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[Andy B]

The whole cause is the little white bush .. it might look ok but if it's worn it stops the strap rotating (swinging) as it moves in and out, this puts stress on the rollers which leads to stress on the supporting metal which acts like a Rolf Harris Wobble Board ... thus the noise .. and every noise is another death knell to the metal .... called metal fatigue.

For the 2 minutes an 20 p cost .. change the bush, and as said .. go for the reinforcing plates ..

http://www.omegaowners.com/forum/YaBB.pl?num=1152902108

 :-/  :-/  :-/  :-/ Can't say for my driver's door - it was goosed when I bought the car, but the passenger door's bush was fine, and the door around the check strap still failed. Cost cutting is why I think the doors fail, Senators never had the nylon bush but never suffered from failed doors or check straps.
I needed a new check strap aswell as reinforcing plates on my driver's door - it was sat in bits at the bottom of the door when I removed the trim.

[Christian]

So........

Check list!

New checkstrap and Braces?

Oh and also touch up paint just to cover half a mm of crack?

[Techno]

Mine went years ago the strap/bushes/mechanism where all well lubbed the bracket in the door just ripped out, I can see pieces of the bracket sandwiched between the two bolts just hanging in the hole where they once were.

It doesn't look an easy repair for someone that’s not got access to a welder as a new plate needs to be fitted.  

[hotel21]

The repair plates are sandwiched either side of the existing door panel, pulled together with slightly oversize bolts.  Might take a bit of shaping to ensure the outer (A pillar) plate fits correctly into the preform of the door, but easily achievable and without door removal or welding...  

[Christian]

Am in process of buying a strap before it gets to that stage.

If in doubt i will Slap a post up here  

[hotel21]

Remember there is a recognised VX repair that involves a pair of preshaped plates and a couple of screws, no welding required...

Must search and find a thread/pics,...  

[Techno]

The repair plates are sandwiched either side of the existing door panel, pulled together with slightly oversize bolts.  Might take a bit of shaping to ensure the outer (A pillar) plate fits correctly into the preform of the door, but easily achievable and without door removal or welding...  

On mine the whole lot has gone the holes where the plate as you say screws through/to is on the end of the check strap just ripped right out.

[hotel21]

A quick google...

some people have noticed that when closing and opening the front door on an omega (especially the driver's door as it gets more use) that there is a kind of cracking noise.

A "fix" for this is documented on the omega owners' group on yahoo - but I tried this and it did NOT fix the problem. Worth doing though, as it will stop the internal bracket tearing which isn't good!

What did fix the problem though, is also replacing the plastic bushes that fit between the check strap and the big bolt that fixes it to the bracket on the 'A' pillar, as shown below:

http://img467.imageshack.us/img467/8067/dscf02743vr.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Parts required

4 x 9195961 (repair plate)
4 x 13104167 (torx headed screws)
2 x 90462823 (plastic bushes)

total cost for these from Vx (retail) is £5.90

Procedure


First off, the repair plates I bought (helpfully) had a nice sticky label on each one with the part number. Ideally use proper label remover to get them off as you need to paint the brackets to prevent rust. I found that the Maplin label remover (part no. N63AN, £2.99 per can) does a very good job.

You also need to cut down at least two of the brackets - cut off the top 8mm or so and round off the corners, turn 180 degrees and repeat. The info I've read differs - one source says do both brackets for each door, the Vx field rememedy info says to do just the outer one. I'd already done both anyway ... once this is done, paint the brackets to prevent rust.

So for each door you will have two brackets, two screws and one plastic bush. The brackets and screws should be similar to this:

http://img370.imageshack.us/img370/8730/dscf02736ap.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

before installation, the door check strap fitting to the door looks like this:

http://img471.imageshack.us/img471/8665/dscf0280a8hj.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Start by removing the door card (see Haynes manual page 11.8 if needed), then the front speaker. Note that removal of the plastic sheet is NOT needed for this job - so no problems if you've got side airbags fitted.

