De-locking doors
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I’d like to de-lock my car doors and looking for advice on the best method to do this. The key lock holes are only about 25mm diameter (about an inch).
On a scrap door I welded a plate in but I ended up warping the door skin a little, probably because of not taking my time and letting the metal cool after each tack weld.
Is the best method to weld in a plate (same size and profile as the hole) flush with the door skin and tack weld it very slowly allowing the metal to cool down enough so you can touch it or recess it a little to prevent highs and use more fillers.
Or, weld a plate to the inside of the door skin and use fillers to build up the thickness of the panel where the hole is.
Another option is to bond a piece of metal to the rear of the door but I’m not so keen on this.
I would get a piece of a fender or door skin from a discarded piece and cut it to the shape of the opening Slightly bigger and slightly bend the edges of the piece so it fits flush with the door , then tack weld around it. You can cool it with a wet rag after every tack or just take your time , this will leave an almost flush finished piece and glaze your way out from there.
Depending on the style of door lock hole, you may want to cut it out. If it is stamped from the factory, there is probably a high area around the hole from the metal being stretched in the stamping process. If you weld up to that, you might not be able to get it straight.
As for the warping, make sure you are using an appropriate welder (with a good shielding gas). Take your time, stitch welding may work good for this. If you try to weld too much at once, you will get too much heat and warp it.
how would you get inside if the battery dies, or u lose your controller?
[quote=”MoCoke” post=21647]how would you get inside if the battery dies, or u lose your controller?[/quote]
dont lock the doors.
break a window
call a cab
AAA[quote=”MoCoke” post=21647]how would you get inside if the battery dies, or u lose your controller?[/quote]
I’m leaving the bootlock just incase and she’s an estate so I can climb in over the seats if I ever have to.I’ll be using a mig welder to do it. I’ll take a picture of the hole later, I don’t recall if there were high edges on it or not.
When you say slightly bigger and bend the edges and weld it in, I take it the bent edges are on the inside of the door?
[quote=”Jozi” post=21654] When you say slightly bigger and bend the edges and weld it in, I take it the bent edges are on the inside of the door?[/quote]
that is correct
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