Featured

Featured Guide

Difficulty

Difficult

Steps

22

Time Required

                          1 - 2 hours

Sections

1

  • Body Shell
  • 22 steps

Flags

2

This guide has been found to be exceptionally cool by the iFixit staff.

Member-Contributed Guide

An awesome member of our community made this guide. It is not managed by iFixit staff.

  • BackDJI Phantom 4

  • Full Screen

  • Options

  • History

  • Save to Favorites

  • Download PDF

  • Edit

  • Translate

  • Get Shareable Link

  • Embed This Guide

  • Notify Me of Changes

  • Stop Notifications

Introduction

This guide will give you a step-by-step on how to replace the shell of your DJI drone so you can do it yourself and not have to pay a stranger to touch your valuables.

*Notice, this repair does require some soldering.

What you need

Step 1

              Remove Propellers
  • Push down and twist the propellers counter-clockwise to release from the drone.

Push down and twist the propellers counter-clockwise to release from the drone.

1024

Step 2

              Remove Battery
  • Firmly press the battery tabs on top and bottom of the battery and slide out the battery.

Firmly press the battery tabs on top and bottom of the battery and slide out the battery.

Step 3

              Remove Gimbal Lock
  • If gimbal lock is still on, remove it from the drone.

If gimbal lock is still on, remove it from the drone.

Step 4

              Remove the Shell's Main Screws
  • Using a T8 screwdriver, remove the eight Torx screws from the plastic shell.

Using a T8 screwdriver, remove the eight Torx screws from the plastic shell.

Step 5

              Remove Gimbal Assembly Screws
  • Using a T6 screwdriver, remove all eight screws on the grey gimbal assembly.

Using a T6 screwdriver, remove all eight screws on the grey gimbal assembly.

Step 6

              Remove Gimbal Assembly
  • Using a plastic spudger or pick, gently pry the gimbal assembly from the drone.
  • Do not try to pull the gimbal assembly away from drone just yet—there are cables that must be unplugged first.

Using a plastic spudger or pick, gently pry the gimbal assembly from the drone.

Do not try to pull the gimbal assembly away from drone just yet—there are cables that must be unplugged first.

Step 7

              Remove the Gimbal Cable's Screws & Bracket
  • Using a Phillips #000 screwdriver, remove the two screws and the gimbal bracket.

Using a Phillips #000 screwdriver, remove the two screws and the gimbal bracket.

Step 8

              Unplug the Gimbal
  • Using your fingers or needle-nose pliers, gently unplug the left (red box) cable by pushing in the white clips on the sides and sliding the cable out.
  • Using a spudger, unplug the 3-in-1 cable on the right (orange box) by gently prying up.

Using your fingers or needle-nose pliers, gently unplug the left (red box) cable by pushing in the white clips on the sides and sliding the cable out.

Using a spudger, unplug the 3-in-1 cable on the right (orange box) by gently prying up.

Step 9

              Remove the Antenna Screws & Bracket
  • Using a Phillips #000 screwdriver, remove the two screws and the antenna bracket.

Using a Phillips #000 screwdriver, remove the two screws and the antenna bracket.

Step 10

              Unplug Antenna Cables
  • Using a spudger, gently disconnect the four antenna cables.
  • Remember the order in which the antenna cables are plugged in, or refer to this step during reassembly.

Using a spudger, gently disconnect the four antenna cables.

Remember the order in which the antenna cables are plugged in, or refer to this step during reassembly.

Step 11

              Remove Plastic Clip Screws
  • Using a Phillips #000 screwdriver, remove the two screws located on the white plastic tabs.

Using a Phillips #000 screwdriver, remove the two screws located on the white plastic tabs.

Step 12

              Bend Metal Clips Up
  • Using a spudger, carefully bend the two metal clips upwards.
  • Be gentle and do not break the clips. You will need to bend them back down upon reassembly.

Using a spudger, carefully bend the two metal clips upwards.

Be gentle and do not break the clips. You will need to bend them back down upon reassembly.

Step 13

              Remove LED Cover and Sticker
  • Using a spudger or flathead screwdriver, gently pry up the LED cover.
  • Using a spudger or flathead screwdriver, carefully pry up the underlying sticker.
  • PRO TIP: Stick the sticker to the smooth side of the plastic LED cover to keep it clean and from losing stick. PRO TIP on reassembly: be sure to align the stickers so the tab fits in the snap slot.
  • Repeat this step on all four LED covers.

Using a spudger or flathead screwdriver, gently pry up the LED cover.

Using a spudger or flathead screwdriver, carefully pry up the underlying sticker.

PRO TIP: Stick the sticker to the smooth side of the plastic LED cover to keep it clean and from losing stick. PRO TIP on reassembly: be sure to align the stickers so the tab fits in the snap slot.

Repeat this step on all four LED covers.

Step 14

              Remove Shell/Motor T8 Screws
  • Using a T8 screwdriver, remove the 3 screws that attach the shell and motors together.
  • Repeat this step on all 4 motors.

Using a T8 screwdriver, remove the 3 screws that attach the shell and motors together.

Repeat this step on all 4 motors.

