How to Drill Doors and Jambs for Loom Install?

[jsera]

Hey guys,
I amadding power windows and locks to my 72 and need to drill the door and jamb to install the loom. I bought the electriclife s shaped loom with the accordion middle section.

I know the door has a double wall. I plan to drill from the inside as the door is currently installed and I would prefer not to have to remove it.

As for the jamb, it seems like there’s a double wall there too? I reached my hand in through the vent door and it seemed that way at least. Do i drill through both here too? I plan on adding the door jamb switches too, would the wires for this drop down between the walls and need to be passed through with the wires from the loom?
Any suggestions and pictures would be appreciated!

[HO455]

There is a space between the jam and the vent channel so going coming out in the air vent isn't the best plan. I would figure out the highest place on the jam that allows the wires to come out of the little hole (see photo for a basic idea where that hole is.) that goes into that void and put your new wires there first and then locate the door side next. The door side can be viewed with a mirror or one of them new fangled phones.

You might do a search for "Cowl rust or door pillar rust" and look at some pictures of the door jams dissected.

[tdangle]

Following as I will need to do the same thing.

[sprint_9]

I will try to explain how I did mine, I thought it turned out pretty good and everything installed and is operating good.

I drilled the holes behind the dash so they would be above my vent, and centered in the pillar. On my truck on the passenger side the dash had a hole already present in the dash panel where its bolted to the cab on the backside of the dash, all I had to do on that side was drill the cab metal. On the drivers side I had to go through both pieces. You can look for that hole and see if you have it, my truck was a 72. I dont have any pictures of the passenger side, only the drivers but it gives you an idea. If you dont have that hole in the dash panel then I think you can also look for the spot welds to make sure you can get centered in the pillar.

From there the wires route through the pillar to the standoff on the pillar for the door switch. I chose to drill the hole to my door inline with that it since all the wires will run together.

On the door Im not sure how you will be able to drill on the truck, I think it would next to impossible since the inside support is angled and there is very little room to work from the inside of the door. You could try to go farther to the outside edge of the door to where it is flat I suppose.

I drilled with my doors off. I previously mocked up the wire conduit and figured out how it would best lay. I then marked on the door where my hole would need to be and removed the door to drill. I drilled everything from the outside in. Starting with the hole that the conduit would sit in, I think my conduit called for a 7/8 hole. Once that hole was drilled I took a 5/8 bit and drilled at the correct angle of the inside piece so the drill was square to the inner panel.

For wire protection I found a plastic bushing and inserted it into the inner brace of the door. The conduit provides wire protection exiting the cab and entering the door. Behind the dash I used a rubber grommet. I drilled holes in the inner door panel to bolt some clamps to, and all the wire is loomed with either braided loom or split loom.

Pictures are,

Behind the dash hole. Conduit exiting cab.

Holes drilled into door. Everything installed.

Inside the door.

[jsera]

Thanks for the info and pics guys! Unfortunately my truck does not have the hole behind the dash so I’ll have to put it there myself. As for the hole for the loom, I should be able to drill in the face of the door jamb that is parallel to the front of the door when it’s closed?

[Smitty]

If drilling from inside the door. Keep in mind that you will have metal filings which will rest in the bottom of the door. And serve as something to attract rust. Try to blow or vacuum them out.

[Bigdav160]

Originally Posted by jsera

Thanks for the info and pics guys! Unfortunately my truck does not have the hole behind the dash so I’ll have to put it there myself. As for the hole for the loom, I should be able to drill in the face of the door jamb that is parallel to the front of the door when it’s closed?

The problem is there is another internal wall in the door that must be drilled. Here's a pic without the door skin

[Peanut74]

This thread has great information that I will be using on my '67. However one piece of information missing was what wire loom boot was used. So after doing some more research I found two options:
1) Z-Rubber boot wire loom from One Piece Products
2) Front door wire boot from a 2006 Kia Sonoma (I will be going this route.)

[sprint_9]

https://www.nu-relics.com/Conduit-s/188.htm

[FRCvette]

I used nu-relic looms worked pretty well.

[Peanut74]

Thanks for the link Sprint 9. I was doing searches and could not find them so I went to the local junk yard. I will keep these in mind if mine don't work out.

[Rickjz]

How about a magnet to retrieve the metal shavings?