Now I'm trying to fix the door checks.

[rabbitman]

My rabbit has had only the drivers door check hooked up since I got it, and now I'm getting tired of people just about ripping the doors off from slamming 'em open .

So I've decided to hook 'em up, the rear doors went ok though a little stiff, the front passenger check however is a diferent story.

The actual check is in the door while the part it hooks to is in the body, the problem here is that the part hooked into the body has broken loose and I can't find any way to get inside the frame and see what's going on.

Anybody know how to fix this? Thanks

[boxer246]

Mine has a similar problem.   The arm to the check is connected, but however it attaches to the inside of the body is loose.  I was thinking of cutting a square hole maybe 4 inches by 4 inches on the inside of the car right where it looks like it attaches to the body, with a cut-off wheel or something.  Then you could get a mig welder in there and just weld the arm more solidly to the body....from the inside.

[rabbitman]

Mine has a similar problem.   The arm to the check is connected, but however it attaches to the inside of the body is loose.  I was thinking of cutting a square hole maybe 4 inches by 4 inches on the inside of the car right where it looks like it attaches to the body, with a cut-off wheel or something.  Then you could get a mig welder in there and just weld the arm more solidly to the body....from the inside.

Yeah I was hoping not to cut any holes since I'm so bad at body work . So they're welded in from the factory?

[boxer246]

Well the hole you would be cutting would be inside the car...near your left foot (for the driver's side) so you wouldnt need to do any bodywork after you cut the hole.  You could just cut it, weld the attachment point for the door check, then tack weld your hole shut using the piece that you cut out.

I need to look at it some more to be sure.  What I am describing here is something I need to do to my car so if it happens in the near future I'll take pics and post.  Your "hack job" would be under the left kick panel carpet anyway.  Nobody would ever know.

Can you even see the check attachment point on the car?  Or has it fallen inside the body?  IF its still visible, you could just weld the darn thing up to the doorjamb....possibly using a re-inforcement plate that goes around it.  The doorjamb metal on the chassis is fairly thin. 

Mine is still attached, but loose somehow.  it hasn't broken loose completely though.  I need to take my door panel off to remove the door check and see why the heck the check itself is so stiff.  That is what causes the problem in the first place.  I tried to spray some lube on it about a year ago and it made no difference.

[rabbitman]

Yeah the attach point is still there, just completely loose.

If I put a the pin in the check is so stiff it'll shove the pin against the door jam and dent it without pushing the check in at all.

[boxer246]

I just sprayed a little lube on there today.....why didnt I do this before?  It works so much nicer now.  Although I still need to weld up the attachment point sometime at least now it isnt so stiff....like you said yours is.  I did this about two years ago but I didnt' use the little red tube on the end of the lube can....you can really get in there where it needs to go with the red straw.

[Quantum TD]

TO fix the bracket without cutting metal, you can have someone hold the door wide open, with the bracket where you want it. Then, drill a hole above and below the check rod, thru into the bracket behind the door jamb. Then, install 2 sheet metal screws that will be long enough to penetrate the bracket.

Done.

[boxer246]

Just perusing Caddy builds on the net and found this:

http://www.vwcaddyforum.com/showthread.php?t=31892&page=2

Scroll down to last two pics....he cut holes inside car to weld check brackets.  Welded bracket to inner fender well....it looks like.

[rabbitman]

Good find. I remembered my parts bunny is real rusted out around that area and the inside sheetmetal is pulled back exposing the bracket so I can see what's supposed to hold it. It's a little too cold out now though