The Stovebolt Site Forums The Parking Lot Panels 'N Burbs Rear Barn Door Question

I'm having an issue with my rear barn doors on my 1950 Panel not staying latched. The latch assembly, catches, and everything involved with them works correctly (the doors close, latch, and unlatch), but with the slightest pressure I can pull the left side door open without using the handle. As long as the truck isn't moving, the doors stay closed. But when I start going down the road, even the slightest bump will cause the doors to pop open. I've replaced and beefed up the "catch plates" on the top and bottom of the door of the left side where the door "hooks" catch so there is full engagement, but like I said, just a slight pull (without using release handle) and the door opens. Is there a part or adjustment I could be missing inside the door, that keeps the "hooks" on the top and bottom of the left door from moving when the handle is not being pulled?

This is a lame guess/question : are the hinge pins tight (no door “wobble” due to wear)?

No, those are good. No wobble. It just seems that the two “hooks” On the top and bottom of the driver side door, shouldn’t be able to be moved so easily without the handle being pulled. It’s kind of hard to describe, as I sit here and read over what I have typed, but for example I just take my index finger on the top “hook”, I can push it up and down really easily, Meaning it moves in and out of the door. I’ve tried every adjustment I can think of, including the long rods that connect the pull handle to the latch hooks on the top and bottom of the doors. It would almost seem to me that there would be some kind of “stop” near the pull handle, or near the hooks at the top of the door that would prevent them from being “pulled in,” without pulling the release handle.

Are the small springs still intact and have good tension strength on the latches ?
barn door latch

Tim

The springs are there. The hooks retract into the door when the Handle is pulled, then “spring” back out when the handle is released. I’ll double check how worn the tension is, maybe that is contributing to the issue.

I would also check the adjustments of the adjustable rods to each latch.

Tim

....does yours have the spring on the "middle handle" itself that you pull back to open that door.....like on my 52.

Alvin , is this the spring you speak of on the left barn door?
door latch spring
door latch handle

Tim

Everything seems to be correct based on diagrams I've seen and suggestions you've all made. I have the springs on the top and bottom of the door, and the one that is wrapped around the shaft of the handle that is in the middle of the door. I appreciate all the suggestions/help with this. I think I'll just have to fabricate something to prevent those hooks from retracting when the door is pulled outward. Or I could just keep the ratchet strap in there that is keeping tension on the door from the inside....

Yes Tim, thats the one.

Jakem, I had some what the same problem, not exactly but..... i ended up welding, building up, the "catch" that is fastened to the top and bottom of the body, and found the springs on the latch that goes in the door catches were very week. I lucked out and got a box of extra parts from a fellow bolter and after some tweaking and using parts better than mine the problem went away..

Good luck, and let us know what it took when you get it resolved.....Knowledge is our best resource!

Achipmunk, now you’ve got me thinking, maybe it is just the springs near the hooks that don’t have enough tension on them. I think I’m going to try and find some stronger springs for it. I did exactly what you did, and had to build up the catch plates on the top and bottom. When I first had the issue, there was no catch it all on the top, so of course I put one on there, I thought I solved the problem. But of course it didn’t. So I thought maybe the bottom hook wasn’t engaging completely on the bottom catch plate (and it wasn’t), so I built that up with some welding. Again thought I had it fixed, but to no avail. Now after reading all the suggestions I do think it could be week springs. It may not be for a week or two before I get time to swap the springs, but when I get them swapped out I will post the results.

I took one of my original spring to my local Westlake hardware store and found a match that worked out great.

Tim

I also found a nearly identical match in my local hardware store.

Fixed!!

I went and got some stronger “return springs” for the hooks in the door, and so far so good. Thanks to everyone who replied and who helped out. Hopefully this thread will help someone in the future as well.

Thanks again,
Jake