The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk Help with stuck door

Hey guys,

I'm just in the disassembly stage of my build for my 49 GMC 5 window. Everything is coming apart ok except the passenger door seems to be stuck closed. I can turn the handle down and it will un-latch and start to come open, but stops after about an inch. It almost feels like there is something at the very back of the latch that is getting hooked on the striker. I need to get the door off so that I can work on this thing.

Help?

Thanks!

Try lifting up on the door as you open.🛠

The part that is hanging up is the second stage of the door latch. It is the safety latch which is designed to keep the door from flying open if someone were to bump the inside door handle by accident. Your door handle isn't lifting it far enough to clear the striker.
If lifting doesn't do it, have a helper turn the handle, then you climb in the cab and employ swift and blinding violence with the soul of your good foot near the latch side of the door.
Like you said, you need to get the door off. The only thing you may damage would be the striker, but you probably will need to work on or replace it anyway. They take a serious beating over time.
Carl

Good advice from above posts,,, Or try pulling the outside handle down, while operating the inside handle with a helper.
Body slams,, size 10 Brogans,,crowbar,, It has to come open.
Good Luck,

If this is a project truck, I would bet that you can move that door up at the back by quite a bit. That is how you can probably clear that secondary latch.

I love that!

I employ that "Method" often while working on these old trucks. All-to-often on problems which swift and blinding violence are not indicated, and uncalled for. But once finished with the tirade, I can get back to my life.

I just loved the term. I'll have to remember that!

Thanks for the advice. Violence it is lol. I’ll try the lifting first, but if that fails it’ll be the boot. I’m not super worried about damaging the striker, that whole assembly will probably be replaced anyways.

Wish me luck !

Carl is our resident expert on things that are stuck.

Nice burn.
Turns out, my mostly "stock" '50 is now stuck. I burned up the points when I drove it after I had to bypass the bad ballast resister.
Sorry about the hijack. It is clearly 1953 panel's fault.

Did a search and found this ..... have the same exact problem on a 49 Chev passenger door. Could jiggle it a little, but it then stopped doing that too. NO way to come in the other side thru the holes and flip it up or anything. Just the lift, slam - bam, than you ma'am. ???

Hope you've gotten since your post, what worked ?

Frustrated with it , to say the least ... single man operation too. I began wondering about 1/4 stick of dynamite, and thought I better quit at that point.
About ready to go at it again. I don't think this door has been open for a very very long time.

Drivers side sticks badly, and won't shut it yet all the way, until I'm a lot more confidant about what's wrong , fix it, etc.

The "quick, severe violence" tactic worked for me when I got my doors stuck using '49 strikers with '52 doors. They felt too solidly stuck, so I was skeptical it would work.
I got inside, had a helper hold the outside handle unlatched, reared back and gave the door a mighty kick with my size 11 Sketchers, and to my surprise it popped open.