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Cheap metal? Door cracked

1K views 6 replies 5 participants last post by  87442lover 
#1 · (Edited)
No joke, My drivers side door had a crack I could see through the paint today when I came out of work. Only thing I could guess was that the cold got to it or something. I have never really seen a body panel crack like that though, it isnt through the whole door(yet), but the metal split verticly. Has anyone ever seen this before?

Removed the door panel and sure enough there is a big crack going down the door.

92 isuzu amigo.
 
#2 ·
In most areas of the world, I would say that is isn't temperature related. Then I looked at where you are from. With all of the hot air there and the weather conditions, maybe you drove in the wrong area, and had a fast temp change that did it. LOL

Is it a stress type of crack, like in the area where it meets the door shell at the window frame? Must be a flaw in the metal. They may have used an old bean can and spinach can. Everyone knows that they don't mix, so they are separating. LOL
 
#3 ·
It has nothing to do with temperature. It would take wild temp shifts to cause such a thing. Heck, you can heat the door with a torch red and cool it with ice water and it wouldn't crack.

Nope, I agree, stress crack. It is likely right at the front ledge of the rear of the window frame on the door skin. If you were to pull off the belt moulding at the bottom of the window I will bet you a dollar you will see the crack started right at the edge of a weld bead at the top of skin.

The cause? You close the door with the window frame. You may not even know you do it. Ask someone to watch you for a few days and you will forget about this discussion once and your friend will see you grab the top of the window frame and swing the door shut. After you do this hundreds or thousands of times it cracked.

I the crack is not right where I said, it still is the same cause, just in a different place. I have seen them where they crack right where there is a hole in the lip of the skin where the belt moulding clips on.
 
#4 · (Edited)
Arg! Well let me post a pic of this crack. it actually cracked down the middle of the door , not a staight crack, but mostly vertical.

Ment to say it split verticly in my first post.

Whoever said it cracked from the window was right, the crack runs down from the window all the way down past the door handle to the bottom now. That door is toast!
 
#6 ·
It has probably had substructure problems for a long time for a stress crack like that to happen. Did you notice a little extra flex on the door skin when ever you opened the door.
Now I just can't keep my thoughts to myself why anyone would want to drive one of those cheesey little deathtraps in the first place.
 
#7 ·
Nope, no filler. With the door panel removed I can see this crack running down the door from the inside. I have no idea how it happened, I was in a co-workers car as he was giving me a ride to my car so I would'nt have to walk it and he parked and saw it first. You can actually see this long crack through paint right below the window that runs to the right of the handle and down the left to the middle of the door and to the bottom now. The paint is distorted at the top and bottom, but not broke yet. The paint in the middle however has seperated as with the primer on the inside of the door.

Honestly I did'nt hit anyone and I dont think anyone hit the amigo saturday. I really dont know how this happened. Never seen this before on a door. I've got my rodeo now so I dont care much, but this just had me kinda bugged when I found it.

And why I drive it? Well it was cheap(till I had to get a co-signer) and it has the 2.6L inline 4 with the 5.33's in the back. Alot of fun till about 60mph. First gear still doesnt like to work and it grinds sometimes, but it runs. It has hauled alot of my crap including all of my engines and parts I transport from place to place.

But, yeah it's a death trap. Also about 2 months ago I came outside and found my drivers side door lock had been jammed by someone, or just broke. Wondering if this was part of the cause.
 
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