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Door Limit Strap Installation

56K views 98 replies 47 participants last post by  grapppa 
#1 · (Edited)
Hello All,

I tried a search on this one but came up empty.

I am replacing the door limit straps on my '87 Quad.

Got the assembly out of the door easier than I expected after reading some of the posts. I will post another thread on how I did that. Managed to get the drivers out in 15 mins.

I ordered new straps from Centerline as the brackets are present in the door and look good.

Now for the $64,000 question.

How do you get the new strap through those rollers? I tried to knock those pins out, but they didn't budge and I didnt want to damage them.

Any advice on the straps?

Thanks,

Vince

Hardware accessory


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#29 ·
I'm a little confused; maybe someone can clear this up for me: Which were coated, the straps or the rollers, or both, and with what? (I seem to be seeing references to both rubber and vinyl. Maybe this varied by year?) Whatever coating may have been on the mechanisms in my car is so long gone there are no clues. But I do note that the straps are very loose at the loops where they are pinned to the doors, and I've been wondering if some sort of bushing might at one time have been in there.
 
#32 ·
I just looked on the Re-Originals site because they almost always have the right part, though I often can't afford it. Their straps are described as "Limit strap for door, spring steel covered with special polyurethane rollers and two hardened pins, 130 mm long strand." Sounds like the right thing? Or is this the same thing as the other vendors? For $51 and change a piece.
 
#33 ·
Engineering a solution...

I just looked on the Re-Originals site because they almost always have the right part...
Well, this AM I decided to simply order the Re-originals solution to see for myself if it was more usable; the IAP part being returned if appropriate. Instead of the rebuild kit, I got a call saying they were out of stock and the vendor was only selling complete units ($$$) at this point.

Falling back on the replace-the-rollers approach, I bought a hand-held grease gun hose, which was the correct diameter and was "strong" enough. Unfortunately the ID was too small and attempts at reaming it out failed. I then scouted up an AC charge hose I had lying around, which turned out to be a perfect fit.

So the project is done, but given my time and expenses, it would have been easier to buy the whole unit. So much for "restoration".
 

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#37 ·
Greetings Arden: You are quite observant re the pins. I was witholding commitment on setting it till I verified the rollers worked. They had bee in and out a few too many times as it was.

Opportunity here to ask the simple question: did the vendor test the hard plastic rollers in the kit?
 
#39 ·
GT Stepnose have the same Limit Straps (I suppose).
I just replaced straps, pins and rolls with a set bought at AFRA (so all original).
They look the same as in the pictures, plastic is quite hard too, but they work fine (for now).
Just to add my 2 (euro) cents, when you assemble the limit strap, put the rolls in the middle position of the strap, it's a little thinner there.
 
#41 ·
Just to add my 2 (euro) cents, when you assemble the limit strap, put the rolls in the middle position of the strap, it's a little thinner there.
That's a great tip.

I got a set from www.highwoodalfa.com Alfa Romeo Spares and Parts a few years ago. They were great, just bolted straight on. I use my Duetto frequently and have never had any problems with them. Reason why I had to get new straps was that a service-man cut the old ones. Why I don't know, but I was very upset. I have seen that all vendors use the same, so what's the problem?
I think acalvi's tip will resolve any future assembly issues.
 
#40 ·
I got a set from www.highwoodalfa.com Alfa Romeo Spares and Parts a few years ago. They were great, just bolted straight on. I use my Duetto frequently and have never had any problems with them. Reason why I had to get new straps was that a service-man cut the old ones. Why I don't know, but I was very upset. I have seen that all vendors use the same, so what's the problem?
 
#44 · (Edited)
One of my straps is bare metal and the other is MIA. I only thought the strap was there (on a '69 anyway) to keep the door from hitting the front fender since the one I do have is a bare metal piece. It's on "the list" now . . . .
 
