Door latch rotor

[busycoupe]

The latch on the passenger door of my coupe has a worn latch rotor.  The rotor has four lobes and turns one quarter tun each time you open the door.  The rotor on mine has one worn or damaged lobe.  Every fourth time you close the door it does not latch securely. Has anyone ever replaced one of these rotors? I see that Andy Bernbaum lists them in his catalog, ar they difficult to replace?  

Edited April 14, 2017 by busycoupe

[busycoupe]

I called Bernbaum.  Although their website says that several door rotor kits are available, they do not have any for the 1948 Dodge.  After some further research it looks like the rotor is not easily replaced.  Apparently I need a door latch assembly.

i will continue to look for one.

[Andydodge]

You might find that the drivers rear door on a 4dr sedan will be the same assembly, just a suggestion as I know on my 1940 Oz Dodge 4dr sedan the "opposite" doors are the same latch assemblys.......but are a completely different arrangement to the US versions so any spares I have won't help you......lol.........good luck in the hunt.........andyd.

[Plymouthy Adams]

if suicide 4 door...the front left and right rear.....the right front and left rear....these kits are out there yet but stumbling across them in a box of stuff at a swap meet is your best deal for the money on the average.  I bought 8 kits...4 left, 4 right....lot sale 20.00

[desoto1939]

the item you are looking for is a rotoloc kit that is specific for your car.  the roto-lokkit repair kits were made for the Mopar vehicles.  The kits work for Chryler, Dodge Des from 1939-48  Ply 1940-48.

There is a an L-1 kit that fits on the  left front and right rear  and an L2- that fits the right front left rear door. Here is some info from my Window regulator catalog and the instruction sheet from one of my R-1 kits. Click on the PDF link and the instruction sheet is displayed on how to replace just the roto mechanism.

Rich Hartung

Desoto1939@aol.com

roto-lock.pdfFetching info...

Edited April 15, 2017 by desoto1939

[busycoupe]

Thanks for all of your help.  I now have a better idea of what I am looking for. Rich, thanks for the catalog page and instructions.

[Mortimer452]

My driver door has the same problem except the other way around - three lobes are worn, so I only get a secure latch 1 in 4 times  

Message me when you get this - I just purchased a driver/passenger pair of complete latch assemblies for my '47 on eBay a couple days ago, NOS condition.  I only need the driver side and would be willing to sell the passenger one if you're interested.  Pretty sure '48 used the same latch assembly.  I can send you a pic when I get them.

Edited April 15, 2017 by Mortimer452

[linenbaugh]

  On 4/15/2017 at 6:35 AM, Mortimer452 said:

My driver door has the same problem except the other way around - three lobes are worn, so I only get a secure latch 1 in 4 times  

Message me when you get this - I just purchased a driver/passenger pair of complete latch assemblies for my '47 on eBay a couple days ago, NOS condition.  I only need the driver side and would be willing to sell the passenger one if you're interested.  Pretty sure '48 used the same latch assembly.  I can send you a pic when I get them.

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Hello

I am intersted in your latch if you are willing to ship to sweden Please let me know as i need one latch for my -47 dodge club coupe.

Best regards

Anders

[busycoupe]

Thanks to Rich Hartung I decided to look for a roto lokit. A quick google search turned up several.  I ordered one from Tuscon Packard Parts.  According to the Rotokit box the same kit fits Chrysler, Dodge, Desoto, Studebaker, Packard and Mack trucks.  Apparently they all used the sam kind of door catch.  I wonder if the catches were all supplied by Chrysler, or some outside supplier.  I will let you all know how it works.

[Plymouthy Adams]

If I recall, there is a name stamped on the latch..thinking Hancock or something like that as the outside supplier..from my experience the Stude rotors have a smaller rotor ID...am sure the supplier has a reducing bushing to use these larger shaft rotor on the smaller shaft application making one rotor fit all.

[busycoupe]

I'm sorry that it took so long to follow up on this thread.  I had ordered the roto-lokit from Tucson Packard parts, but 2 days later I got an email from them saying that the listing I saw was old, and they did not have them anymore.  A couple of weeks later I bid on another one on e-bay, but it was sniped from me at the last second.  Last weekend I found another one on the bay with a buy it now price, -- which I did.  The part arrived today and I just finished installing it.  All went well, it took about 45 minutes start to finish, including time to take pictures.  The door seems to close well and snug but I won't know if it is really fixed until I take it for a ride.  It is raining now, but perhaps I can get it out sometime this week-end.  

The first pic is the roto kit as I received it.  The second pic shows the old rotor on the left and the new on the right, as well as the piece of rotor housing you need to to cut off of the door. 

[busycoupe]

I used a reciprocating saw to cut the rotor housing end off. The last pic is the installed roto kit.

[DJ194950]

Q. What holds on the outer cover??

Tks.

DJ

[busycoupe]

You cut off the end of the post and the cap off of the half shell housing on the door. The new shell slips on and is held onto the old one with a set screw on the bottom.

[DJ194950]

Got it.

Thanks,

DJ

[Special Deluxe 48]

  On 4/15/2017 at 12:17 AM, Plymouthy Adams said:

if suicide 4 door...the front left and right rear.....the right front and left rear....these kits are out there yet but stumbling across them in a box of stuff at a swap meet is your best deal for the money on the average.  I bought 8 kits...4 left, 4 right....lot sale 20.00

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I have a 48 Plymouth with suicide 4 door and it already has one of the Roto-Lokits on the driver door and it is worn out. I have been looking for another kit. what I have found out is there are lots of different kits. on my rotor it has circles on one side and one of the circles has a triangle and on the other side of the rotor I have an R this one is hard to find. I have bought a kit I thought would work but  the clocking of the stars was off I think I bought a L-1 kit and it did not work.  if anyone has different rotor I am looking for one with the Triangle on one side and R on the other. like I had said I already have a repair kit on this car. it is just worn out . 

[Special Deluxe 48]

  On 4/15/2017 at 12:18 AM, desoto1939 said:

the item you are looking for is a rotoloc kit that is specific for your car.  the roto-lokkit repair kits were made for the Mopar vehicles.  The kits work for Chryler, Dodge Des from 1939-48  Ply 1940-48.

There is a an L-1 kit that fits on the  left front and right rear  and an L2- that fits the right front left rear door. Here is some info from my Window regulator catalog and the instruction sheet from one of my R-1 kits. Click on the PDF link and the instruction sheet is displayed on how to replace just the roto mechanism.

Rich Hartung

Desoto1939@aol.com

roto-lock.pdfUnavailable

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can you repost the Roto-lok kits sheet.jpg I am trying to find out which kit I need for my 48 Plymouth Special deluxe 4 door suicide rear 

[Neira]

If you zoom in on the picture you should be able to read the explanation of what part number you need for your situation.  

[Mezz]

I wasn't crazy about the whole cut off and use a set screw thing, I didn't think it would be as solid as the original setup.  So I rebuilt my drivers door latch with parts from a right rear latch.  The latch plate is different, but the rotor piece is the same, just bend the tabs out and swap the rotor assembly.  The rear doors don't get used nearly as much use as the fronts so they're usually good donors.  I think I was able to use spring from the donor latch too.  Just remember the bit about the rear suicide doors - to rebuild the left front latch you need to get a right rear suicide door latch (or a left rear non-suicide door latch).