how to remove door sills?

[Ziggens96]

so...how do you do it? im trying to run RCAs and everybody says "remove your sills, rear seat, kick panel etc." like it's no problem.

[mattdk318i]

i just reread the post. I cant remember what i did when i installed my stereo.

[ZinRot325i]

I just yanked 'em out and they came out intact.

[Ziggens96]

I just yanked 'em out and they came out intact.

but dude, what do you mean? which part do you grab? i can't get any leverage or grip on them.

[browntown]

hold on let me look for the post, someone explained this to me, and I was able to get em out. Think you slide them in a direction, cant remember if it was forward or backwards then yank and hope you dont break it. I'll post when I find the thread.

[Ziggens96]

hold on let me look for the post, someone explained this to me, and I was able to get em out. Think you slide them in a direction, cant remember if it was forward or backwards then yank and hope you dont break it. I'll post when I find the thread.

it's only possible to slide them forwards...but it doesn't seem to make a difference, obviously a LOT of force is required to get them off either way.

on bimmerforums the guys were saying to pull up and slightly into the car at the same time, with the sill slid forward already. they also said to start pulling the clips from the rear first. what i read was for e36 but it sounds similar. refresh anybody's memory?

i don't know whether i should pull up on the inside edge, next the the carpet...or the outside edge next to the weatherstripping. they are equally difficult it seems.

[browntown]

yeah i cant find the post, but I think it amounted to slide forward, and pull. I remember thinking I would break them. Got a junkyard near by? Try on one of those cars first.

[BDSax]

in the junk yard, 90% of the time if you pull off the door seal it will rip it out intact, it is really durrable

[DanielHStout]

You can use a panel popper or just a screwdriver to pry them loose. Its hard to get them off w/o breaking some clips.

[StereoInstaller1]

OK, so the mounts for that sill are just a fucking bitch. All installers hate them, they wonder why I love this car. Daniel mentioned a tool called a "Panel Popper", basically a screwdriver handle on a small pry bar, but with a splayed end.

Mine say "SnapOn" and are about $25 each, I have 3 different styles.

Klein tools makes a good one, there are several cheapies on the market. I found http://www.autotoys.com/x/catalog/DO...UXE_p_683.html and that would do fine too. The only problem I can see is that I have no clue where to buy them, since I have a SnapOn dealer to waste my money on.

I heartily recommend you wait until you have the correct tool before even attempting to remove that evil sill.

So, now how to remove the damn thing? Slip the tool under the sill, slide it along the length until you find a mounting clip/stud/whateverthehellyoucallit. Pry firmly but gently under that clip then keep pulling with your fingers while attacking the next one...keep it going and you will be done.

Remember to also remove the seat belt slider (if coupe) or you will have a hard time making the seat belt move smoothly after you run the cables.

I also recommend you run 3 cables, so later upgrades are easier.

Luke

[optimusp517]

I broke mine when i tried. wasn't too durable

[Rocla]

Daniel mentioned a tool called a "Panel Popper", basically a screwdriver handle on a small pry bar, but with a splayed end.

A.K.A. Snake tongue.

If it wont come off just with bare hand tha popper will be the way.

[Van Westervelt]

4 out of 5 times they break at least a little. Just buy new ones. Old plastic is brittle.

[SeanS]

I have a cabrio so I'm not sure if its the same or not but I'll explain anyway just in case...... my sills are fairly deep due to the extra support needed for the cabrio frame. There are 4 of those plastic tabs that you can pop off with a flat head screw driver then remove the "female" part out as well. the tricky part is where the seatbelt is attached and there is a plastic cover that has an arch shaped slot for the seatbelt metal attachment to move between useage position (forward) and when not in use (sprinh tension back). THAT plastic cover has 2 tabs as well that lock the sill in place, you need to pop the rear one first with force, then rotate it upwards, move the seatbelt metal thingy forward and pop the front tab of the cover next. You may break the middle/lower part of the cover under the arch slot so be careful. once that cover is off, then you should be able to slide the sill forward and out.

I hope this will help you or someone else in the future.

Sean

[dude8383]

dude i had the same problem as you...i just used a screwdriver and yanked them the fuck out...w/e leverage you can get is what you deal with lol. im sure the clips are gonna be dirt cheap so its not a big deal if break some.