#45 ·
There are 3 punch holes in an existing metal strap. Could one place 3 rubber grommets in each hole, thereby creating some resistance when the door swings open? I plan on creating something. I never remember any limits on the door. Currently, only the top door hinge hitting the inside of the body stops the door.
 
#47 ·
Greetings:

There are some opinions in the thread that simply assembling the current-issue strap "in the middle" will solve the problem. I can say with utmost confidence that it would not in the case of the ones I bought. Rock-hard strap against rock-hard rollers will not allow in movement either way from that center position.

- Michael
 
#49 ·
door strap replacement

I was about to order new straps and roller when I decided I would check out what others on the BB had to say about them. I decided to find another solution , not wanting to spend good money on something I would only have to modify. Here's my solution, while not concours or original to the car I only wanted to stop the door from swinging too wide and denting my newly painted fender
First I went to Ace hardware and got a can of Plasti Dip in black(comes in colors by the way)
Cleaned the strap well against a wire wheel and dipped it in the Plasti-dip four times, allowing it to dry for 30 min between coats. By hanging the strap from the hole that attaches to the body the P-Dip drained to the one end causing the coating to be thicker at the door end. Instructions say to let item cure for 24-48 hrs before using.
I love Lowe's, not only do they sponsor a winning Nascar team , but they have a specialty section in hardware that has any number of hard to find items. The attached photo shows a package of two nylon spacers
(cost 0.90) The hole is to small for the pins so they must be drilled out to 7/32" They are also to long by 1/8" so the need to be trimmed to fit inside the door check housing.
I fitted it to the door and while it doesnt provide a stay open position the assembly provides resistance to opening and closing that feels firm. I guess I could have put a bump in the strap to provide the stay put function but it wasn't important to me. I think the coating will hold up quite well however it is so easy to reapply a new coating that I have made myself an extra assembly just in cae I need it. Will keep the BB informed as to how this works out
 

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#51 · (Edited)
I was able to buy 2 new check strap assemblies off ebay. They were about $45.00 each, but complete and installed easily other than the problem of getting them past the internal structure which provides the mount for the electric window motors. There is BARELY room to work the check strap casting past the mount structure and the inside of the door skin. Knocking out the pin which anchors the loose end of the strap to the door frame was not a problem at all. I already had a set of pin drifts and one of them worked perfectly to push the pin out without getting jamed in the pin hole itself.

Robert
1988 Black Spider Veloce
 
#52 ·
door straps

I obtained 4 straps on ebay which were not salvalgable. They came with the roller assembly which what I had wanted primarily. As others have stated, these deteriorate into a gooey black substance. Cleaned off the goo and was left with a metal strap. Based on what has been said in the past and on this therad about the replacement straps, decided not to buy the straps which are ridiculously expensive. I intend to bond enough hard/firm plastic to the metal straps in order to have adeqate thickness to resist opening of the door a little but allow the rollers to roll. This will not have the rise on the surface that holds the door open(on the original straps this was a compressable material) but WILL prevent the door from opening too much. Any other suggestions would be appreciated.
 
#54 ·
Lee: Forgot to add that I found a hard plastic rod at the dump which I drilled to the correct internal diameter and sanded down the external diameter on my belt sander. These look exactly like the originals Looked for the nylon bushings/spacers you used first but could not find them at the hardware store.
Wendel
 
#55 ·
Rubber rollers

I´m replacing the straps in my 69 Spider and I didn´t order any rollers and the old ones where long gone so I made mine from high pressure fuel line . The line has an id of 5 mm and outer about 14 made from stiff rubber. I put the right length onto a 5 mm machine screw with two nuts and turned it down with a drill to about 7.5 mm using a file and 100 grit sandpaper. Test fitted and it´s nice and firm. :cool:
 

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#56 ·
It is disappointing that almost two years after the first post on this thread that we are still needing to jury rig either the strap or the rollers to make a purchased part work. I'm not sure how long a plasti dip approach will work and this is not a job that I want to do over. I guess I will continue to wait before I do my other door.
 
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