Rear Storage Pocket Doors

[WingsandThings]

I bought a couple of the rear storage pocket doors off of ebay.
They come with the handle, spring and screw.
Has anybody bought one of these and if so how did you get the handle into place in the door. They are very ridgid and I am a little reluctant to start prying them into place with a screw driver. They are just plastic and I don't want to break them. I only have one arm and one leg left after buying and shipping them across the continent.

Getting them assembled is just the beginning, I also have to install them, that may also be an challenge to do without breaking something. I had to make a couple of pins and glue one on each pocket.

[Rambozo]

Often old plastic parts can be softened up by dunking them in boiling water. Those snap together items are always sketchy once they age. Good luck.

[WingsandThings]

Often old plastic parts can be softened up by dunking them in boiling water. Those snap together items are always sketchy once they age. Good luck.

These are new, maybe n.o.s., not sure.
I was thinking about putting the door in hot water.
I also considered putting the latch handle in the freezer prior to installing but i dont know if that is a good idea or not. It may make it too brittle

[Rambozo]

I think you're right and freezing could make them brittle. With plastic I think the heat is more about softening and not really expanding and contracting like for metal press fit parts. I would probably gently heat both parts.

[WingsandThings]

Yeah,, you are prob right about the plastic not being like metal re expanding and contracting.

[Rambozo]

Actually, I had to go look it up, but the coefficient of thermal expansion for ABS is huge. But it's not like this is a press fit where the two lock together once assembled (at least we hope not). There is clearance between the pin and the bore it rotates in. We just need the plastic to be springy enough to allow it to flex enough to snap together without breaking. I think some heat can make that happen with less drama.

[WingsandThings]

Thanks for the info.

I just put the latch handle on the door. I hadn't really tried it before because it just seemed too ridgid. I decided to just go for it, it was a bit scary but it is now on there. The plastic does have some give to it.

I will prob heat the next one just to be on the safe side though.
I think putting the door on the bike will be easier. I hadn't really looked at the hinge on the door. I see now that it has a small channel to slide over the pins when the door is fully opened.

I'm a happy camper now. I was tired of looking at the empty storage bins.

Thanks for your input

[WingsandThings]

I got the doors assembled and on the bike. I did put the second one in hot water for a few minutes before putting the latch handle in it. I think it did help and would suggest anybody else that gets replacement doors do the same.

Now I am afraid that they may blow off and get lost or broken.
I did some highway driving and was constantly checking to see that they were still there. I am a bit worried that the pins I glued on may not hold up. I used ABS cement and they seem ok but if the original ones broke,, who knows.
I prob wont use the pockets very often, i just wanted to cover the holes. I considered just gluing them shut.

Has anyone here had the doors come off or pins break? If so, how did it happen?
Were you just driving along and the the door blew off and broke a pin, or did the pin break previous and then the door blew off because it was already loose?

I ended up putting a piece of good strong n sticky tape on the inside of the door and pocket as a back up just in case. I figure if the door does break loose, I may hear it flapping around back there and stop in time to keep it from flying away.

[Rambozo]

Search Rudy's keepers. You will have to go DIY as Rudy is no more.

[WingsandThings]

Search Rudy's keepers. You will have to go DIY as Rudy is no more.

I was thinking of making something like that but with a fine cable. I will have to come up with some way to attatch it.

The doors cost me aound 115.00 Canadian dollars each with shipping n handling.
I asked the seller if he would combine the shipping. He said to just put the left and the right side doors in my cart and pay for them at the same time and he would combine the shipping.
Then he put them in 2 separate packages and put them in the mail. It was 16.00 U.S. for each one. That is approx. 21.50 CA. So 43.00 shipping.

I am glad to have them though. The bike looks so much better with them on there.