Disco Door springs How-to...

As promised... This is how I replaced the broken spring on a rear passenger door, I will do another for a front door when I get round to changing one!

First, remove the grab handle which is secured by two 10mm hex-head bolts.


Then remove the latch lever surround by holding the lever open and then unscrewing the PZ screw underneath, then slide towards the front of the car and away.


Now prise away the door card, starting at the bottom and working around the card until it is free (you'll probably snap some of the studs off but don't worry about it too much - mine only has 4 holding it on!)


Lift the door card up and over the lock pin then disconnect the window switch. At this stage (depending on whos been in the door before you) you may have a plastic membrane stuck to the door which needs removing - or just cutting off if you're a rough get like me!


Now you can see the linkages to the latch but they're not that easily accessible, so remove the two large PZ screws on the rear edge of the door and the 10mm hex head bolt on the face. (don't loose the spacer from the bolt, inside door skin)


Now the latch mechanism is free you can get to the linkages a bit easier, start by removing the top front linkage, simply lift the clip over the rod then pull the clip off and keep it safe and push the rod back through the hole.


Unscrew the latch lever and unhook the linkage from it


Then remove the fiddlely little linkage to the outer handle, this uses the same attachement as the first linkage. be careful not to spin the rod as it has a thread on the latch end for adjustment...


Now you can pull the latch out of the door, here's my broken spring and the two holes where it should be fitted are marked


Remove the damaged spring, then fit the new one into the round hole first


Then using a small screwdriver prise the free end of the spring into the triangular hole - the spring will sit with the round part facing downwards inbetween the two plates and will create a positive click between open and closed positions. Test before reinstallation


Slot the latch back into the door and reattach the outer handle linkage, refit the inner handle and the final linkage from the lock pin


Then align the latch and loosely refit the two PZ screws to the rear


Then fit the bolt from the side of the latch, don't forget the spacer!


Test the operation of the latch and tighten up all the screws/bolts then you can rebuild the door card assembly ant'jobs a fish!

Nice one mate ..

As Paul 'rave' D, it has to be said, Well Done.:clap2:

good one Lerk - how about copying yo post into the Q's and A's section?

The Mad Hat Man said:

good one Lerk - how about copying yo post into the Q's and A's section?

Click to expand...

Could do, left it in here thinking it was disco specific though...

If Mods think it's worthwhile, fire away!

I've got a front door starting to act up but i'm a tad busy for the next few weeks so i'll leave it until it completely fooks up. If it lasts till i've more time I'm going to fit them all, and will then update with front and boot doors

I'll also get cleaned up and use a decent camera for pics 9, 10 & 11 on the next attempt... didn't realise the camera had focussed on the wrong bit till it was all back together and I downloaded the images...

Many thanks - nice tutorial

Nice one, Lerk - my drivers door handle played up from day 1 - if I give it a thump it opens ok - R.Hand starting to ache though (from thumping the door!!!!!!!!!!)

GREAT!!!
I've been told you need to remove the glass from the door to replace this clip?...or is that only with the windie-windows (Non of them posh electric windows for me!)
I ASSUME the process is the same for the 3dr?

EDIT
I just noticed that was for the Rear-door, & you will do another "idiots guide" for the Front when you get a chance....I'll await untill then!

Yes, the glass has to be lifted on the front doors. I did all 5 doors over a period of time, but not before asking the local LR Dealer for a price for a lock unit when I didn't know the spring could be changed. When he quoted £60 odd the look on my face told him all, he leaned over and whispered 'Try eBay'. What a star! How in the name of all things Holy can a punter with no practical knowledge afford to run a Disco! I bet some customers get ripped off, £15 for 5 springs and charge for new locks. Has any one seen the 'Service Menu' price for a service? Bit of a pig refilling the transfer box though. Good article lerk keep the good work up! - OldDiscMan

well done appreciate the time taking to do this, very helpful
thanks

Lerk, you're a star. I have got to do exactly the same thing on the same door on my disco. It was the heater matrix last week, now a door spring. Excellant info, pity about the pics. You've earned your bow time. As usual some one on Landyzone comes to the rescue. Cheers. Coffee monster

right, perhaps y'all could help me to get this straight, please:

here's the situation with my 91 disco, i havent been able to figure it yet becuase i havent had a look in the doors and dont know quite enough abouyt the symptoms to diagnose the exact problem.

