Shaving your door handles is a big step in several key areas. First off, you are making a commitment towards a real custom ride. Second, you're trusting someone else can do the bodywork. And third, you believe the product being installed will not permanently lock you out of your ride. We've had dozens of trucks with shaved doors and will admit there are pros and cons with eliminating the handles. A clean truck, however, with no obstructions on the body is a show-winning combination and we believe that once done right, shaved door handles should be considered a custom-truck must.
We've shown you how to perform the bodywork in recent issues, but in this installment we wanted to show you how easy the actual installation of the solenoids, poppers, and wiring is to accomplish. To help us, we went to AudioToyz in Las Flores, California, where Jesse installed a set of SPAL 40-pound solenoids. We felt reassured installing the SPAL components in our project truck, because all of the products are made in the USA and rigorously tested to meet strict requirements. It only took about an hour and a half to have our doors popping open with the push of a button. Check out the photos to see if your truck is in need of shaved handles.
1. Here is the SPAL 40-pound door handle shave kit. The box included two solenoids, high-strength cables, heavy-duty wiring and relays, a control box, and two remotes. Keep in mind we're showing you how to install the poppers once the handles are already removed and the bodywork was complete. | 
2. Jesse, from AudioToyz, in Las Flores, California, began the install by first removing the door panel to gain access to the inner door shell. Once the panel was off, he placed the solenoid inside the door to figure out the best location to mount it. Two things were factors here, including the length for the cables to pull the latch release and ample space to mount the bolts onto the door. | 
3. Before any holes were drilled and the SPAL solenoid had been mounted, Jesse crimped the positive and negative wires to the bottom of the solenoid. |
4. With the wires loosely run and the cable length decided, Jesse crimped the supplied aluminum slide down over the cable. This is an important step because the cable cannot come loose or else the pulling power of the solenoid will pull it loose. | 
5. Once it was secured, the solenoid with the cable attached was placed inside the door and Jesse held it with one hand while marking it from the outside. | 
6. After marking the holes, Jesse drilled the holes for the solenoid mounting bolts. |