Carolina Pick-N-Pull’s guide to a standard car door and what can be replaced as needed
There’s no way around it – at least, not one you want to take if at all possible. The doors of your car have to be in working order if you’re going to be able to drive it.
But have you ever stopped to consider the many different pieces that actually make up the doors of your vehicle? They’re a bit more complex than they look at first glance, and if something isn’t fitting into place the way it should, it could be a matter of replacing just one aspect of the inner mechanism that you wouldn’t have thought about before. To give you an idea of what could be malfunctioning, we’ve broken down just a few of the car door parts that make up the whole and what they do to keep you safe and secure every time you drive.
Handle
The handles on the inside and outside of your car door can sometimes stick or lock, maybe even feel too loose, and therefore complicate what should be the simple matter of getting in and out of the vehicle. What normally happens is that when you pull the handle, the latch on the inside disengages and allows for the movement the door needs to open and close. There is also a long metal rod that connects to this latch, as well as to the handle itself, which serves to connect the two pieces and reinforce the door itself.
Hinge
Responsible for opening and shutting the doors, as well as keeping them in place on the main body of the vehicle, the hinges are easy to spot. And because they are constantly moving to allow passengers in and out, not to mention holding the doors to keep everyone safe and secure while you drive, the hinges need to be constructed from stronger metals. For most models, steel is the optimal choice, and you can even find replacements for weakened hinges at your local salvage yard.
Door Lock
As cars have gotten more advanced, and their styles have changed, the car door lock has actually evolved as well. You may remember when you could only unlock a car by inserting a key onto the cylinder on the outside of the door, or maybe when other models installed numbered key pads for drivers to use instead of a key fob. Current makes and models have power-door locks that reactivate when a car is put into gear or reaches a certain speed, ensuring the safety of everyone inside.
Molding
Most cars feature some kind of molding on the outside of the car doors. All that this really is, is an extra precaution against smaller dents and dings that can be sustained whenever you open and shut the door. The molding is usually either rubber or plastic, which helps soften the blow and protect the actual material of the door if someone slams it a little too roughly.
Need help finding replacement parts for your car door? Contact Carolina Pick-N-Pull to see if one of our locations has what you need!