How To: Belt Moulding Replacement

[blkprj80]

My belt mouldings were in sad shape from sunlight and maybe a hailstorm, and just plain aging.

It is great that Mr T still sells replacements, albeit a little expensive. They are just north of 50 bucks each, but they are available.

I searched and found a few threads with part numbers, and replies about how easy it was, but no instructions with pictures.

I bought the parts and studied them before I tore mine out. The new belt mouldings come with new plastic clips, so I didn’t have to worry about breaking any of them.

I started with the passenger rear to get a step up on the learning curve. I started near the middle, and it looks like I would have had even better luck starting toward the front end of it. The clips have a springy side and a fixed side. I pushed the moulding toward the window glass and pried up to get it off the clip. They all pretty much broke anyway, but it didn’t take as much force to break them this way.

I rolled the window up just a bit to protect the felt trim at the top of the inside door panel. I used a big plastic prybar from a kit I have for pulling dashes and trim off.

When I had the moulding removed, I was left with all the clips still in the door exterior panel slots. I used a knife and the red prybar to release the latch and lift the clip.

 

[blkprj80]

Once they were all out, I cleaned up the years of dirt with windex and paper towels followed by a couple coats of wax. Look down inside the window with a flashlight to be sure none of the bits that broke off are in a place where they may interfere with the window mechanism. I saw some of the parts in the bottom of the door, and I’ll rescue those the next time I have the inside panel off maybe.

Putting the moulding back in is extremely easy. Get all the curved parts of the clips in their respective holes, ready to snap in. Make sure you have it aligned front to back pretty well, and then hold one end while you push the other end down. You will essentially be doing what resembles “fingertip pullups” on the moulding to get it into place. It will click at each clip and you move on to the next.

And there it is!

 

[blkprj80]

The front door required removing the mirrors and a screw at the aft end of the trim, accessible with the door open. The screw needs a #2 Phillips driver, and the mirror has that batwing trim that sucks, and behind that are 3x 10mm bolt heads.

Once you remove the mirror bolts, the mirror will still not want to pull away easily. There is a foam seal you need to break loose, and at the top front edge of the mirror, there is a little tab you need to push in to allow it to pull away from the door. I didn’t unwire anything, and I was careful with the wires. The mirror needs to be up about 3/4” to get the old moulding out and the new in. It gets a little tricky trying to hold all the pieces, but I was able to do it alone although I did have to set down my beer once.

It was a fairly easy task and I was able to do all four in one evening. I hope this helps someone who is hesitating on replacing these. It's incredibly easy! Do it.

When you reinstall the mirror, go a little easy on it. You are running the bolts into plastic and you don't want to break it.

 

[thebus]

Sweet will be doing this within the near future

 

[oilbrnr]

so, did you break the batwing trim tab retainer?

 

[starski]

you mean I have to put my beer down? lol
great writeup.

 

[swamp-thing]

Thanks for the write-up -- Where did you get your parts?
I was going to do this a month or so back, but the high cost estimates set me straight, then a friend was leaning into my open passenger window and basically sliced their winter coat on the jagged edges of my thrashed trim, so maybe I need to look more seriously at the issue -- parts that include new clips is great! thnx in advance

 

[oilbrnr]

Belt molding is available from Toyota. Call CDan or Beno. ~$50 a pop.

 

[blkprj80]

so, did you break the batwing trim tab retainer?

No, I've gotten lucky several times now removing those damn things. Each time, I convince myself I don't need them off so I put them back on. Then I buy speakers, or a window motor, or a regulator assembly, or inside felts, or belt moulding. You know how it goes.

I think the secret is to pull it straight out with a prybar. If you lift on the plastic boss (that you can't see until it's off!), it comes off pretty easy. The last time I installed them, I put a bit of synthetic grease on the ball end with hopes it wouldn't eat the plastic, and would make it easier to come off. It didn't eat the plastic at least...

Below pic is US passenger side, showing the boss you try to pry against.

 

[bajaphile]

Cool! Mind listing part numbers ??

 

[cruiserdan]

75710-60021, RF door
75720-60021, LF door
75730-60020, RR door
75740-60020, LR door
75660-60020, RH quarter
75670-60020, LH quarter

 

[LS1FJ40]

Thanks for the write-up -- Where did you get your parts?
I was going to do this a month or so back, but the high cost estimates set me straight, then a friend was leaning into my open passenger window and basically sliced their winter coat on the jagged edges of my thrashed trim, so maybe I need to look more seriously at the issue -- parts that include new clips is great! thnx in advance

Wait, this would imply that your windows roll down (and up) in the winter!

 

[LS1FJ40]

Nice write up BTW. This is fairly easy to do albeit intimidating at first. Some day I will do them all...some day.

 

[swamp-thing]

They roll down muuch easier than up! haha

 

[swamp-thing]

75710-60021, RF door
75720-60021, LF door
75730-60020, RR door
75740-60020, LR door
75660-60020, RH quarter
75670-60020, LH quarter

--Thanks!- do these parts include the clips? ( in case I break any on removal? )

 

[cruiserdan]

Yes.

 

[RayRay27]

75710-60021, RF door
75720-60021, LF door
75730-60020, RR door
75740-60020, LR door
75660-60020, RH quarter
75670-60020, LH quarter

C Dan what is the best way to contact you about ordering the following window trim pieces?

 

[cruiserdan]

My tollfree listed below or PM or email dbusey@lhmauto.com.




6-26-17
EDIT FOR POSTERITY:

I am retired and no longer a parts pusher. I now polish fenders at the Land Cruiser Heritage Museum in Salt Lake City Utah.

 

[91ToyCruiserMS]

Thanks for this post. I just did all four doors. It took maybe a half hour for all of them. The instructions were a big help. I hope people continue posting instructional material and answering questions (that sometimes might seem stupid), but there are guys like me who didn't grow up around guys that worked on cars. My 97 Landcruiser is my daily driver and restoration in progress. It's also probably my mid-life crisis. So thanks again for the help.

 

[TxAg98]

One more thank you! Just did mine. Even though you warned us, I almost broke off the little tab on the passenger mirror before I realized it was holding the mirror on. Thanks for the help!