# Rubber Door Loom for Running Wire



## HisHeirness23 (Jul 28, 2009)

I drive a very old car ('66 Chevy) and needless to say, it did not come with power doors/windows. I am in the process of adding speakers to the doors, but need to find a rubber loom/boot that is similar to modern cars for running wire from the chassis to the door. Any suggestions?


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## dogsbark26 (Feb 10, 2009)

Have you ever visited a junkyard where they let you roam around and collect parts you want to buy? That is where I would go to look for exactly what I wanted for an installation like yours.


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## HisHeirness23 (Jul 28, 2009)

dogsbark26 said:


> Have you ever visited a junkyard where they let you roam around and collect parts you want to buy? That is where I would go to look for exactly what I wanted for an installation like yours.


I have thought about that, but was hoping to use that as a last resort. Even if it cost more, I would much rather purchase something new and universal.


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## Pitmaster (Feb 16, 2010)

Rubber grommets that will fit snug around the speaker wire(1 on the door jamb,1 on the A-pillar) don't look as nice, but do the trick


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## HisHeirness23 (Jul 28, 2009)

Pitmaster said:


> Rubber grommets that will fit snug around the speaker wire(1 on the door jamb,1 on the A-pillar) don't look as nice, but do the trick


I first considered this as an option, but I was worried how the speaker wire would hold up and also if the rubber grommets would hinder the speaker wire from sliding back into the door/chassis. Not to mention, it may not be water tight.


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## Pitmaster (Feb 16, 2010)

Leave some slack in the wire between the door and pillar, that's all you need for door movement.
You really don't get much running water in this area, a snug fitting grommet will do.


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## HisHeirness23 (Jul 28, 2009)

You don't worry about the speaker wire getting pinched/severed? I am assuming that you did this to your car? Maybe you can post pictures


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## Miller319 (Jan 8, 2012)

Some on eBay from Jegs.

Electric Life 5050-10-099 Rubber Door Loom JEGS | eBay


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## HisHeirness23 (Jul 28, 2009)

Miller319 said:


> Some on eBay from Jegs.
> 
> Electric Life 5050-10-099 Rubber Door Loom JEGS | eBay


I saw these, but wasn't sure if these would seal very well and keep from water entering my car. Do you have experience with these?


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## Pitmaster (Feb 16, 2010)

I've done this in my last two vehicles, which translates to about 250,000 mi of daily driving.
The rubber grommets will prevent scuffing/chafing.
Just check clearance of the wire to obstructions to prevent pinching.
The alternative would require removing the door,cutting two large holes instead of small ones, to get the same results
I could post pictures but..........


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## underdog (Jul 5, 2011)

Door Solenoids Looms


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## HisHeirness23 (Jul 28, 2009)

Pitmaster said:


> I've done this in my last two vehicles, which translates to about 250,000 mi of daily driving.
> The rubber grommets will prevent scuffing/chafing.
> Just check clearance of the wire to obstructions to prevent pinching.
> The alternative would require removing the door,cutting two large holes instead of small ones, to get the same results
> I could post pictures but..........


That is a good point. Removing the doors would be a pain, but it would turn out pretty clean. Pics...please?


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## Pitmaster (Feb 16, 2010)

HisHeirness23 said:


> I saw these, but wasn't sure if these would seal very well and keep from water entering my car. Do you have experience with these?


Looks likes the answer, with only a 1/2" hole:thumbsup:


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## HisHeirness23 (Jul 28, 2009)

underdog said:


> Door Solenoids Looms


WOW!!! They have some amazing stuff on that website! Any experience with these?


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## dman (Dec 21, 2008)

every old car we do, i just go to the GM house and buy the OEM rubber door boots..


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## HisHeirness23 (Jul 28, 2009)

dman said:


> every old car we do, i just go to the GM house and buy the OEM rubber door boots..


Do you have a link or any pictures?


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## spl152db (Dec 20, 2007)

HisHeirness23 said:


> Do you have a link or any pictures?


I would do the magnum shooters from that website, or something similar. you can hide them better and it'll keep a clean appearance.


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## HisHeirness23 (Jul 28, 2009)

spl152db said:


> I would do the magnum shooters from that website, or something similar. you can hide them better and it'll keep a clean appearance.


They do look very slick, but I would only consider these if they worked really well. If anyone has any experience with these and could chime in, I would give it a shot. They're not very expensive, either. I would have to make sure that my door's clearance would accommodate these.


