Post by Hoovie on Feb 8, 2018 12:09:47 GMT
by Uncle bob
Fri Jan 02, 2015 4:34 pm
The UK RAV4.2 Rear Doors have limited opening to ensure the offside rear lights are not obscured by the spare wheel. This can prevent getting full usability of the boot space for larger objects, so an option is to replace the standard checkstrap with a longer one.
There are two possibilities:
1) Fit a non-UK Spec 4.2 Checkstrap - This will provide full 90 degree opening of the rear door and is a straight swap-out.
2) Fit a UK 4.3 Checkstrap (from a RAV4 WITH spare wheel) - This will increase the opening to around 80 degrees and make the loadspace significantly more accessible, although not quite as much as option 1 will
The advantage of option 2 is the value of unwanted standard 4.3 checkstraps is fairly low as they will have been removed to fit longer checkstraps themselves and will be sitting in drawers unwanted. A longer 4.2 checkstraps costs around £50
Back to the How-To from Uncle Bob ...
(Note, the replacement process is the same for both versions of checkstraps, but some steps can be skipped if using the 4.2 option)
This conversion Ive done,not many people will do, I'm using a 4.3 door strap and fitting it to a 4.2, I done it today and pleased with the results, door now opens to around 80% of full and will now allow large items like a fridge or washing machine to go in.....
these are the two straps, 4.3 on the left, the mounting bracket on the bottom needs to be drilled out so it looks the same as the 4.2 on the right......
Better photo of bracket that needs to come off end of 4.3 strap...
To carry out a door strap replacement on the 4.2 you will need a hammer , trim tool and a 10mm spanner...
First remover door card on back door, get fingers or trim tool in around one of the bottom corners, and pull carefully out, work around the card pulling out, couple of clips to also pull in the middle of the panel.
Wiggle the grey card away from the cream upper back door trim......lay card in boot so it doesn't get damaged.
Now undo the two 10mm nuts on the edge of the door were the strap is attached ....NOTE do not take the two bolts of the door frame bracket.
With the two nuts undone, now hammer the silver pin upwards holding the strap to the door frame, protect paintwork as needed !
The Pin will need a little help to get out all the way :s_yes now peel away a small area of that clear plastic membrane on the left of the back door, put hand in and remove door strap.
If you have purchased the full opening 4.2 strap just refit now, if you have the 4.3 bracket you will need to drill the bracket off that the pin need to go back through, once bracket removed, now refit back into vehicle.
Tighten 10mm nuts and knock pin back in downwards .
Door card ( note if any of the white clips on the back of the door card, stayed on the door, pull them off and put back on door card first ) :s_thumbsup
Refit door card starting at the bottom and work around each side, pat with palm of hand around to the top, also pat in middle, and push with thumbs top corner of door card to clip back to cream trim panel.
Job done :s_thumbsup
Fri Jan 02, 2015 4:34 pm
The UK RAV4.2 Rear Doors have limited opening to ensure the offside rear lights are not obscured by the spare wheel. This can prevent getting full usability of the boot space for larger objects, so an option is to replace the standard checkstrap with a longer one.
There are two possibilities:
1) Fit a non-UK Spec 4.2 Checkstrap - This will provide full 90 degree opening of the rear door and is a straight swap-out.
2) Fit a UK 4.3 Checkstrap (from a RAV4 WITH spare wheel) - This will increase the opening to around 80 degrees and make the loadspace significantly more accessible, although not quite as much as option 1 will
The advantage of option 2 is the value of unwanted standard 4.3 checkstraps is fairly low as they will have been removed to fit longer checkstraps themselves and will be sitting in drawers unwanted. A longer 4.2 checkstraps costs around £50
Back to the How-To from Uncle Bob ...
(Note, the replacement process is the same for both versions of checkstraps, but some steps can be skipped if using the 4.2 option)
This conversion Ive done,not many people will do, I'm using a 4.3 door strap and fitting it to a 4.2, I done it today and pleased with the results, door now opens to around 80% of full and will now allow large items like a fridge or washing machine to go in.....
these are the two straps, 4.3 on the left, the mounting bracket on the bottom needs to be drilled out so it looks the same as the 4.2 on the right......
Better photo of bracket that needs to come off end of 4.3 strap...
To carry out a door strap replacement on the 4.2 you will need a hammer , trim tool and a 10mm spanner...
First remover door card on back door, get fingers or trim tool in around one of the bottom corners, and pull carefully out, work around the card pulling out, couple of clips to also pull in the middle of the panel.
Wiggle the grey card away from the cream upper back door trim......lay card in boot so it doesn't get damaged.
Now undo the two 10mm nuts on the edge of the door were the strap is attached ....NOTE do not take the two bolts of the door frame bracket.
With the two nuts undone, now hammer the silver pin upwards holding the strap to the door frame, protect paintwork as needed !
The Pin will need a little help to get out all the way :s_yes now peel away a small area of that clear plastic membrane on the left of the back door, put hand in and remove door strap.
If you have purchased the full opening 4.2 strap just refit now, if you have the 4.3 bracket you will need to drill the bracket off that the pin need to go back through, once bracket removed, now refit back into vehicle.
Tighten 10mm nuts and knock pin back in downwards .
Door card ( note if any of the white clips on the back of the door card, stayed on the door, pull them off and put back on door card first ) :s_thumbsup
Refit door card starting at the bottom and work around each side, pat with palm of hand around to the top, also pat in middle, and push with thumbs top corner of door card to clip back to cream trim panel.
Job done :s_thumbsup