Car Care for the GMC Sierra

If one or more of your doors is smashed in, rotted out, rusted, or wrecked, it's time you considered replacements. Here is a general guide to removing and re-installing a truck door.

You can buy new or OEM replacements, but you can also buy used doors from a used parts dealer, private seller or salvage yard. If you can locate a used replacement door, which should be pretty easy considering the fact that you can use your internet search engines to help you in your search, it should fit perfectly - afterall it was made exactly for your vehicle.

Don't forget: shopping around is always a wise idea. Compare prices, warranty, availability and other considerations. Buying used can save you up to 70%. Now that's a deal.

Extended cab and front doors are similar. Below are some general instructions. Refer to an online repair service or printed repair manual for exact instructions about how to replace and install a door on your SUV, car, truck or van. Always remember: safety first.

Almost all cars, trucks, vans and SUVs today are equipped with a supplemental restraint system (SRS), commonly known as airbags. Warning: Always disarm the airbag system before working near any airbag component to avoid the possibility of the airbag accidentally deploying. Do not use a memory-saving device to preserve the system's memory.

These instructions pertain to vehicles with bolt-on hinges. If your truck has weld-on door hinges, you need to see a qualified repair facility.

Have an assistant help you because doors are heavy and awkward to maneuver.

Raise the window. Open the door completely and support it on jacks covered with pads or rags to prevent damage to the door's painted finish.

Disconnect the cable from the negative battery terminal. Remove any trim panels and watershields. Remove the outer door panel. Disconnect any electrical connections, ground wires, or harness retaining clips from the door. Note: consider labeling all connections for easier re-installation. Detach the grommet, rubber conduit and wiring harness from the door. Remove the door-stop strut bolt. Outline the door hinge reinforcement plates with a marker or pen to aid in aligning the door during reassembly. With your assistant holding the door, remove the nuts holding the hinges onto the frame. Lift the door off.

To install a door, perform the procedure in reverse. When finished, reconnect the negative battery cable.

It is important to have good door-to-body alignment in order for your doors to operate properly. First, check the hinges for play. To do this, completely open the door, then lift it up and down. If the door has 1/16th of an inch play in it, it is time to replace the hinges.

Should you need to align any door, use the following procedure. Loosen the hinge-to-body bolts or the hinge-to-door bolts enough so you can move the hinges. Move the door as needed. Your door is aligned properly when the top of the door is parallel to the roof, and the bottom of the door is flush with the lower rocker panel. A front door should be aligned with the fender and a rear door should line up with the rear quarter panel. If you cannot obtain align properly, buy alignment shims and insert them behind the hinges to help you achieve alignment.