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## jhsellers (Jan 7, 2012)

Pitmaster said:


> Rubber grommets that will fit snug around the speaker wire(1 on the door jamb,1 on the A-pillar) don't look as nice, but do the trick


Pitmaster's first suggestion is the best, in my opinion, when cabling vehicle doors with no factory wiring. I've used this method before, with a length of SJO cord for the segment of wiring to pass between door and fender. Put a half-twist (or maybe it would be a full-twist?) in the cord (like you would if you're coiling it up), in the section between the two grommets, and it will act like a drip loop while also preventing kinking or repetitive flexing when the door closes. The twisted coil section of cable will just collapse and hang unpinched between the jamb as the door closes. 

Three conductor cord - such as that on power tools - is good for one speaker/set. Or, if you're using components, you can also find 4 or 5 conductor jacketed cord at a home supply store. Just ask for SJO cable, or SJ cable, in 14/16AWG - this will be fine for the short section; you can butt splice it to your regular speaker wire on each side of the door junction. (you could also use outdoor extention cord/cable, if you have one that's available to cannabalize.) 

Using a jacketed cord like this will seal in the grommets easier, plus it's more resistant to weather and breakage. It will also require a much smaller hole than using one of the corrugated loom pieces. Drilling holes in sheet metal becomes harder to do without getting ragged edges when the holes get larger. 

Hope this helps,
John


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## HisHeirness23 (Jul 28, 2009)

jhsellers said:


> Pitmaster's first suggestion is the best, in my opinion, when cabling vehicle doors with no factory wiring. I've used this method before, with a length of SJO cord for the segment of wiring to pass between door and fender. Put a half-twist (or maybe it would be a full-twist?) in the cord (like you would if you're coiling it up), in the section between the two grommets, and it will act like a drip loop while also preventing kinking or repetitive flexing when the door closes. The twisted coil section of cable will just collapse and hang unpinched between the jamb as the door closes.
> 
> Three conductor cord - such as that on power tools - is good for one speaker/set. Or, if you're using components, you can also find 4 or 5 conductor jacketed cord at a home supply store. Just ask for SJO cable, or SJ cable, in 14/16AWG - this will be fine for the short section; you can butt splice it to your regular speaker wire on each side of the door junction. (you could also use outdoor extention cord/cable, if you have one that's available to cannabalize.)
> 
> ...


I did not think about putting the twist in the wire, but i can visualize it and it sounds like a great idea. I guess the difficult part would be maintaining that twist. My speaker wire would be following the floor from the trunk along the side of the interior until the kickpanel area. Then it would exit the chassis in the door jam area and enter the front driver and passenger-side door. Would I need to secure the speaker wire to the chassis to keep the speaker wire from unraveling?


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## jhsellers (Jan 7, 2012)

HisHeirness23 said:


> I did not think about putting the twist in the wire, but i can visualize it and it sounds like a great idea. I guess the difficult part would be maintaining that twist. My speaker wire would be following the floor from the trunk along the side of the interior until the kickpanel area. Then it would exit the chassis in the door jam area and enter the front driver and passenger-side door. Would I need to secure the speaker wire to the chassis to keep the speaker wire from unraveling?


The twist will stay, as long as you size the grommets and holes to the cable. Seal it with a bit of silicone caulk, and it should stay put and not "recoil". There won't be any stress to untwist it - it's not like you want to coil it tightly; you only want one twist in the cable so it will lay flat when the door closes. 

Regarding the Magnum Shooters - posted by spl152db - I like these for wiring that might not be energized when opening/closing the doors, but that's not usually the case with any vehicle wiring. There's always the chance that the doors can be opened with active circuits - and that's dangerous/hazardous. (maybe not to life or safety, but it might have consequences for the vehicle's equipment...) 

Good luck with it.


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## spl152db (Dec 20, 2007)

jhsellers said:


> The twist will stay, as long as you size the grommets and holes to the cable. Seal it with a bit of silicone caulk, and it should stay put and not "recoil". There won't be any stress to untwist it - it's not like you want to coil it tightly; you only want one twist in the cable so it will lay flat when the door closes.
> 
> Regarding the Magnum Shooters - posted by spl152db - I like these for wiring that might not be energized when opening/closing the doors, but that's not usually the case with any vehicle wiring. There's always the chance that the doors can be opened with active circuits - and that's dangerous/hazardous. (maybe not to life or safety, but it might have consequences for the vehicle's equipment...)
> 
> Good luck with it.


only thing to worry about would be the speakers maybe. locks? nope. windows? nope.


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## dogsbark26 (Feb 10, 2009)

I cannot imagine anything looking better, lasting longer or just plain working than the equipment auto manufacturers use for exactly this purpose. That is why I suggested a junkyard. Some cars have a lot of electronics in the doors and so use large connectors. Others use smaller.

Do what you will but I am not suggesting a junkyard in order to save money but to source the best product for the purpose imho.


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## dman (Dec 21, 2008)

HisHeirness23 said:


> Do you have a link or any pictures?


just ask for boots for 88-93 chevy truck.


