The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Paint and Body Shop Bear Claw latches installed in a 52 with pushbutton handles

If you are contemplating installing Bear Claws, I can highly recommend them. My doors close tightly now with no slamming. I gave up on adjusting and readjusting and readjusting the stock latches. And I made them work with the outside pushbutton handles. The work may be crude, but it was effective. See the job at

http://chuckthetruck.homestead.com/page23.html

Chuck,

Thanks for posting the pictures. I've had trouble with the door latches in my '49 for years. Replaced the drivers side latch at least twice and still couldn't get it to shut right.

Looks like a good time to upgrade the door latch to modern technology.

I have been thinking about this conversion for my truck - do your locks still work with the new latches?

The outside locks (both sides) work, but I made no attempt to retain the inside locking feature. Never used it, don't need it.

THANKS, Chuck!

I really appreciate the pics and instructions, bro'! I wanted to put bear claws in, but NO WAY did I want to lose my regular door handles -- and you solved it brilliantly!

Now I just need a mig and to learn how to weld.

Is there ANY way you can lock the doors while you're IN the truck? I was sitting at a red light, in the middle of the night, a long time ago, and some guy suddenly walked up to my car (54 **** 2-door RanchWagon) and put his hand on the door handle to get in! I saw him ... then I saw the door was unlocked, and I just popped the clutch and punched it!

Sometimes (in Jersey) you want your doors locked while you're driving ... ya know?

Great info Chuck, I've been considering doing this for some time to my 53 but was too afraid I'm mess it up. Was looking at the latches on an S10 last weekend considering cutting them out and seeing if I could make it work on my other project the 47 but was concerned about clearing the window track. Great inspiration and pictures.
MONGO

Horvath, I was thinking on how to lock them from the inside. The easiest ways I can think of have a major drawback: The door could be open, locked from the inside, then closed leaving no way in. To modify my existing to eliminate that problem would be to drill the latch and claw and use a locking pin. The pin could only pass through when the claw is latched. It could be attached to the exisitng inside link, so the handle would operate as stock with no extra buttons or levers.

Easier solution might be to start with locking latches
http://www.watsons-streetworks.com/latches_plus.html

Thanks again, Chuck.

If I bought the locking latches, would your tutorial still make sense?