Best Clips for Intstalling Upper Door Pads?

[fozz71]

For guys who have done it- what are the best clips to use for mounting the upper front door pads on a '68 Charger? I am crossing my fingers that I can run to NAPA and snag some.

Thanks!
Jim

[bill440rt]

The one pictured on the left are for the uppers. The one on the right is for the lower door panel. (Pic courtesy of NHCharger.) 
Let me know if you need some, I have both.

[fozz71]

I picked up a bag of a bunch at NAPA and got them hooked onto the back of the pad but darn-it if I can't get the legs to spread (insert joke)- what is the trick to mounting the upper front pads? I hesitate to get a wooden hammer and hit the outside of the pad to sink the clips...unless someone has experience?

Thanks,
Jim

[fozz71]

Thanks to Bill for the tip- squeeze them with pliers first to work them loose for the mounting.

[myk]

Reviving this thread because my passenger upper door pad is starting to spend more time in the trunk than on the door.

Is there a specific clip to be used?  I bought some off of ebay but for some reason I can't get the pad to stay on the door and the clips just fall off of the pad anyway.  What is the orientation of the clips in the slots on the pad?  Are they supposed to be secured with a glue or tape or something?  Thanks in advance...

[bill440rt]

If you look closely at the square clip holes on the back of the pad you'll see a little point/arrow cutout on them. The point in the opening tells you which way to slide in the clip. The clip will now rest on the flat part opposite the point.
If the "loop" on the end of the clip that slides in is too narrow, the clip may slip out when trying to install the pad. Another trick to help them stay on is to squeeze them tighter with a pair of pliers or something. They are not secured with glue or tape.
Once you have the clips installed, place the pad over the top of the door. Starting at one end & working to the other, look underneath the pad at the clips & line them up with the holes. Flat screwdriver or other tool helps. The points of the clips should be in the holes before you start whacking it in place. Work one clip at a time, from one end to the other. Once the first clip is snapped in, move to the next, & so on.

Here is a link to what the clips look like:
http://www.rtspecialties.net/proddetail.asp?prod=1000350

[myk]

Maybe I'm just not seeing this but...wouldn't squeezing the loop end of the clip make it smaller, and therefor easier for it to fall out of the door pad?  OR...do you mean to squeeze the "U" shaped portion of the clip so it is now squeezed into place, rather than just being inserted or slid into the door pad?  If that's what you mean, wouldn't squeezing the clip tighter alter the angle at which the clip goes into the actual door? 

[bill440rt]

Maybe I'm not describing it clearly enough.
The end of the clip that's folded over where it slips into the back of the door pad. If you squeeze that part tighter it will hold it better onto the pad.

[myk]

I think I understand.  However, wouldn't that change the angle of the prongs that insert into the door? 

[bill440rt]

No, because the clip still sits flat on the back of the pad.

[myk]

No, because the clip still sits flat on the back of the pad.

I am LITERALLY running out to try this right now...

[Lord Warlock]

squeezing with pliers won't change the angle, you'd have to over-bend them to get them to change shape, they may squeeze together just enough to provide a tighter fit.  Also squeezing them with pliers on the tip end will make them loose on the end where they'll snap into place easier, sometimes when you get new ones they are stuck together on the end and may not flex enough when whacking the panel in place. 

You can't really glue or tape them in place though, you have to be able to spin them up or down a little to get them to line up with the holes in the panel, once you get the tips into the holes they'll go in easy enough. 

[myk]

Thanks for the replies, guys.  Using Bill's plier method I got the pins into the door pad tighter than I've ever seeen them for as long as I've been dealing with this issue.  As I set out to insert the pins into the door they lined up almost perfectly.  With a few solid pushes all of the pins went in but of course, the very front one popped out.  The pad is on the door, tighter than I've ever seen it recently, so I'll see if I can get away with that missing front one.  Again, thank you very much guys...

[bill440rt]