Door latch

[stevenelle]

Drivers side door on B2B will open from inside latch but not from outside latch. I wonder if something wears out eventually and whether the whole inner latch mechanism needs to be replaced or if something else might be a fix.  Outer handle turns but does not completely retract the bolt.  Any assistance is appreciated.  

[Jeff Balazs]

Have you tried lubricating the latch assembly? If not that may do the trick. It is possible too that one of the latch springs has gotten weak or has broken.

 

Jeff

[41/53dodges]

My passenger side latch did this, a piece of metal wears out on the inside. We repaired it with a welder, just built the material back up and ground it to fit. It was like brand new until I replaced the doors!

[stevenelle]

Lubrication has not helped.  Zenmaster - how much of a hassle is it to remove the latch mechanism for the fix?  (I presume here that you are not just talking about the square extension of the outer door handle - which is not the problem in my situation).  Thanks.  

[HanksB3B]

Lubrication has not helped.  Zenmaster - how much of a hassle is it to remove the latch mechanism for the fix?  (I presume here that you are not just talking about the square extension of the outer door handle - which is not the problem in my situation).  Thanks.  

 

 It's a gotta-do hassel like many things on our truck. A two hour job if everything works out and you don't have a broken spring. Thery are near impossible to find but I think Desotodav's spring maker is starting to produce them in stainless steel.

 

Good Luck (most of us have BTDT),

 

Hank 

[ggdad1951]

you have to remove the door handle and the trim panel (to get tot eh mounting screws) on the door to remove, not all that bad,  but you MIGHT have to also remove the window regulator as well.  I've never tried to only take one out with the regulator in the door still.

[Larry Leibhart]

I could not get the door latch out until I removed the window regulator maybe possible but difficult. I could not figure out any angle to get it out.

[Todd B]

Make sure there is no small children in the room when you attempt to put it back in place. Swearing is usally involved. 

[HanksB3B]

Make sure there is no small children in the room when you attempt to put it back in place. Swearing is usally involved. 

 It's actually a Pilothouse Required Course called "Patience 101" where you learn to just take your time, not force anything. be very gentle, and curse like a MF when that approach fails go inside and have a beer and when it pays off, go inside and have a beer. That way either way you win! 

 

Hank. 

 

hint: psst it's the window channel... 

[Desotodav]

 It's a gotta-do hassel like many things on our truck. A two hour job if everything works out and you don't have a broken spring. They are near impossible to find but I think Desotodav's spring maker is starting to produce them in stainless steel.

 

I'll bring some of the stainless steel door latch spring sets over with me in a few weeks time Hank.

 

I still have to pull my driver's side apart to replace the spring which solves external 'door handle droop'. I'm not really looking forward to the job, but it has to be done (eventually)!

[HanksB3B]

I'll bring some of the stainless steel door latch spring sets over with me in a few weeks time Hank.

 

I still have to pull my driver's side apart to replace the spring which solves external 'door handle droop'. I'm not really looking forward to the job, but it has to be done (eventually)!

 

 

stevenelle,

 

Davin's post above, plus comments from the posts above,  shouild tell you all you need to know about doing this job..

 

(looking for my parts scan)..there ya go,,,

 

 

 

Welcome,

 

Hank   

Edited March 11, 2014 by HanksB3B

[bach4660]

Make sure there is no small children in the room when you attempt to put it back in place. Swearing is usally involved. 

but they got tiny little hands to reach in

[stevenelle]

Thanks to all of you for the info.  This is what I was afraid of but was hoping for an easier solution.  I think the Lord wants me to develop more patience so here we go with Lesson No. 1.  

[Merle Coggins]

Is the window regulator really in the way? I know the track is, but I would think if the window was rolled up you'd be able to get the latch out. I could be wrong though.

I do know that you need to detach the inside latch pivot from the door and allow the arm to fold down so that it's in a vertical position. Then you can remove the screws from the main latch assembly and rotate the assembly around the window channel to remove it.

 

Merle

[HanksB3B]

Is the window regulator really in the way? I know the track is, but I would think if the window was rolled up you'd be able to get the latch out. I could be wrong though.

I do know that you need to detach the inside latch pivot from the door and allow the arm to fold down so that it's in a vertical position. Then you can remove the screws from the main latch assembly and rotate the assembly around the window channel to remove it.

 

Merle

 

This is true and you kind of learn this trick when you gut the door, but it is easier to just gut the door. Are all your gaskets, window chanel, weatherstrip, felt, clips and little window pane bumpers new. Now would be the time.

 

Hank,

 

(lately spending a lot of time re-doing things I rushed through) (you know what they say about a job worth doing..right?)  

[pflaming]

". . . just gut the door, gaskets, window chanel, weatherstrip, felt, clips and little window pane bumpers new, that would be the time. . ."  

Thanks, I've already ordered the grand kids to the house, have a cooler on order, and some wide masking tape  for my . . . All window seals arrived from Roberts.  Gonna be an interesting three weeks tween now and April 4. Still hopeful I'll be able to drive Feenix to the Q with Chloe. 

 

PS: anyone have an extra service manual? Mine and all notes are now in reconstituted unreadable matter. Got to get one soon.