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  1. #1
    FEP Power Member fgross2006's Avatar
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    Default Door nuts for armrest

    I have an 84 LX convertible.

    The green arm rest door nuts that snap into place the arm rest gets screwed into don't stay in at all.

    I have a bunch of them and I tried them all. As soon as I start to turn the bolt it pulls the door nut out.

    I was wondering if anyone found a way to make them permanent? Tack welding them into place maybe?

    A guy in the local interior shop suggested pop riveting a metal plate over the opening and drill a fresh hole to screw the arm rest into. Im not sure I wanna go that route. Id rather make the door nuts stay in place.

  2. #2
    FEP Power Member smitty54's Avatar
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    Is this what you are talking about?
    http://www.ebay.com/itm/1981-1982-19...sfq9WQ&vxp=mtr

    Last edited by smitty54; 09-26-2017 at 01:53 PM.
    "Have you ever noticed that anybody driving slower than you is an idiot, and anyone driving faster than you is a maniac."
    George Carlin, Rest in peace

    Rick
    84 GT Convertible
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  3. #3
    FEP Power Member fgross2006's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by smitty54 View Post
    Is this what you are talking about?
    http://www.ebay.com/itm/1981-1982-19...sfq9WQ&vxp=mtr

    that's the small one for the upper door handle, but yeah the bottom ones are bigger and they don't stay in place on both doors

  4. #4
    FEP Senior Member Tigger's Avatar
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    Mine were a little loose on the drivers door on my Saleen but they did not pull out. I notice that the metal was stretched a little. I took a hammer and dolly and flattened the metal out and they snapped right in and are tight now. I would check the metal in the door. Maybe your clips have lost their spring they need to be stretched out again?
    67 Mustang Coupe
    96 Tangerine GT
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  5. #5
    FEP Super Member gr79's Avatar
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    Glue them in?
    Super glue
    Hot melt

  6. #6
    FEP Power Member fgross2006's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Tigger View Post
    Mine were a little loose on the drivers door on my Saleen but they did not pull out. I notice that the metal was stretched a little. I took a hammer and dolly and flattened the metal out and they snapped right in and are tight now. I would check the metal in the door. Maybe your clips have lost their spring they need to be stretched out again?

    I do have a bunch of those clips so I tried all of them. in the past when I tried to stretch one with needle nose pliers it broke in half. I don't think they are supposed to have much spring to them.

    The openings are definitely stretched. I have tried to flatten them out but it just seems there no way to put back material once its worn off.

    my mechanic says tack welding wont work because they are too thing and will likely get destroyed during the welding process.

    I'm beginning to think maybe I can make new openings in a piece of metal plate that the clips will fit tight, then pop rivet the plate to the door.

  7. #7
    FEP Power Member dagenham's Avatar
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    You're stretching them to far if they are snapping in half. The metal they are made of does seems almost like a type of spring steel. I bought a couple new ones from Fox Resto and they fit and stay no problem.

  8. #8
    FEP Super Member gr79's Avatar
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    I worked at a automotive fastener mfg company in the 80's thru the 90's.
    A typical small clip like that was made from a coil of cold rolled strip steel fed thru a Fourslide machine.
    Then was sent out to be heat treated, maybe dye coated or painted, then packed and shipped.

    If you pried apart, say like a common u-clip right after forming, it would simply bend.
    On a finished part, the gap could be forced open a little and spring back to spec.
    Wider? Would deform, then crack after a certain point.
    All depends what the blueprint specs call for.

    Spring steel is like the curved fuel filler door spring, which was also heat treated.

  9. #9
    FEP Super Member gr79's Avatar
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    We got a new Miller tig welder at that shop one day.
    Coworker cleanly seam welded together two pieces of paper thin shim stock with it.
    What were they.. .002", .003", .004"
    Saved them somewhere..
    Last edited by gr79; 09-26-2017 at 11:57 PM.

  10. #10

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    Go to a fastener place. I don't mean ace hardware or AutoZone (although a grey beard would know where to order them). I had a place I liked called rays fasteners here in salt lake. They had every version of small auto hardware I've ever seen. They even had the small spring clips that hold the arm rest to the door plastics in my cars.
    2 1986 cougars (both 4 eyed and 5.0)
    1 1987 cougar

  11. #11
    FEP Power Member fgross2006's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by dagenham View Post
    You're stretching them to far if they are snapping in half. The metal they are made of does seems almost like a type of spring steel. I bought a couple new ones from Fox Resto and they fit and stay no problem.
    I tried sttetching them a little bit and that made no difference, then I tried to pry them a little bity more and one broke so I don't do that anymore because without applying pressure they don't stretch to a more open position.

