Door panel removal process (1 Viewer)

[dnp]

There are some of you on this forum that are more adept at finding results using the SEARCH function than am I, so please forgive me if this procedure is, indeed, posted somewhere on the 100-series forum. That being said, I performed a search for "door panel removal" process, and although I came up with bits and pieces on several threads, they all left out steps that I needed to know. Accordingly, on the chance that someone needs to know how to do this from beginning to end (the front doors on an LX470, anyway), the following is a rundown (sorry for the three photos per entry):

1. Locate the tweeter cover, and just pull it off. It has a couple of push-in grommets that will come out easily.

2. This is what the door looks like with that cover removed

3. Locate the two plastic screw covers below the tweeter, and remove them by prying them off with a small flat blade screwdriver or other flat tool, being careful not to nick/scratch your door panel. (This is what the door panel looks like with the covers removed.) Remove these two screws

 

[dnp]

4. Locate the three plastic "rivets" on the door panel. They will be lower on the panel, with one rivet in the leading end, and two in the trailing end of the door panel. Push the center of the rivet in slightly with the edge of a screwdriver or other object (this will release the "catch" on the rivet), then, being careful not to nick/scratch your door panel), pry the rivet out with a flat tool.

5. While we're on these rivets, the way to reinstall them is to push on the pointed end of the rivet to make the blunt end stick out of the body of the rivet. Then, when you reinstall the rivet into the door panel, you push the center in to make it flush with the body of the rivet to make it hold tight again.

6. Pull back on the door seal on the bottom of the door panel to reveal the 4 screws on the bottom. Remove these 4 screws

 

[dnp]

7. Push a flat blade screwdriver (carefully) under the front edge of the window/lock control escutcheon, and push in the front of the spring retainer to get it to release from the door panel (look on the front of the first two photos, and you'll see what it looks like)

8. Remove the white wiring harness connector. This is what it looks like when removed.

 

[dnp]

9. Carefully pry off the cover underneath the door opening latch handle

10. This is what it looks like removed. Remove the phillips head screw in the center under the handle.

 

[dnp]

11. Carefully pry off the trim piece around the door lock latch handle. I'm not really sure the best way to do that, so the next photos show what the part looks like so you'll know how/where it attaches. I pried it from above and made the round holes disengage from the top of the latch. Likewise, it also has a tab that slides into the front of the latch. Just look at the part, and you can probably figure out how to get it off.

 

[dnp]

12. Remove the phillips head screw from under where the window/lock escutcheon was.

13. Pull the bottom of the door panel away from the door, and near the top of the trailing edge of the door, there is another push-in grommet that needs to be released. Pop that away from the door

14. Everything holding the door panel should be released from it (except wiring - shown in second photo in the next post), so grab the leading and trailing edges of the door panel and, with the window DOWN, wiggle the door panel upwards and off of the top edge of the door (see the first photo in the next post for what the top of the door panel looks like, so you'll know how it fits down on the top of the door)

 

[dnp]

First photo: see how there is a channel at the top of the door panel that fits down over the top of the door? It can be a bit stubborn to get the door panel off of the door, but if you push in slightly while rocking/wiggling it (while pulling up), it will come off.

Second photo: wiring still attached to the door panel (I don't know how a Land Cruiser looks with regard to wiring, but this is how my '03 LX470 with Mark Levinson stereo looks)

 

[dnp]

Photos of the door panel removed. Reinstall by reversing this process.

 

[TXLX470]

Nice write up....will be helpful when I replace my speakers

 

[NMuzj100]

Nice write up.


What did you do while you were in there ?

 

[dnp]

Nice write up.


What did you do while you were in there ?

Thanks.

My outside door handle assembly had become loose and was rattling on the outside of the door (the whole part that's sealed with the gasket.) I had to go inside the door to tighten up one screw that had become loose........everything's nice and quiet now.

 

[rph74]

Very nice thread!

 

[CrusrDug]

It might not be a FAQ, but it should be added.

Thanks for taking time to document.

 

[spressomon]

It might not be a FAQ, but it should be added.

Thanks for taking time to document.

dnp: Nice write up! Surely to be used by many!

I second this should be in FAQ: Hopefully e9999 or Trunk Monkey will move it in there for easier future reference.

 

[Trunk Monkey]

Done!

 

[marcfj60]

I had the same problem with the passenger front handle and did the same surgery a few weeks ago. I was fortunate to have a FSM so it did a pretty good job of walking you through it. It's interesting to see the differences between a '99 LC and an '03 LX. For step 6, there is no weatherstripping on mine, just the screws holding the bottom of the panel on. And for step 9 there's just a cap over the screw head. The rest was the same though.

The toughest part for me to figure out, even with the FSM, was the removal of the bezel around the release handle/lock (your step 11). It was not intuitive that you needed to slip something skinny between the bezel and adjacent lock button or release handle to release the tabs from the pins they sit on. I slipped a putty knife in between them and lifted the tabs off the pins.

Did you make sure to put some loc-tite on the screws that held the exterior handle on? It was obvious to me that the PO had been inside the door at least once before and thought it might have been to tighten up the door handle screws.

 

[dnp]

Done!

Thanks for posting this to the FAQ section. I was hoping my description would be precise enough to qualify.........

 

[1loudLX]

good thread, me likes. I knew how to take them off already but this is still a great asset. Thanks for taking the time.

 

[offroadkid]

That write-up is perfect not just for door panel removal, but also a great template for any repair! Great step-by-step with pics, thanks!

 

[Utahfj62]

Great write up - I used it tonight. Had to pull the door panels to replace the rear speakers. Following your steps the panels came off lickity-split and went right back on - no problem. Step number 11 is where I got stuck - then I came in here and searched and wa-la - your info helped right away.
Thanks.