I fixed it:
1. Buy plastic welder for Harbor Freight or similar. The one I got is item number 60662, cost $16.99 and comes with everything you'll need.
2: Remove the door panel, there are plenty of youtube videos if you don't know how.
3. Remove the window wiper from the door panel. To do this, there are 6 staples you need to remove. Pry each side of the staple up on the side facing towards the inside of the door panel and then pry/pull out with the screw driver and needle nose pliers.
3a. All of the work will be done on the inside of the door panel (part that is not visible when installed) to provide the best final appearance. Do not scuff, weld or mess with the outside of the panel.
4. Clean the area of the crack with Windex.
5. Scuff the area that is an inch on each side of the crack with the included metal brush (inside only).
6. Cut a piece of the included wire mesh so that it will go one inch on each side of the crack and reach from the 90* reinforcement piece down to where the door panel curves in near that handle. (See step 7 picture if unsure of dimensions)
7. Weld the bottom right hand corner into place so the wire mesh will not move (Picture shows more welded, you only need to weld the bottom right).
8. Figure out a way to hold the crack closed while welding, I wedged it between my leg and the kitchen counter. Ensure the entire time you are welding that the two sides of the crack stay even with each other or you will end up with an obvious repair.
9. Tape a piece of welding rod into place that is in line with the crack and goes all the way from the bottom to the top of the reinforcement mesh.
10. Weld from the bottom to the top of the rod stopping and waiting for the entire piece to cool for a few minutes every 1-2 inches. Also, check that side not being welded is not getting overheated (too hot to touch) while welding. Warning: This is deceptive, it takes a few seconds for heat to travel through the plastic so be cautious on your first few welds. If you go too fast, or get the piece to hot, it will warp and look bad. Ensure the entire time and until completely cool that the crack stays aligned on the other side and does not move.
11. Fill in any places where you can see the wire mesh through the plastic welding material. As before, make sure you only do small 1-2 inch sections and do not overheat the plastic. It should stay cool enough to touch comfortably on the other side. It is best to hold the crack together while doing this.
12. Reinstall the wiper reusing the original staples or new ones and install the panel back in your Jeep.
13. Admire your repair and feel your wallet to confirm that it isn't $500 - $1000 lighter.
if it’s abs plastic, they have a solvent cement that chemically melts the plastic together again. Great write up though!