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## HondAudio (Oct 19, 2006)

These:

18 Inch Long Stainless Steel Door Loom (1 Pair)


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## gtsdohcvvtli (Aug 17, 2011)

The DEI 524n door actuators come with rubber boots. 

524N DEI 2-Wire Power Door Lock Actuator

If u ever need an actuator youll have one. Lol


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## HisHeirness23 (Jul 28, 2009)

dogsbark26 said:


> I cannot imagine anything looking better, lasting longer or just plain working than the equipment auto manufacturers use for exactly this purpose. That is why I suggested a junkyard. Some cars have a lot of electronics in the doors and so use large connectors. Others use smaller.
> 
> Do what you will but I am not suggesting a junkyard in order to save money but to source the best product for the purpose imho.


Understood. I will try and find one near my house. Not sure what would be involved with installing one, but hoping that it wouldn't require removing the doors. Although, I do need to replace the hinges on my doors, so this might be a great opportunity to do so.


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## dman (Dec 21, 2008)

before i would go running through a junkyard, pulling old boots out of doors, i would go to dealership as already mentioned and pay for brand new ones, they are like $8-$9 each..


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## HisHeirness23 (Jul 28, 2009)

dman said:


> before i would go running through a junkyard, pulling old boots out of doors, i would go to dealership as already mentioned and pay for brand new ones, they are like $8-$9 each..


If the 88-93 boots you suggested are in that price range, then I will definitely have to make my way to a dealership and visit their parts department.


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## dman (Dec 21, 2008)

HisHeirness23 said:


> If the 88-93 boots you suggested are in that price range, then I will definitely have to make my way to a dealership and visit their parts department.


i will try to see if i can dig up the part # for you, but as i said, simply ask them to look up the door boots for that years chevy truck, i have never been when they didnt have in stock actually..


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## Rexrode (Jul 1, 2008)

Here' a pic of using rubber grommets in my Acura, it's been this way for a couple of years without any leak or pinching issues. The big one is a factory grommet that I put a hole in, the other is a .20 one that I got at the hardware store. Drill a hole, cover the wire to make it pretty, put in the grommet,spray the wire with soap/water, feed the wire through, done.


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## HisHeirness23 (Jul 28, 2009)

dman said:


> i will try to see if i can dig up the part # for you, but as i said, simply ask them to look up the door boots for that years chevy truck, i have never been when they didnt have in stock actually..


Thank you, much appreciated!


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## HisHeirness23 (Jul 28, 2009)

Rexrode said:


> Here' a pic of using rubber grommets in my Acura, it's been this way for a couple of years without any leak or pinching issues. The big one is a factory grommet that I put a hole in, the other is a .20 one that I got at the hardware store. Drill a hole, cover the wire to make it pretty, put in the grommet,spray the wire with soap/water, feed the wire through, done.


This looks like it turned out really well. I like the techflex jacket. I am assuming that you don't have a half-twist in it, but you mention that you don't have any issues with pinches. Does the cable stay in place or does it move in and out of the grommets?


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## Rexrode (Jul 1, 2008)

No twist of any kind, just roughly measure the throw of the door. It stays in place, doesn't slide at all. As a matter of fact, I put a little glue in the grommet valley when installing it, so when I was pulling the wire in & out to get the perfect length, I had to keep spraying the wire w/ soap mixture because it didn't want to just pull out, the fit it really snug.
This area of your car is far from a tight fit, there's more room between the door & fender than you think. Remember, the hinges are in there, so you have all that room of clearance. 
Good luck with whatever you choose!!!


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## Pitmaster (Feb 16, 2010)

Pitmaster said:


> I've done this in my last two vehicles, which translates to about 250,000 mi of daily driving.
> The rubber grommets will prevent scuffing/chafing.
> Just check clearance of the wire to obstructions to prevent pinching.
> The alternative would require removing the door,cutting two large holes instead of small ones, to get the same results
> I could post pictures but..........


These suggestions sound familiar:huh2:


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## HisHeirness23 (Jul 28, 2009)

Pitmaster said:


> These suggestions sound familiar:huh2:


Yes, he did the same thing you did. Did you use techflex as insulation on your speaker wire?


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## Pitmaster (Feb 16, 2010)

Nope, just Knukonceptz Kharma SS wire.
It has a 2nd layer of insulation and is rated for marine use also.
It's kinda shabby/shiek on its own.


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## HisHeirness23 (Jul 28, 2009)

Pitmaster said:


> Nope, just Knukonceptz Kharma SS wire.
> It has a 2nd layer of insulation and is rated for marine use also.
> It's kinda shabby/shiek on its own.


What gauge wire is that?


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## Pitmaster (Feb 16, 2010)

12 / 3/8" OD


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