VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - GENERAL Upholstery - Interiors & Glass 40 door panel window & door handle sponge seal and tension spring

I'm about to install Lebaron Bonney door panels.
In what order do the "door and window a seal-sponge pressure ring" (filling station part #C-261) and the "door panel tension spring" (filling station #GM-A1267) install on a 1940 master Deluxe 4 door sedan? Foam ring, then spring, then panel, then escutcheon, then crank? Or spring, foam ring, door panel, escutcheon, window/door crank?

Also, does the foam ring and spring install on all door handles, ventilator handle, and window handle? Or just the window handle?

Any good diagrams available?

I'd like to do this work today, so any help would be appreciated.
Thank you!
Curt

I contacted Jerry at The Fillingstation and he said spring first (if you have the new springs, part #GM-A1267, small end toward outside of vehicle, large end against door panel), door panel, door & window handle seal-sponge pressure ring (part #C-261), escutcheon, then handle.

The foam pressure ring prevents the escutcheon from eating into the fabric and panel.

Now, I'm going to finally get these panels installed.

Curt

Hi Curt,

Thanks for the info. I have ordered new door panels from LeBaron Bonney and hope I get them by the end of the month, so appreciate your info. I understand the point about the foam rings being next to the escutcheons. So when you get your panels on let me know if the foam shows. I don't want to see it. I assume the foam is about 1' in diameter while the escutcheons are about 1 1/2".

Thanks, Mike

Hello Mike.
The Filling station foam rings are slightly larger than my original escutcheons and they are about 1/4 inch thick. The foam is very dense and I don't think they're well fitted for our model vehicles-maybe for other years. I may trim them to size it better, or may use felt instead. Also, when the foam ring is compressed, it will be seen between the mohair and escucheons because it won't compress well. Felt is used by the LeBaron-Bonney professional interior installer I mentioned to you a few days ago. He just cuts them out of a piece of felt. I would imagine the felt will last a long time and will probably do a better job than the rubbery, foam ring. After I get a panel on, hopefully this afternoon, I'll see what the foam ring looks like and how it performs compared to the felt ring.

Curt

Hi Curt,

Hopefully, others will comment from their experience. My gut feeling is that the foam resides between the metal door skin and the door panel.

I think the installation sequence is metal door skin, foam pressure washer, door panel,
tension spring, escutcheon, and finally the door handle or window handle?

After conferring one last time with Mike Deeter and Peter Davidson (Peter is LeBaron Bonney's trouble shooting guru), I installed the drivers side rear door panel. This is the order of installation. 1) plastic cover taped around door, felt bushings that I made myself (or foam bushings you can buy), tension springs, door panel, escutcheon, door or window crank.

If you put anything between the mohair and escutcheon, then you can not push the door handle far enough in to insert the horseshoe clip. Ask me how I know this.

It really isn't even necessary to use the foam or felt rings.

I know some folks think this is being over thought, maybe it is, but I don't want to mess up these very expensive LeBaron Bonney door panels. Also, the information on the foam bushings from both Chevs of 40's and Filling Station were misleading to me. To me, the discription read the foam ring goes under the door or window handle. That's it. Very vague.
Filling station help desk said it goes between the mohair panel and escutcheon. Nope, won't work.


Thank you Mike Deeter and Peter Davidson for helping me get this first panel on without any major mistakes!

Mike Buller, could you insert this post to the interior upholstery posts one more time?

Thanks,
Curt

Hi Curt,

I still do not see the need for the tension spring behind the door panel?

Thanks, Mike
P.S. I reposted your post in the Mr. Goodwrench

Mike

If you use the original type escutcheon the spring is needed to keep the door panel from sagging in over time and a gap showing either between the handle and the escutcheon or between the door panel and the escutcheon.

If you use the chrome/stainless (probably Olds or Buick, maybe Cadillac) escutcheons you probably wouldn't need the springs as that chrome escutcheon is spring loaded. Back in the day I had the chrome ones on my '40 but still used the springs. I cannibalized a chrome set from a Buick and replaced my original escutcheons as they fell off from UV damage and old age.


Edited by Mike Deeter (Today at 03:23 AM)