Re-installing Door Panel

After replacing the door latch and actuator on my 94 Explorer, see http://www.explorerforum.com/forums//showthread.php?t=170619 ,
it was time to re-install of the door panel. After putting the plastic water shield back on with double sided tape and replacing a few plastic panel "rivets" I set the panel back on the door. After aligning everything and getting everything to work I am now stuck on how to get the two two inch screws that hold the panel to the door just above the door pull on the inner panel lined up well enough to screw them in. Just can't seem to line them up. Have thought of using two lengths of stiff wire about eight inches long (coat hanger?) to run out from the clips through the door panel and line them up that way. Any other ideas?

 

[MATTS02]

Strange. There's not something blocking the holes is there? I've pulled/replaced probably 50 door panels in my time, that's not a problem I can remember having. Try either lifting the panel up just a smidge or bear down on it, that usually works for me.

 

[robertsc]

No there isn't.

I did it two ways, first I lined everything up including the plastic Christmas tree rivets and actually banged in the panel. At that point I couldn't find the holes with the screws. The second way was to hang the panel but not bang in the rivets. Pushing in the panel at the door pull also didn't find the screw holes in the screw clips.

One thing I am going to try is putting WD-40 on the clips so the screws screw in easily which they are not doing right now, but that doesn't solve the lining up problem.

 

[robertsc]

Problem solved with the two screws. The C shaped channel at the top of the door next to the weather seal and lock push button had gotten bent over so that the panel wouldn't hook in correctly at the top right. Although I could force the Christmas tree pins in and all that, it just wasn't lined up right. As soon as I straightened the channel and the panel hooked at the top right, everything was lined up and the screws went in with no problems. I did however put WD40 on both the screw sockets and screws before reassembly.