Step 15

              Separate Body Shell
  • Using a spudger or pick, carefully pry your way around the seam, undoing the clips that attach the shell together.
  • PRO TIP: If you are replacing the shell because your old shell is trashed, don’t worry about cracking or damaging the broken shell. Just go for it.
  • Do not try to pull the shell completely apart just yet, there are some cables that must be unplugged first.

Using a spudger or pick, carefully pry your way around the seam, undoing the clips that attach the shell together.

PRO TIP: If you are replacing the shell because your old shell is trashed, don’t worry about cracking or damaging the broken shell. Just go for it.

Do not try to pull the shell completely apart just yet, there are some cables that must be unplugged first.

Step 16

              Unplug 2 Cables
  • Using your fingers or needle-nose pliers, gently unplug the cables by pushing in the white clips on the sides and sliding the cables out.

Using your fingers or needle-nose pliers, gently unplug the cables by pushing in the white clips on the sides and sliding the cables out.

Step 17

              LED Rivets
  • Using a knife or flathead screwdriver, remove the melted plastic rivets holding down the LED board. Be careful to not damage the LED.
  • Carefully pry up the LED board from the drone shell.
  • Repeat on all four wings.
  • During reassembly use a dull soldering iron tip to remount the LED board to the new shell.

Using a knife or flathead screwdriver, remove the melted plastic rivets holding down the LED board. Be careful to not damage the LED.

Carefully pry up the LED board from the drone shell.

Repeat on all four wings.

During reassembly use a dull soldering iron tip to remount the LED board to the new shell.

Step 18

              Wire Glue
  • Using a small screwdriver, carefully pry up the motor and LED cables where they are glued down to the shell.
  • Repeat on all four wings.

Using a small screwdriver, carefully pry up the motor and LED cables where they are glued down to the shell.

Step 19

  • Desolder all 12 of the motor wires that connect to the drones mother boards.
  • DO NOT cut the cables with wire cutters—they are enameled wire and are a pain in the butt to solder back together and have them still work. Do yourself a favor and just desolder them from the board.
  • For reassembly, note the order of the cables. While the drone is upside down, black is the top wire, grey is middle, and white is bottom.

Desolder all 12 of the motor wires that connect to the drones mother boards.

DO NOT cut the cables with wire cutters—they are enameled wire and are a pain in the butt to solder back together and have them still work. Do yourself a favor and just desolder them from the board.

For reassembly, note the order of the cables. While the drone is upside down, black is the top wire, grey is middle, and white is bottom.

Step 20

              The Brains
  • Using a T8 screw driver, remove the four screws that mount the battery bay and brains from the upper shell.
  • Carefully remove the brains out of the upper shell.

Using a T8 screw driver, remove the four screws that mount the battery bay and brains from the upper shell.

Carefully remove the brains out of the upper shell.

Step 21

              Shielding
  • Carefully peel the shielding sticker from the upper shell. Note that you can’t remove it all the way until you remove three screws.
  • Using a Phillips #000 driver, remove the three screws that are mounting the board to the upper drone shell.

Carefully peel the shielding sticker from the upper shell. Note that you can’t remove it all the way until you remove three screws.

Using a Phillips #000 driver, remove the three screws that are mounting the board to the upper drone shell.

Step 22

              Legs & Antenna Cables
  • Carefully pry off the screw covers on the legs that are attached to the lower shell.
  • Using a T6 screwdriver, remove the two screws. Repeat on all four corners.
  • Take note on where you are removing the cables from, and install them in the new lower shell in the same way you found them.

Carefully pry off the screw covers on the legs that are attached to the lower shell.

Using a T6 screwdriver, remove the two screws. Repeat on all four corners.

Take note on where you are removing the cables from, and install them in the new lower shell in the same way you found them.

To reassemble your device, follow these instructions in reverse order.

Cancel: I did not complete this guide.

                                                                                      45 other people completed this guide.

Author

                                      with 3 other contributors 


                    ForumHermit

Member since: 08/16/2013

1,658 Reputation

                                      2 Guides authored                  



                       Badges:
                       22







                                                        +19 more badges

ForumHermit - Jul 30, 2017

Reply

**Note that if you crashed your drone and are replacing the body shell, there may be more problems with your drone internally. I replaced my drone shell and kept getting ESC status errors when I would try and take off. I had to send my drone in to DJI to have them fix it. They ended up replacing three of the motors (they were a bit stiff to turn so I wasn’t surprised), the ESC board (left), and the left and right landing gear modules. That all cost me $215 USD which was mostly for the two hours of labor, the parts were cheap.

john racovelli - Aug 9, 2017

Reply

hreat guide but why do you need the heat Gun/shrink?? I’d add a glue gun to secure the motor wires in the arms again…

ForumHermit - Aug 9, 2017

Yeah sorry about that @wahoo66, I’ve removed them from the guide now but I had them in there because I made the mistake of cutting the motor wires instead of just unsoldering them so I used heat shrink tubing and a hot air gun on mine but I don’t recommend people doing what I did.

julio Benitez - Apr 22, 2018

Reply

Great guide thanks or putting it together, it helped me transplant my P4 to a new shell.

To note #22 my landing gear actually had T6 screws not phillips.

Thanks again.

ForumHermit - Apr 23, 2018

Thank you Julio! I’ve just corrected this to saying T6. I’m glad this guide was helpful for you.