Sliding door cover/lid - how the hell it come off??

[1664]

As some of you know I'm attacking a slight seam rust issue. I need to get the panel off that covers the sliding door mechanism but the one on the opposite side to the sliding door - I assume they are fixed the same way........

The bit circled in yellow


I've read that you remove the two screws and then it should lift upwards and off. Like hell it does. I've even been giving it a good twatting with a rubber mallet but it won't budge even slightly. Am I missing something? Do you have to swing it outwards and then lift? It has a rubber strip running along the top of it - does that have to come off first? I've doused it in WD40 so it runs behind in the pathetic hope it might help.

It's doing me head in!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[weldore]

they are a bit tight....go to the rear of it and using the palm of your hand ,bang it upwards,keeping it as close to its fitted position as possible..if you pull it out too much itll make it harder..near on impossible
try and do it controlled so it dont jump about ..as it can chip the paintwork at the other end..i found them easier to remove from the rear
the plastic strip should come out with it,you cant remove it first
rubber mallet is a good idea too
you could try putting some maskin tape around the paintwork to stop it chipping it

[1664]

Cheers for that, thought I was doing it wrong. I shall kick seven bails out of it tomorrow

[weldore]

the idea is to prise one end up first and i found it was less damaging to the paint work to do it from the rear and slightly pull it away so when you thump it its clear of the van...good luck

[kevtherev]

take the screws out first!

[neil3965]

Try putting a scrap of plywood up inside the cover and whacking that with your mallet. Worked for me!

[1664]

take the screws out first!

Screws??