I guess I shouldn't complain about $182.

 

If you are close to the border maybe you can arrange to have them shipped to a PO box on the US side and just carry them home? That might end up costing the same if you live further north.

 

I really don't want to complain because I appreciate not only PRP digging up their tooling out of mothballs to make them once more but also the people on this forum who took the time to talk them into making them again. Once I get them installed I'll forget all about the cost. It will be the last beltlines I'll ever have to buy. Either the truck will die before then or I will.

I will condition them a couple times a year tho to make them last. I use a product called Trim Serum. This company (Lithium) makes lots of excellent products if anyone is interested. They can be pricy but they are very effective products. And a bottle of this stuff lasts forever..a little goes a long way. They make all kind of interesting stuff. The conditioner for rubber is called Trim Serum.

 

I was able to get those as well as the inner wipes thru a local dodge dealer about 10-12 years ago and that was almost $400 back then so I would say these are a fair price.

 

Makes me want to buy another pair just for fun.

 

I hope they still have them in two weeks. First of the month bills take priority.

Question: once bought, what's a good protectant to keep them from drying out again?

 

Look 3 posts above yours.

 

DOH! I see say the blindman.......

 

OK men, ladies, and children...I installed the driver's side beltline. I'll do the passenger side tomorrow or Thursday.

I wont lie to you. It isn't a particularly fun job...especially since I never did anything more than remove the door panel previously (and that was 20 years ago). But I gladly perform the role of guinea pig and submit the following: (keep in mind I have a 1993 Dodge Dakota LE, ext cab, with power windows, no idea about manual crank windows)

1. Remove (2) interior screws from inside arm rest and the triangle section by the side mirror. Unscrew the **** from the door lock. Slide the door handle latch frame to the left and remove. Pry up side of power lock button assy, they're held in with metal spring clips on both sides.

2. Remove the inner door panel. They are held on with 9 metal scissor clips that go in a hole (see pic below). You get a pry bar next to the clip and pry the panel away. Do all 9 clips (see pic below). Feed the power lock module through the hole and put panel aside.

3. Here's where it starts to get fun. You'll have to cut the plastic sheeting as needed to access the parts inside. Don't try to peel if off. Just cut where needed and use clear packing tape to repair later. [UPDATE in BOLD: I learned this after doing the passenger side: Raise window. You can remove the three lowest bolts from the power window assy and slightly loosen the top-most bolt (#4 in pic below) but don't remove. This spares you from having to remove the entire power window assy from the door. Go to the next step]

4. Now look at the lower left side of the door (see pic below). You will see two 5/16" screws. Remove them. Those screws hold on an odd shaped plastic block on the interior that acts as a vertical track bumper to keep the window from sinking down past its limit. Remove the odd shaped block. Carefully lower the window to the bottom. [UPDATE from above...the window and power window assy should "tilt/rotate" on the single loosened bolt. This allows you to get the window out of the way of the five screws that secure the beltline.]

5. Summon your surgical skills. You'll need a telescopic magnet you can slide into the interior of the door from the top so when you remove the screws the magnet will keep it from falling down (might be possible to fish them out later....I didn't want to take the chance to find out). Note there are five aprox 1" holes from the inside running across the top that you can use to access each of the five screws holding on the beltline. Get yourself a phillips screwdriver (a larger one so it kinda wedges on the screw head) and unscrew the screws with the magnet next to the screw. Remove all five screws.

6. Remove old beltline and cuss it out. Install new beltline. Look to see the five screw holes line up from the inside. Now put the five screws back. My only advice here is make sure the screw fits tightly on the screwdriver cuz you're gonna have to free float it on the way to the hole. A magnetic screwdriver may be useful. Your telescopic magnet can help too in case of an oops.

Time to put it all back together

7. [FROM UPDATE: Rest of job is the reverse of the disassembly...skip the rest of these instructions]



Close up of the clips that hold the inner panel to the door


4 clips along the bottom, 3 toward the back, 2 toward the front.


Middle of the pic shows the two screws that hold on the oddly shaped plastic window bumper for the vertical track.


The four bolts securing the power window assy. Remove 1 thru 3. Loosen #4.



Access holes for the five screws that secure the beltline. There are five of them that run across the top.


Touche'!