    The ones they sell on all the resto sites are the smaller door nut for the upper part of the armrest. I know because I ordered them more then once and always they sent the small ones. I finally called and spoke to reps at all the known resto sites and confirmed that the do not have a resto or NOS part for the lower (bigger) door nuts.

    https://lmr.com/item/LRS-24146/Musta...est-Clip-79-86
    there used to be a bunch of bad reviews for this being the small clip when most buyers need the big clips but they pulled those bad reviews down.

    I been through this multiple times. I did get a few NOS once from Obsolete parts sellers online and they are new and they still sit loose in the opening and pop right out as soon as I give the screw 2 turns. Been struggling with this for years now.

  12. #12
    FEP Power Member smitty54's Avatar
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    "Have you ever noticed that anybody driving slower than you is an idiot, and anyone driving faster than you is a maniac."
    George Carlin, Rest in peace

    Rick
    84 GT Convertible
    68 Cougar XR7
    14 Ford Explorer Limited

  13. #13
    Moderator wraithracing's Avatar
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    If all of your clips pulled out of the door shell, then issue is not the clips, but the holes in the door shell. This is a common issue. The square holes get worn out over the years with arm rest removal and installs and just the constant pulling on the arm rest to shut the door.

    First you want to hammer and dolly the metal back into shape, as close to original as possible. This means flat and in the same plane. Then weld up the corners and edges as needed since this is where the damage usually occurs and must be addressed to fix the issue. If your openings are still too large, then you will need to use a copper spoon/backer plate to weld up the inner diameter of the opening to make the clips fit nice and tight like they are designed to. This will most likely require careful welding and then some careful filing and grinding to make the opening square and true once again.

    A bit of a PITA to do, but that will fix the issues and you will not have your arm rests coming loose anymore. Another point is to make sure you are using the correct size screws for both the bottom holes and the top. If the screw is undersize it will not expand the clip correctly and lock it into the door shell and then will be prone to pull out time and again. Good luck!
    ​Trey

    "I Don't build it hoping for your approval! I built it because it meets mine!"

    "I've spent most of my money on Mustangs, racing, and women... the rest I just wasted."

    Mustangs Past: Too many to remember!
    Current Mustangs:
    1969 Mach 1
    1979 Pace Car now 5.0/5 speed
    1982 GT Stalled RestoModification
    1984 SVO Still Waiting Restoration
    1986 GT Under going Wide Body Conversion Currently

    Current Capris:
    1981 Capri Roller
    1981 Capri Black Magic Roller Basket Case
    1982 Capri RS 5.0/4spd T-top Full Restoration Stalled in TX
    1984 Capri RS T-top Roller
    1983-84 Gloy Racing Trans Am/IMSA Body Parts

  14. #14

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    Quote Originally Posted by fgross2006 View Post
    my mechanic says tack welding wont work because they are too thing and will likely get destroyed during the welding process.
    Would it be possible to braze/solder the clips in place?
    1985 GT owned since new

  15. #15
    Moderator wraithracing's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by swearint View Post
    Would it be possible to braze/solder the clips in place?
    Probably, but still don't think brazing the clips in place will hold up long term.
    ​Trey

    "I Don't build it hoping for your approval! I built it because it meets mine!"

    "I've spent most of my money on Mustangs, racing, and women... the rest I just wasted."

    Mustangs Past: Too many to remember!
    Current Mustangs:
    1969 Mach 1
    1979 Pace Car now 5.0/5 speed
    1982 GT Stalled RestoModification
    1984 SVO Still Waiting Restoration
    1986 GT Under going Wide Body Conversion Currently

    Current Capris:
    1981 Capri Roller
    1981 Capri Black Magic Roller Basket Case
    1982 Capri RS 5.0/4spd T-top Full Restoration Stalled in TX
    1984 Capri RS T-top Roller
    1983-84 Gloy Racing Trans Am/IMSA Body Parts

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