Ford minivan sliding doors use contacts so if you scrounge them from a wrecker then it's not a "street rod" part! Problem solved!
Wouldn't the wires still need to move using stainless springs or braided hose? How do you guys handle that? A loop inside the A pillar to allow movement?
Hate to say it, but those pricey SS rigs the street rodder places sell work well. So do the 2 buck rubber versions, where one end has a fixed grommet molded on, and the other end slides thru a fixed grommet you put into your inside front door jamb. Despite the non-trad looks, you only see them for the 4 seconds the door is open. Just google door jamb looms and you'll get a 1000 examples. Gary
Yep, wire movement can be an issue. Ideally, the wire shouldn't be moving against anything but should be in 'free air' and the more length in free air the better. A 'twisting' motion is better than a 'bending' motion. And most thermoplastic-coated automotive wire isn't really designed for this; there is wire designed for repetitive movement. Look for 'superflex' type cable (very similar to welding cable but available in more sizes) but it's rather expensive and hard to find. A cheaper alternative is SO cord. This is a multi-conductor assembly (typically found on better-quality power tools and appliances) and will have a rubber outer jacket as well as rubber insulation on the individual conductors (NOT plastic). Downside is it's bulky as made, and if you need more than 3 or 4 wires in the cable, it will be hard to find. But you can strip the outer jacket off and use the individual conductors to reduce the bulk. These conductors feature ultra-fine conductors along with the very flexible insulation. Downside is wire color selection; 3-wire cord will be black, white, and green. 4-wire will add a red. Finding this? Your local electrical supplier will probably stock 3 and 4 wire SO cord. If you have a construction equipment supplier near you who also does repair, they may have cord with more than 3 or 4 conductors (think boom and scissor lifts). Tool repair places will have replacement 3-wire cords that could be used. If you remove the outer jacket, protect the wire against damage or abrasion as the soft insulation will wear easily.
Can't beat the plumbing solution, though... The loom of wires can be gathered and routed thru the hole bored in the front jamb; secured behind drivers side kick panel. A snap-in brass bezel goes in the leading edge of the door jamb, wires slide right thru. The loom is secured 20" back, with an Adel clamp, to the inside of the door bracing. A solid lead plumber's weight is hung from the loom, between the bezeled entry and the affixed end, so when the door is closed, the loom is pulled down, keeping tension on the 'otherwise crimped' area thru the opened/closed jamb area. These work exceptionally well in retracting flexible water jets when finishing a dish rinse, so why not 'give 'em a ride'? Weight is apt to be noisy in turns and over bumps, but if outer door skin is insulated, no serious dents should appear...
I have been wrestling with the same issue on my car. Contacts are nice but you cant roll the windows up or lock the doors when the doors are ajar, same goes for door speakers or courtesy lights. Open door, no power. Love the door hinge with the wire channel. That is where I am heading. Fantastic idea. Good tech week thread
Dude, I'm half deaf, cant see to drive at night and I don't have anything worth stealing so I don't have speakers, lights and locks in my doors but I do have windows so I can say "put some glass in that crack beotch!"
i went to lowes and bought the braided pipe that goes on the sink. drilled the holes in the door and jam . ran the wires through it . i put the fitted end in the cowl and let the other end slide into the door
The aftermarket door contacts are not cheap but check out the mini van side doors at the Pick-a-Part. The only draw back with the contacts is you have to close the door to roll up the window.
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