How to reattach interior side panel?

[john1in2]

The interior rear passenger side panel has detached from my 1995 325is. How do I get this back on there? Looks like there are no fasteners so glue?

If so, I have some 3M adhesive from 8 years ago used for the headliner should I try it?

see pic
325 interior.jpg

thanks!

[95RedBMWe36M50]

I'm in the middle of a full interior restore including color change for the door panels and inserts. Yes, 3M adhesive is exactly what you use. However I wouldn't use an 8 year old can as you don't know the state of the product, it could make a bigger mess than what you have.

For ease of installation, you can remove the panel from the car by gently pulling on the top and bottom being careful not to snap the plastic tabs holding it into place. Lay it flat on a bench, remove any old adhesive, spray both the card and the insert and they will bond instantly.

You probably could do it by leaving the card on the car, it will be just a little more difficult.

Hope this helps.

[gc325is]

There is glue, but it was Low VOC and has failed. Does the vinyl cover still stick on the loose part? Most will peel off eventually or you may just notice a small bubble now. I can see the edges peeling already on your part. You may want to recover it while it is off. But then what to do with the drivers side? Are the front seat insert cover still good? PS the old glue residue is very slippery and things do not stick to it.

[xxxxxxx]

I used gorilla glue. Be careful it expands.

[wgknestrick]

A thinner VHB tape may be a good solution that doesn't press out. The problem is the particle board needs to be sanded and cleaned thoroughly to reveal a good surface for bonding regardless of method. You also need to apply a good deal of pressure (via shot/sand bags) after gluing.

[gc325is]

I have tried 3M VHB tape. but most of the parts

1 have that old glue residue and it does not stick to that
2 parts have warped or the vinyl cover has pulled away preventing from a good contact surface left with uneven panel line.
3 lasted only for a short period.

Clean surface and not contaminated may be the key if you want to use VHB.

I ended using Gorilla glue for some door parts but any part that was wet expanded and may pushed the parts apart and leaves a foam residue that is not easily removed.

[wgknestrick]

I have tried 3M VHB tape. but most of the parts

1 have that old glue residue and it does not stick to that
2 parts have warped or the vinyl cover has pulled away preventing from a good contact surface left with uneven panel line.
3 lasted only for a short period.

Clean surface and not contaminated may be the key if you want to use VHB.

I ended using Gorilla glue for some door parts but any part that was wet expanded and may pushed the parts apart and leaves a foam residue that is not easily removed.

That's good feedback. I used 3M epoxy on mine, but it only lasted a year. I thought the compliant nature of the VHB tape might make it last a bit longer.


Searching the net today and I found these:

https://turtlelaboratories.com/produ...epair-brackets

Anyone have any feedback on these? Look like use a french cleat design. The old fiber board and plastic is super hard to bond to over time, especially if you have to remove the card again for anything.

[JDStrickland]

WAIT!

It's not a glue-on item. You might find a glue that works, but it is held on by hooks that have snapped off. If you look on the car, you will find holes where hooks should go. You wet the panel in place with the hooks in the holes, and then push it to the rear.

[johnf]

I assumed the OP's car has been in Southern California and expect that the top, plastic strip has detached from the press board.

If that be so, I would use an MS Polymer adhesive to reattach it, rather than a one-part polyurethane, such as Gorilla Glue. Silane Modified Polymer sticks to a great many things and is quite popular in Europe and even more popular in Japan, where it was invented. (It is a superior structural adhesive in earthquakes.) I am not sure why it does not see more use in the U.S.

[gc325is]

Not sure if it works as good but there is a new version sold....Clear Gorilla Glue® | Non-Foaming Clear Glue

use Indoor & Outdoor for the Toughest Jobs. Incredibly Strong



I used original G glue on back side of the front door panel for the door pockets and clip strips and it been on for 7 years. But foam oozed out everywhere but its not visible when installed.

MS Polymer adhesive Silane Modified Polymer ? Never seen this yet, looks like construction/ industry use sold at Granger supplies in the US.

[johnf]

Not sure if it works as good but there is a new version sold....Clear Gorilla Glue® | Non-Foaming Clear Glue

The MSDS for that one lists silicone as the major ingredient.

MS Polymer adhesive Silane Modified Polymer ? Never seen this yet, looks like construction/ industry use sold at Granger supplies in the US.

It is considered a high performance construction adhesive, and perhaps the last thing you might use on a commercial project to save an architect's otherwise mad design. Often, you would use it, anyway, if the construction is meant to last.

I was visiting a friend last summer who lives in an American city of 25 000, and looked in vain for the stuff among the sealants and adhesives in the city's biggest home improvement/hardware store. It was a bit strange. In Germany and probably the rest of Europe, SMP is just another adhesive/sealant that probably every home improvement store sells, usually, in at least four different colors.

This page (out of the UK, still part of Europe?) compares the usual three sealant choices I have – which include MS Polymer. Even though it talks about sealants, notice how gluing slips into the discussion when it turns to MS Polymer. It is pretty handy stuff, and what I would try on the door panels.

[pizzaman09]

I've had very good success using combinations of shoe goo and gorilla tape to put e36 interior panels back together.

For proper structural stuff I use a real automotive structural adhesive like LORD Maxlok. I recently used some to install my rear strut tower reinforcement plates instead of welding them.

[johnf]

... For proper structural stuff I use a real automotive structural adhesive like LORD Maxlok. I recently used some to install my rear strut tower reinforcement plates instead of welding them.

According to their MSDS, those are MMA adhesives. There are all sorts, used in many different industries. A variant I find intriguing, lets you paint the resin on one surface, and paint or spray the activator on the other. You can leave the surfaces like that for days, then press them together as a correctable contact adhesive. Henkel/Pattex markets a version to European consumers with a powdered activator: to extend the shelf life. I have some I have been slowly using since 2014. I store it in the refrigerator.