Need driver's side runner

[Huskymaniac]

The plastic part that is under the driver's door snapped off this morning for no explicable reason. I have the beige interior. Does anyone have this part?

[svxcess]

I have a couple with the same problem. The plastic clips get brittle and snap after repeated contact with your foot getting in and out. I am on my 3rd set.

They come complete with the new clips and white plastic inserts.

They are still available from Subaru. The beige sill part numbers are

94010PA090DO (RH) $48.78
94010PA080DO (LH) $48.78

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[Huskymaniac]

Thanks John. Would you suggest this route versus using some 3M industrial strength double sided sticky tape?

[svxcess]

Originally Posted by Huskymaniac

Thanks John. Would you suggest this route versus using some 3M industrial strength double sided sticky tape?

Yes I would. I attempted the 3M route at one time but it allowed a gap between the sill and body. Maybe the new stuff is thinner.

However, before installing the new sills, I put clear RTV sealant under each end before snapping in the new clips. This prevents any sliding movement back and forth, which can contribute to the failure.

You could also put the RTV on the metal piece, on both sides of each clip, for added strength. Be sure to clean the underside of the sills, well as the metal, with a degreaser of some sort ( I use denatured alcohol)

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[Huskymaniac]

I like the RTV idea. I hate the idea of $50 for a piece of plastic. We have used 3M VHB tape at work with some great results. Here is a PDF of all the versions they have available. 4932 and 4952 look promising as do a couple of others. What you see here is that there are many different thicknesses available and some are better than others at sticking to "slippery" plastics.

[svxcess]

Originally Posted by Huskymaniac

I like the RTV idea. I hate the idea of $50 for a piece of plastic. We have used 3M VHB tape at work with some great results. Here is a PDF of all the versions they have available. 4932 and 4952 look promising, as do a couple of others. What you see here is that there are many different thicknesses available and some are better than others at sticking to "slippery" plastics.

WOW! Did not know there was such a variety. Looks like you'll have to do some R & D to find out what works and report back.

I have a few perfect door sills in beige that don't have the clips. It would be nice for these to be reused by someone here. Its easy to take off the slippery surface of the plastic; just a quick wipe with acetone or lacquer thinner

Great work, Tony.

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[svxfiles]

Originally Posted by svxcess

I have a couple with the same problem. The plastic clips get brittle and snap after repeated contact with your foot getting in and out. I am on my 3rd set.

They come complete with the new clips and white plastic inserts.

They are still available from Subaru. The beige sill part numbers are

94010PA090DO (RH) $48.78
94010PA080DO (LH) $48.78

/

Don't forget the $9.95 shipping.

[Huskymaniac]

It turns out that most of these tapes only come in extremely long rolls. Even their automotive line tends to be sold in cases.

http://3mcollision.com/products/tapes/attachment-tapes

I measured the white clips that hold onto the runner's tabs. It was about .055" thick. The automotive tapes come in .045" and .060" thicknesses. I'm thinking of using the .060" tape and keeping the clips in place. An alternative would be to use the .045" tape but first remove the clips.

http://www.amazon.com/3M-Automotive-...=2MSVJQXLH0Q6R

I'm also thinking of using the following product to repair part of the door seal that pulled away from the little plastic clips that hold it:

http://www.amazon.com/3M-08008-Black...=2MSVJQXLH0Q6R

[Huskymaniac]

I looked a little more closely at the runner itself and now I am leaning toward just buying a new one. It looks like it is designed to be pushed up on one side by the carpeting so that the lip on the other side sits flush on the car body. That is probably another reason why these tend to break. Those tabs, which get brittle, are also under constant tension/torque. Why in the world didn't they just use screws?

The problem is that, to do this right with tape, you would have to use two different thickness tapes or use just one thickness right down the middle and remove the tabs from the car. Part of me still wants to see if I can make the tape work and the other part is saying to just get the expensive plastic part.

[bwb3]

I purchase my shipping supplies from Uline.com and they have some reasonable prices, especially on their branded tapes. Also wonder if carpet tape would work?
Gene