Loud Clunk from drivers door!!

[petchy]

hi guys,
when i open/close my drivers door it makes two almighty clunking noises!! upon investigation ive found that the hinge bit circled below is loose...


does anyone know how to gain access to it to tighten it??? ive had a good look but cant see how to get to it!!

cheers

[AussieM20]

That is pretty normal on e 30's. The access area in the footwell is enclosed. Panel shops cut open the panel and weld the mounting on the inside.

What i did with mine was to make a small alloy plate and rivet it beside the door brake mount. I cut a slot so the mount sits in the slot securely. Worked a treat.

Regards
Greg

[petchy]

cheers mate,
the whole cutting and welding sounds like a mission!
i dont suppose you have a pic of the mod you made do you?

regards
Liam

[Alex]

A 316i touring we had, had this problem, a small spot of weld is all it needed

[petchy]

a small spot of weld is all it needed

hi mate, so just clean it up and get it welded in place as it is?

[Alex]

i'am sure thats what we did

[petchy]

cheers mate
ive got someone coming to do some welding anyway- so ill get him to do that while he's here!

thanks again.

[Brianmoooore]

Welds up in situ OK, but, if you have a sunroof, the plastic drain tube is just behind!
When it's done, keep the door brake properly greased!

[petchy]

well i got the bracket welded in place but the clunk is still happening , looks like it might be the henge itself.
id better get looking for one.

[Brianmoooore]

The door brake itself is probably broken inside the door - a very common failure, and possibly the reason for the bracket pulling from the shell.
Easy to change. Remove the door card, peel back the front of the plastic membrane, disconnect the brake from the bracket you've welded, undo the two bolts, and pull the brake out. It tends to get stuck behind the wiring loom, so you may have to cut a couple of cable ties to allow the loom to be moved out of the way.

[k13]

you could try some JB WELD as you only need a lil spot of weld.

[petchy]

Yeah cheers brian, I had the brake out the other week when investigating. but couldn't tell if it was working or not! I just assumed it was the bracket that had came loose. I'm gonna take the one out of the rear and see if it works in the front, it looks the same.

Anyone know if the door brake is an MOT issue?
Maybe it is considered a safety item.

[Brianmoooore]

Door brake is most definitely no concern of an MOT inspector, as long as it doesn't prevent the door from being opened.
If it was broken, you would have noticed when it was out. It breaks on the saddle part that links both sides of the frame, and when unbolted, would virtually be in two parts.