I would like some help regarding the Merch. Car’s drive rod, which is attached to the mechanism’s arm and to the drive screw in the sliding door.
Is the open hooked end of the rod supposed to be tight, where as, the drive screw is inserted into the hook’s eye, or is the hook’s opening supposed to be wider, to just easily hook it onto the drive screw?
Does anyone, who owns one of these beauties, have a problem with the drive screw staying in the door, due to the pressure applied by the drive arm?
I’m unable to obtain this specific info. elsewhere.
You forum members are very experienced and knowledgeable and I know I can come to you for help.
All the ones I have worked on had the drive stud in the hooks eye as you describe it. If I am not mistaken the pin(stud) is knurled to grab the hole in the door. Maybe a dab of loctite would help. The ones I have dealt with worked fine this way., although the door must still slide easy in its guides etc. Make sure the rod is not bent as well so it does not deflect.
The drive rod in my 3454 snaps onto the stud in the door. Be extremely careful with the screws that secure the body to the frame. The posts that the screws go into break very easily. My car has damage to all four posts.
I have an old car and about two and a half of the mounting screw posts are damaged.
As, for the drive screw/stud and drive rod, my drive rod’s hook end is closed with a tiny opening and when the stud comes out of the door I have to actually ‘Thread The Needle’ with these parts.
I feel, if the drive rod’s opening were larger, then I would be able to just hook it onto the stud, which is easier than taking the body off, especially with the damaged posts.
I have to try the above and bond the drive screw into the hole of the door.
I have to bond the drive screw/stud into the door and open-up the drive rod’s hook end to make it easier to attach it to, or remove it from, the stud in order to work on the interior parts.
My car’s body has about two and a half mounting screw posts which are damaged and removing and replacing the body is difficult with these posts of mine.
I’ve had some good luck in the past either using epoxy or super glue on certain screw posts. Basically fill it up and then drill it out so it does not split when you thread in the screw. This only works if the post is present but cracked or stripped. If its gone all together then you could possibly epoxy a short piece of plastruct tube in there. (never tried the tube, but I think it would work.
The milk car shells are the ones that annoy me the most. The shells always crack where the wire pokes through on both sides of the door to hold the shell to the frame. Drives me nuts, you can’t hide it!