Remove Trim from Interior Door Panel
#1
Super Member
Thread Starter
Remove Trim from Interior Door Panel
As part of my memory seat retrofit, I need to swap my interior door panel. The one I bought with the memory switches has wood trim and I am replacing it with the brushed aluminum trim from my existing panel.
There are four fasteners holding the trim in place. They are partially covered by a piece of foam which I assume serves as sound-deadening. The foam lifts off easily. Each of the fasteners is covered by tape which probably prevents water intrusion.
Four fasteners hold the trim in place. They are partially obscured by this piece of foam
The foam lifts out of place to give access to the fasteners
Close up of attachment point
It appears that the trim piece was attached by pushing the metal pins protruding from the back of the trim panel into bronze-colored pieces of metal with holes in the center. The holes in the centers of the disk are slightly smaller than the pins. The force of the pins entering the hole deforms the brass-colored disks and that grips the pins and holds the trim piece in place.
To remove it, it appears that I should pry up the bronze-colored metal and release the pin. Before I install my I will need to bend the flaps back so that they will grasp the pin.
Please let me know whether this is the correct method or if another technique is more appropriate.
There are four fasteners holding the trim in place. They are partially covered by a piece of foam which I assume serves as sound-deadening. The foam lifts off easily. Each of the fasteners is covered by tape which probably prevents water intrusion.
Four fasteners hold the trim in place. They are partially obscured by this piece of foam
The foam lifts out of place to give access to the fasteners
Close up of attachment point
It appears that the trim piece was attached by pushing the metal pins protruding from the back of the trim panel into bronze-colored pieces of metal with holes in the center. The holes in the centers of the disk are slightly smaller than the pins. The force of the pins entering the hole deforms the brass-colored disks and that grips the pins and holds the trim piece in place.
To remove it, it appears that I should pry up the bronze-colored metal and release the pin. Before I install my I will need to bend the flaps back so that they will grasp the pin.
Please let me know whether this is the correct method or if another technique is more appropriate.
#2
MBWorld Fanatic!
I have squeezed the base of the ring - just a little - and it moves the tabs away enough to slide the nut away…
they’re called “push nuts” in the toy industry…
often they’re deformed by removal…
cheap and easy to replace…however the ones I recently bought from the dealer has a larger OD on the flange..
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=O0F6EnjF-2k
they’re called “push nuts” in the toy industry…
often they’re deformed by removal…
cheap and easy to replace…however the ones I recently bought from the dealer has a larger OD on the flange..
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=O0F6EnjF-2k
Last edited by BF_JC230; 08-01-2021 at 04:04 PM.
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cadman777 (01-01-2024)
#4
As part of my memory seat retrofit, I need to swap my interior door panel. The one I bought with the memory switches has wood trim and I am replacing it with the brushed aluminum trim from my existing panel.
There are four fasteners holding the trim in place. They are partially covered by a piece of foam which I assume serves as sound-deadening. The foam lifts off easily. Each of the fasteners is covered by tape which probably prevents water intrusion.
Four fasteners hold the trim in place. They are partially obscured by this piece of foam
The foam lifts out of place to give access to the fasteners
Close up of attachment point
It appears that the trim piece was attached by pushing the metal pins protruding from the back of the trim panel into bronze-colored pieces of metal with holes in the center. The holes in the centers of the disk are slightly smaller than the pins. The force of the pins entering the hole deforms the brass-colored disks and that grips the pins and holds the trim piece in place.
To remove it, it appears that I should pry up the bronze-colored metal and release the pin. Before I install my I will need to bend the flaps back so that they will grasp the pin.
Please let me know whether this is the correct method or if another technique is more appropriate.
There are four fasteners holding the trim in place. They are partially covered by a piece of foam which I assume serves as sound-deadening. The foam lifts off easily. Each of the fasteners is covered by tape which probably prevents water intrusion.
Four fasteners hold the trim in place. They are partially obscured by this piece of foam
The foam lifts out of place to give access to the fasteners
Close up of attachment point
It appears that the trim piece was attached by pushing the metal pins protruding from the back of the trim panel into bronze-colored pieces of metal with holes in the center. The holes in the centers of the disk are slightly smaller than the pins. The force of the pins entering the hole deforms the brass-colored disks and that grips the pins and holds the trim piece in place.
To remove it, it appears that I should pry up the bronze-colored metal and release the pin. Before I install my I will need to bend the flaps back so that they will grasp the pin.
Please let me know whether this is the correct method or if another technique is more appropriate.
#5
Member
Use a hook tool and spin them off. They'll unscrew like a really awkward nut. You can then reuse them by just pushing them back on. I swapped out the aluminum trim in my car to the black birdseye this way.
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cadman777 (01-01-2024)
#6
Super Member
Thread Starter
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#8
Newbie
I used a small screwdriver and spun them off like Spooky did.
One of the '****' was already broken off.
So I found a small stainless cap screw and heated the head with a torch and sunk it into the plastic pocket.
The 2 stainless nuts (one used to lock the other) were used to fasten it back on.
Much better than new!
One of the '****' was already broken off.
So I found a small stainless cap screw and heated the head with a torch and sunk it into the plastic pocket.
The 2 stainless nuts (one used to lock the other) were used to fasten it back on.
Much better than new!