I have the drivers door latching now. It was an insane amount of work, all because, like so many other parts I've purchased, reproduction door latches are a pile of S***.
After checking the vendors carefully I found a reproduction ratchet latch.
It was so badly built that it took so much pressure to start the latch moving, that it would snap over center like the first one.
Everything in the latch as well as the latch plates are hardened so any work on them has to be done with a stone.
After cleaning up the burrs and badly finished edges in the latch and replacing one of the springs, all the rest of the work was done on the latch plate and cab.
The latch plate had to be moved outward considerable.
That meant slotting the bolt holes in the cab (which allowed vertical movement only) twice their width and grinding off a bit of the back of the countersinks on the latch to allow it to move out. The door now latches with the door flush with the body (should be a little above the surface) but at that point the edge of the latch plate is less than 1/8" of the inside surface of the door flange. No room for the rubber bumpers and a good 3/8" closer than design.
The original latch on the passenger side can be pushed with your thumb through the ratchet engagement. The new one still can't be moved without a pry bar or hammer.
So much junk.
