How to snake door wires?

[tedlovesjeeps71]

Anyone have any tips on how to snake new door speaker wires in my 91 GW? The wiring is randomly taped together in unaccessible areas so I can't simply tape new to old and pull it through. The wires also go through a plastic thing in the hinge area then disappear into the dashboard where I can't find them. Anyone have a good trick or tip??

[81waggy]

If the 89 is anything like my 81 on the door side, that plastic thing that the wires run through from the door to the frame comes off in 2 pieces. Just be careful, they get brittle. Forget trying to eliminate the old wire unless your tearing everything apart anyway. You might need to pull your gage cluster to keep the wires high and out of the way but run them across there and follow the routing of your door wiring harness.

I'm probably going to to the reverse after I talk to my interior guy. I built a nice center console with a floor shifter, will be moving my window controls to the center console and need to pull door wiring harness out through all of that to the console.

[htfiremedic]

So in the world of car stereo installation, we often take a Fiberglass rod and push it through the tube, and pull the wire back through. If possible, we will use a long zip tie(think flexcuff) and drill a hole about 3/4" up from the end, and a second hole 1/2"(ish) above and pull the wire through the holes(looks like an s as you put it through holes) then tape the wire to zip tie.
If that fails, the last shot is making a new hole in the grommets, pull the wire and put it in split loom.
Hope this helps.
HT


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[tedlovesjeeps71]

Thanks guys. I know the plastic protector comes apart but that isn't the issue. Once it runs into the door frame it seems to go vertical towards the cowl and between the AC and heater assembly is unable to be seen or felt. I tried the large zip tie trick as well as the coat hanger. No way to fish it into the door jamb, up the enclosed channel, and make it pop out up top where I can reach it. Too blind, too many sharp bends.
I'll look at it more and do some additional head scratching. I may have to simply drill a new hole in the kick panel somewhere, add a grommet, and run the wire through that.


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[Tatsadasayago]

If you use a 'Dogtag Chain' and feed it through the kick panel, it will drop to where you can grab it and connect the wire(s) to it with tape and feed it through. Most electrical/cctv retailers have nice sections devoted to wire/cable feeding such as the Glo-Rods etc. Small diameter poly string with a weight at the end works too.

[tedlovesjeeps71]

If you use a 'Dogtag Chain' and feed it through the kick panel, it will drop to where you can grab it and connect the wire(s) to it with tape and feed it through. Most electrical/cctv retailers have nice sections devoted to wire/cable feeding such as the Glo-Rods etc. Small diameter poly string with a weight at the end works too.

I guess I just don't see how to reach high enough up the kick panel to find an opening without pulling the AC and heater...? I'll let y'all know what I see tomorrow. Maybe some stroke of genius will strike me after looking more. Adapt, improvise, and make the music play!


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[babywag]

On passenger side you'll have to drop AC unit.
No other way you can access the existing hole, just no room.

Or like you mentioned just drill a new hole lower.

[tedlovesjeeps71]

On passenger side you'll have to drop AC unit.
No other way you can access the existing hole, just no room.

Or like you mentioned just drill a new hole lower.

Does the entire heater/AC plenum box have to drop or just that lower part that runs along the dash?


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[babywag]

It's one in same..all one piece.
Not hard, just remove all screws and push it out of your way.
Easy access to door wiring then. Good time remove fresh air vent and suck/clean crap out of there too.

[tedlovesjeeps71]

It's one in same..all one piece.
Not hard, just remove all screws and push it out of your way.
Easy access to door wiring then. Good time remove fresh air vent and suck/clean crap out of there too.

When I replaced the heater core I had all that out and cleaned the vents then. Wasn't the most fun experience but now that I've had a few back injections maybe it won't be so bad.


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