so:

the drivers front and rear door work perfectly on central locking, when the key is used in the drivers door.

the passenger front door sometimes works on central locking, but generally the door pin moves a little bit, or not at all. often it will unlock but not lock. and then when you do need to unlock it woth the key, the lock is quite stiff to operate.

the passenger rear door does not work at all on central locking, this must be locked and unlocked with the door pin.

the tailgate seems to operate on central locking, but the pin does not come up far enough to unlock the door, so you have to put the key in to lift the door pin, and then the lock will open.

so, what do i need?

a new central locking motor in the passenger doors, and a spring in the tailgate, or???

all help appreciated!

cheers, sam

i have a front passenger door to do been waiting for a nice day,so maybe a while yet ,
how long does this job take i am probably just above a novice, and how do you lift the window.
cheers ETR

Hi Guys,

I know this is a bit late, but it seems to be the case that springs are MUCH less likely to break if they are oiled or greased on the outsides.


I am going to have to do three springs in my Disco, and once they are fitted they are going to be slobbered in grease.

CharlesY

Excellent "How to..............", Lerk.

Has given me the confidence to sort this out on the wife's 3 door Disco.

Well, I tried to open the boot door today and it seems that one has gone!

So the next installment will be the boot door, when I eventually get a day off work on saturday (fingers crossed!)

Thanks for this, replaced this springs in my two rear doors this afternoon, all done in an hour

Started on the passenger door but the top screw is not budging......

Thanks again

Leigh

Great feature. I think this is what must be wrong with my rear door handle. It only opens if I install the key in the lock and turn it to the left before lifting the handle. Assuming this is the same fault where do I get a new spring from?

Thanks

Michael

Tailgate (Boot) Door How-to

Fairly brief this one due to having to change it in a rush... (READ: I forgot to take pictures until i was putting it back together!) but i'll try and write as many pointers in as possible to make up for the lack of pictures!

First remove 6 x PZ screws in the speaker grille


Then, remove the grille exposing 4 x PZ screws


The plastic speaker surround should then pull off to reveal


The 8 PZ machine screws around the speaker can then be removed and the speaker/amp pack disconnected


With the speaker removed and the cable tucked back into the door, take off the grab handle and latch pull surround as per the other doors - then the door card will be free to pull away (leaving at least 50% of the retaining lugs in the door NOT attached to the door card!)


Now you'll be looking at the linkages and contemplating suicide... hopefully this picture will help you put them all back in the right places!


remove all linkages/pivots (most are same as rear passenger doors although there are some plastic retainer clips as well - be careful!), the plate holding outer pivot (attached by the right hand bracket for the grab handle) the inner pivot (pull out the centre of the plastic plug first) and the child lock.

You will then be able - after much swearing and cursing - be able to remove the latch. Unlike the rear passenger door, this one will only come out of the door space in one direction... pull the top of the latch up and out whilst pushing the bottom further into the door (towards where the top of the latch has just been) - Took me ages to work out how to get the bleeder out of there!

Once the spring is replaced, start rebuilding the mechanism.
This little metal clip took me 25mins and retrieving the clip from the bottom of the door skin around 40 times before reattaching!


Whilst you had the latch out of the door you will have no doubt played with all the little levers (you did, didn't you! ) so you will have worked out the lever 'hanging' from the latch is the child lock. When refitting the child lock actuator, you need to put the pin on the actuator arm back through the slot of the lever, then screw back in place on the door.

Now you have plenty of access, locate where the outside handle comes through the door and the pivot points for it outside - give it a good spray of WD40 then a spray grease whilst working it, this will probably save you stripping the door again in 6 months time when it seizes!

Once again, before you refit the door card try every action of the latch to check you've reassembled it right!