2nd or 3rd page tells you how to I’d the panel material.@Ericict, thanks, but my question is "what kind of plastic is the door trim panel made of?" The doc you sent is a super description of SEM products to use based on type of material and I appreciate the additional info, but still looking for help with my question.
Hey there. Just curious: were you ever able to get a can of the Color Coat code 5379? I called SEM this week and they told me they don’t do the custom colors anymore. Nor could I find any distributor that would do it. Kind of stumped at this point and I would like to repaint the dash. Curious to see how you made out. Thanks!Thank you for the link, there is no off the shelf Color Coat for dark Slate gray, but the custom Color Coat formula is 5379. I'm going to order a couple of cans for my half door panels.
@psrivats - might be useful for you.
Hey there. Just curious: were you ever able to get a can of the Color Coat code 5379? I called SEM this week and they told me they don’t do the custom colors anymore. Nor could I find any distributor that would do it. Kind of stumped at this point and I would like to repaint the dash. Curious to see how you made out. Thanks!
@TJRick Would you mind sending me the info for the paint you used to refresh your dash and panels? I’d appreciate it! If I’m reading the paint code correctly (AZ), I have the agate interior.
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Well.... crap!! I took my Jeep up into NE Arizona last week, where it got into the single digits overnight and "POP!" the crack opened up again...Today I did my driver side door which has the typical crack that seems to happen in a lot of TJ's.
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I started by cleaning the door panel with the SEM Plastic&Leather prep (38353). This product is also a mild solvent and will not only clean any surface dirt off the panel it will also take a thin layer off of the plastic itself. This helped eliminate a couple sun faded areas nicely.
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I fixed the crack by drilling a small hole at the end of the crack and using an epoxy formulated for plastic to fill the crack/hole.
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I then applied the adhesion promoter and 3 light coats of SEM Color Coat in Khaki (5545) over the entire panel.
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The crack is barely noticeable up close. After the paint cures I will perform a very light buffing using my polisher. I found that this gives the coating a similar luster to the existing dash components when I did the defroster vent trim last week.
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EDIT: Buffed the top out with "Shop Towel" (Blue paper towels) and my buffer with a very light touch. and installed.
I'm happy with it and vs the cost and difficulty of finding a Khaki intact panel vs $60 in materials and some time it's a great fix that I think will last.
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The most difficult part of this whole fix was getting the retainer clip off the manual window crank. I didn't buy the tool and ended up getting it off with a left over angled wrench out of stamped steel that came with an IKEA bookcase I made several years ago. I suggest getting that tool if you try this.
I forget. Did you put mesh behind it?Well.... crap!! I took my Jeep up into NE Arizona last week, where it got into the single digits overnight and "POP!" the crack opened up again...
The panel shrunk in the cold and it's not designed to "float" on the steel door pan so the stress popped at the fix. It did dawn on me that I fixed the panel when it was over 100° outside as well.
I used some mesh on the back to increase the area of adhesion but it looks like it came loose.
Back to the drawing board.....
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I have this same Crack. On my list to fix...Well.... crap!! I took my Jeep up into NE Arizona last week, where it got into the single digits overnight and "POP!" the crack opened up again...
The panel shrunk in the cold and it's not designed to "float" on the steel door pan so the stress popped at the fix. It did dawn on me that I fixed the panel when it was over 100° outside as well.
I used some mesh on the back to increase the area of adhesion but it looks like it came loose.
Back to the drawing board.....
View attachment 216610
I'm still strategizing the next steps for mine. I used a quality epoxy and extended the "patch" 6" on either side of the crack with mesh and it still opened up again.I have this same Crack. On my list to fix...
Not buying a 300$ replacement haha
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Curious if the heat / UV made the epoxy to fail. Ive seen it yellow and crack over time (think fishing rod wraps). Ive seen people repair plastic fends on 4 Wheelers bu melting the two parts together. Thiking of doing something like that on the back side, Then filling and gap with Epoxy and repaint...I'm still strategizing the next steps for mine. I used a quality epoxy and extended the "patch" 6" on either side of the crack with mesh and it still opened up again.
I'll post an update when I pull the panel and see if it was the epoxy adhesion or something else that failed.
Interesting. The epoxy had very little exposure to the sun. It was all on the underside except for the little that came through the crack.Curious if the heat / UV made the epoxy to fail. Ive seen it yellow and crack over time (think fishing rod wraps). Ive seen people repair plastic fends on 4 Wheelers bu melting the two parts together. Thiking of doing something like that on the back side, Then filling and gap with Epoxy and repaint...
Here is a Link to the Fender repair ive seen..... (just a quick search for the idea, but not tried and true method... YET)
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07RG8K18D/?tag=wranglerorg-20
Yeah.... about 6 inches long centered on the crack.I forget. Did you put mesh behind it?
Wow. I'm surprised that didn't hold.Yeah.... about 6 inches long centered on the crack.
I read all the posts on how to repair these common cracks in the door panels of Jeeps. I kind of concluded to go with an overkill (see photos.) I took my panel to a local Bodyshop and had them heat plastic weld it with backing. Same procedure as discussed here, but they used a space-age-looking machine that its primary use is for plastic bumper repair. I haven't gone through a summer with it, but it looks pretty stout to me. They charged me $50 cash, and it took 15 minutes.Interesting. The epoxy had very little exposure to the sun. It was all on the underside except for the little that came through the crack.
This looks interesting. I'd want lighter "welding rods" but this may work. The underside of the panel has a very smooth, almost glossy, finish. I roughed that up quite a bit to help adhesion.
I think the real problem is that the panel's attachments (bayonet pins) offer expansion and contraction play. The part that attaches at the top of the pan...right where the crack occurs clips firmly to the panel. So when the metal pan and the plastic panel expand at different rates under temperature variations they move independently except at that one point. The crack happens there on just about all of the TJ's at some point.
I may look into this kit a little further and give it a try once I pull the panel again and see if the epoxy fix can be removed entirely.