96 4Runner, 245,xxx miles
Pulling the door panel...
Push in the middle button on these clips. There are 2, one below the mirror and one on the edge of the panel below the lock button. Carefully pry out (should come out easy)


To get them back in later, just set so button is sticking out, put in place, push button flush. Not right now though.

Lift straight up on the front of the control panel then pull forward to clear clip at back


Unplug 2 plugs and remove control panel

Unscrew here


Pull a little forward and out


The hooks you are clearing from the door

Pry straight up on arm rest.


Plastic ears and 2 metal clips hold the armrest in


Unscrew 2 screws that were hidden by arm rest.

Pop door panel off door carefully.


Push up from the bottom to free panel from where it hangs on the window, then twist to clear the door opener.


Here are the 7 clips you are popping off (5 red and 2 white in this case, middle and bottom of door). If any stay with the door you need to carefully get them out and slide them into the keepers on the door panel. These clips are very annoying. They make a tool to help pop them off, but I was able to get these by hand.

And here is what it looks like behind the door panel. The black gooey stuff that holds the plastic on allows it to be pulled off and re-squished on.



All I was doing today was cleaning up a gummy door latch. It wasn't wanting to close easily. I didn't really need to take the panel off to get it to work, but I really wanted to get back in there and I figured I'd show what's back in there while I was at it.
Funny, I cleaned the panel a little (pics are cleaned panel) and the dirt coming off the material part was staining the rag Moab red.

Good morning!

Great write up Hab. Wish I'd seen this before it took me an hour to figure out how the door latch comes out a couple years ago. Are those stock speakers I see? I forgot what they look like. My were shot when I bought it.

Nice work, Hab! If it is not too late, consider putting Dynamat, or similar product on the doors before reinstalling. I put it directly over the plastic. It really reduced the interior road noise, and eliminated a few rogue rattles.

As always, great write-up.

Hab, nice on the pics and written documentation! I always seem to break one or two of those silly push clips on the panel so I have a few new ones in the parts box.

Good afternoon!

Hey guys!
JBurt-
Yep, stock speakers. Can't say I'm a sound connoisseur and that's prolly a good thing.
Urban Assault-
Rogue rattles? I don't hear any rogue rattles over all the other rattles. Dynomat's a good idea, though. May have to try it some time.
and RW-
I do need to get a few of those stinkin' pushclips. I can store 'em next to the grill clips.

Hope everyone is doing well. It was a super-nice day so I spent it outside messing around the truck, getting not much done. It was that or rake the yard.

Yup, have grill clips stashed along with the push clips in the front wheel wells for the splash guards.

The wind here blows my leaves to the neighbors. hehe

NOT FAIR! (hehe)

Lucky then you are not my neighbor.

raking the yard is a job for the stoker... if he wants to play in the leaf pile [like any kid does] he has to make it first lol...
any day messing on the truck is a good day... my starter has been grieving me bad the last few days sister... it clicks but no start... if I disconnect the batt neg. and the pos. from the back of the starter, spray it with contact cleaner and then reconnect it all it works for a day or two... than it starts the clicking nonsense again...
on the plus side I've gotten very fast at the procedure... takes under 10 mins. now...

Put new starter wire on and body ground last Sat... going to put a new larger eng. block ground wire on next...

trying to avoid expense of rebuilding starter but may come to that...

Aviator- Can you do the same with your starter as a lot of us have, and replace just the contacts? Those bits are relatively cheap and the hardest part of the whole operation is getting the starter out, at least with the 3.4. For some reason I was thinking you had a similar deal....


Rw... between your having corn when I don't and leaves I don't want, yep, glad I'm not your neighbor!

Nah, we'd get along just fine....lol. I'd share the corn AND leaves for mulch in your garden. BTW, they are small trees so the leaf load is not too bad.....yet. How goes it down your way?

Going good. More trail work, some light backpacking, back before the rain. Gonna have to replace a u-joint on the 96 soon, luckily the rear. You?

Doing good, thanks. The truck is ready for winter driving. It has 25-30 trips to Mt. Hood (hour each way) for skiing coming up. Looked it all over and cannot find anything that needs repairing.

I'm sure that rear u-joint will get the "So easy, a girl can do it" treatment soon. I had to fit that line in here.

Got a big mouth, don't I?

hehehe......nahhhhhh. dropzone "interpreted" and I added a bit to that other thread.

Although, IIRC, you are self-described as quiet and shy which does not fit with big mouth...hmmmm. lol

BTW, this is my 2,000th post.