What was the cause of the door strap defect?

[Craig 85]

Well here's how I dealt with in in my '79 when I upgraded to the '81 & up interior, I got rid of it.

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[PhotonFanatic]

Yes I considered those. Some people want to use the strap when you'd rather they didn't. But it wouldn't complete the original look so I'll try the straps for awhile. If they don't work out I'll be switching to those with the strap delete.

 

[Grit dog]

Yeah it’s pretty easy unless someone is using their square body as an Uber car. Just tell the passengers to keep their mitts off the strap. (And don’t grab the plastic A pillar trim to pull yourself up into the truck either…).
It’s just an old vehicle quirk. Wouldn’t do brake stands in a model T and don’t pull the decorative door straps in a squarebody!

 

[gogo14910]

It's a typical problem with these old trucks. Where the chrome caps always pop off of the door straps. My truck was already missing the caps on both sides, so I wanted to ask what caused this common problem. And what could be done to prevent it from happening again.

I want to buy new door-pull straps for my door panels. But I don't want to have the same problem later on. Any idea what could be done? Glue the tabs on the cap to the back of the panel, maybe?

Thanks!

Check this FB page out, he has some different options.

 

[PhotonFanatic]

Check this FB page out, he has some different options.

Looks nice but the angle is kinda steep on that one. I sent him a message asking if he could make them a little shorter. Could be a good idea if it had say... the middle section wrapped in leather. With only each end still showing the polished steel. With those mods, someone unfamiliar with the trucks could reasonably assume it came that way from the factory.

 

[RecklessWOT]

The straps on my '87 GMC were very stretched out. I removed them, cut off about an inch from one end, poked a new hole with the screw and reinstalled. They were pretty tight up against the door to the point where almost nobody would be tempted to grab them instead of the arm rest while closing the door, but it still looked clean because no parts were missing, and these big stretched out floppy things weren't dangling around inside the truck.

 

[WFarm]

This is one end attachment point, it's inside the door panel:

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You can order this set of reinforcement brackets for $17.95 from USA1 Industries. I need to get a set for my truck but have not done it yet.

1981-87 Fullsize Chevy & GMC Truck Door Pull Strap Reinforcement​

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Had no idea these reinforcement plates existed until I saw this! Immediately ordered a set and installed them tonight. Love this forum!

 

[PrairieDrifter]

I guess I don't know the pain of them popping off because this is the first truck I've had with door pull straps and after those braces and silicone on the caps I've never had a single problem. I always close my doors from the straps. The screws go straight into door sheetmetal with 2 of em just like the arm rest.

 

[PhotonFanatic]

Check this FB page out, he has some different options.

Well I asked the guy if he'd make some that were slightly different, and he said no they're fine lol.

So I guess using that image, I could just take the job to someone else and tell them to suck a half inch out of it. That way they wouldn't stick out quite so far, and would more closely resemble the factory gap between the door and the strap.

 

[PhotonFanatic]

Another question:

Is there anything else that I could make the door strap out of, that would somewhat resemble a factory strap? I know you could use just about anything but I'd like it to be conceivable that this improvised strap was factory.

The reason is, I don't like the prices for all that. I've spent a lot of money fixing up the truck, and I don't mind spending when the value seems to be there. But the door pull strap situation is badly overpriced. It will take around $80 just to get two new straps on the truck, the way it was from the factory. Maybe it should cost half that for both straps and caps and everything installed.

So I figured I'd just buy the chrome caps for $25, and source all the rest myself. Washers, screws, and the pull straps. Maybe that way I don't have to bend over just to get some basic interior parts that should be inexpensive. Not when I can come up with some other way.

EDIT:

Found this, might be a great substitute but I'm not sure if it fits:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000CO971C/

 

[PhotonFanatic]

I found this, but I'm not sure about the fitment:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000CO971C/

 

[BadBowtie]

Those metal reinforced end tabs were actually factory. Most were just tossed away over the years.

Another option is the billet aluminum door plates with billet end caps for the strap covers.

 

[Ricko1966]

Have you looked at dorman 72202?

 

[bucket]

I'm of the opinion that if you aren't allowed to close the door with the straps, why have the straps?

I've always pulled the door closed with the straps. They are handy and useful for that purpose. Just don't pull DOWN on them and everything is peachy.

 

[Ricko1966]

What I want to know is why do the doorpulls outlast the transmissions. Lol