The hardest part I found was removing the door locking knob - the Haynes manual makes it look so easy to remove the clip - but it's best done with a sharp knife initially to make a suitable gap as it's a tight fit otherwise. If it's been removed before then it shouldn't be a problem.

to remove the check strap itself, use an 8mm socket - alternating between the top and bottom bolts. When they are out, remove the pin in the 'A' pillar bracket. This will require two 10mm spanners initially - after a few turns the nut on the bottom can be undone by hand - then remove the pin.

At this point you may want to use latex gloves (unless you like greasy hands) - reach inside the door through the speaker hole and remove the check strap. The mechanism should be covered in grease, you may want to re-grease the mechanism at this point for good measure.

Put one of the plates over the end of the mechanism and see if the screw holes in the plate line up with those on the check strap. If not you'll need to bend the check strap brackets slightly to match (both mine were slightly out).

The second reinforcement plate needs to sit between the door and the fixing bolts - I found the best way to do this is to get the check strap into its' approximate position, then pull it back, fit the plate and push it through again.

Fit the two new bolts through the inner and outer reinforcement plates and into the check strap - note that they have a T30 torx head and not standard 8mm hexagonal. On the driver's side, I had trouble getting the bolts in position - it turned out that there was a slight lip which the reinforcement plate needed to be sat on top of, otherwise it was about 1mm out. When complete it should look like this:

http://img391.imageshack.us/img391/9482/dscf02895nr.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

(I suppose a bit of paint over the screw heads wouldn't be a bad idea either )

Next comes the bushes. They fit on the end of the check straps, between the bolt and the strap, as below:

http://img515.imageshack.us/img515/3609/dscf02860lt.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Push out the old, replace with the new. Ideally grease the pin before replacing - it may now not go right the way through without "assistance" due to the new bush, but there should be enough to fit the nut onto. Tighten up using the two 10mm spanners as per removal, which will pull the pin down through the bush.

[Entwood]

we have a comprehensive "how to" on our own site ...  I posted the link earlier ...

http://www.omegaowners.com/forum/YaBB.pl?num=1152902108

[Christian]

Yea i got that cheers!  

[hotel21]

we have a comprehensive "how to" on our own site ...  I posted the link earlier ...

http://www.omegaowners.com/forum/YaBB.pl?num=1152902108

sorry, never looked....  Forgot that one was there...

Google is your friend....    

[ians]

This is definitely one of those jobs that is best tackled sooner rather than later.

I would change the bushes anyway.  For 20p and 5 minutes work, what could be easier?  

I am not sure Christian that you need a new check strap,  but it does sound like your door bracket is starting to tear, so you need to get the repair kit - two plates and two screws (purchase separately) per door (about a fiver all in as I recall)and get it installed quickly, otherwise the tear will get worse and more difficult to fix.

Note there is NO welding required for the repair kit, even if the door bracket has torn.

[Techno]

Note there is NO welding required for the repair kit, even if the door bracket has torn.

This is interesting but I cant see (myself) how, as the bracket kit works by sandwiching the old door bracket between the new plates and using the same holes.

In my case all of the steel including the holes has been ripped out and is dangling on the end of the check strap lever arm, leaving a hole at least the size of the kit plates, so there is nothing to sandwich anything too it's all gone  

[ians]

Note there is NO welding required for the repair kit, even if the door bracket has torn.

This is interesting but I cant see (myself) how, as the bracket kit works by sandwiching the old door bracket between the new plates and using the same holes.

In my case all of the steel including the holes has been ripped out and is dangling on the end of the check strap lever arm, leaving a hole at least the size of the kit plates, so there is nothing to sandwich anything too it's all gone  

Are you sure the hole is that big?  The plates are quite large..
But this illustrates why the problem is best dealt with quickly - although not much help in your case.

The repair kit 'sandwich' is
outer plate (from kit)
original bracket
inner plate (from kit)
check strap - into which the bolts screw

So even if the original bracket is quite badly torn, holes enlarged etc it doesn't matter, other than that you will need it approximately flat in order to get the bolts in.

The next solution (if it really is too late for the repair kit) is to get a replacement bracket (they can be bought from the stealers I think) and weld.

[Techno]

I'll try and post a picture later, if you can imagine looking at the the bracket (as in the pictures posted) BOTH the bolts and the bracket steel has been pulled through.  Leaving an oval shaped hole and is hanging on the end of the strap arm back inside the door.