Has anyone tried to repair a door check arm? Here are the pair before cleaning up. Note the sharper curvature in the LHS one and my note (from eons ago) that it might be cracked.
Who knows how it got over bent but I would like to repair it since new ones aren’t particularly available. Back order/special order at SNG. The trouble is it appears to have a mild heat treat…not super hard since a file can cut it, but not soft either. I would call it about Rc 40. All I have is Mapp gas and MIG.
The painter is looking for it now that final bodywork is done and the door can so easily open into the bulkhead side panels.
I bought some for my 2+2 recently from SNG. They appologized in advance that they were the ones that had a plastic block on them, not the brass block. I think/suspect the ones I got are unique to the 2+2. I don’t know how they fail but I suspect the plastic block shears off as 1 failure mode. They worked a lot better after I got some grease on them. No problems so far.
Very true Erica!
I was hoping for a brass one. The picture doesn’t show the attachment of the plastic block. Harvey, since you have a set, can I remove the plastic block and replace with my brass one?
I’d bet you could Rick. I have the plastic ones in mine after both brass ones broke. They were replaced for me when the car was painted so I never thought to ask for the broken parts to try it. I’m not sure how the plastic is attached but even if it’s glued on, you could grind it off, and drill and counter sink and attach the brass ends. I never ever let my doors fall open onto the plastic ends so they’ve held up fine since 2008
Kirbert
(Author of the Book, former owner of an '83 XJ-S H.E.)
9
Gee, couldn’t you just make that part? It’s just a straight strap with a coupla holes drilled in it and bent a little. Then you could remove the little brass bit from the old one and screw it onto the new one.
What Erica said… One of mine was broken when I got the car, restorer made one from spring steel IIRC. I’d suggest trying a spring maker- should be a doddle for them
40 bucks from Moss and I can move on. Any idea if these can be run dry without binding and perhaps breaking again? No one wants to be putting lube in there at this point in the process. I’d check myself, but I don’t have the car at present.
Hello Rick,
Graphite, or molybdenum disulfide powder as a dry lubricant works well in such applications. Rub it on the surfaces that matter with a rag carrying the powder is the least messy method of application.
If I’m only interested in preventing the door from opening too far, can I just remove the brass(plastic) cams? In my mind the cams are only there to provide a detent against closure. Then I can skip lube altogether for now. Of course I may have this backwards without having actual parts to look at.
Once a year or so, Id wipe the area down with a carb cleaner-soaked rag, to reduce grit and keep it tidy and operating smoothly. It also gave me the chance to inspect the arms, looking for early signs of failure, to avoid the aforementioned expensive shut panel repair.
Glad you’re retired now and not out of a job!!