The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Paint and Body Shop Series 1 Door relay

Does anyone have photos or diagrams showing the correct way to install the door relays on a 49 GMC truck. I did not have the opportunity to disassembly this truck, I bought it as a stalled project completely disassembled. I am now getting near the end and the door relays have me questioning the mounting. These came with the truck. When I mount them according to the bolt pattern the arm is at an angle and not in the depression that is in the inner door sheet metal which then means you have to space the door panel out to allow for clearance. It just doesn't strike me an proper. I do have the assembly manual and that page does seem to show it at an angle with spacers.

When I look at the part in a Brothers catalog (page 65, Vol. 13, No.7) it appears to have the triangular bolt flange opposite the relay arm which would then put the arm in the depression. So I ordered them. When the arrived they are the same as the ones I have (see picture).

Am I missing something? It seems odd they would put a depression in the sheet metal that runs from the handle to the latch that the arm would fit in, but then not use it and force one to space out the panel to clear the arm as well as make it difficult to get the middle mounting bolt in.

I thought I would reach out to some experienced guys that may have come across this and get their take on it.

Tom

GM engineers in their infinite wisdom, originally designed the door relays so you had to push the handle to open the door. Thus the reason for the recessed track that the arm would fit in. Deciding that the door was too easy to open (in an accident or by a wayward knee), they reversed it. They easily accomplished it with the spacers so they didn’t have to re-engineer the door. Kind if an afterthought if you ask me.

So your assembly is spot on!

Heres another thread on this same subject.
Door Panels Won’t Sit Flat

Tom,

I do not understand "Series 1 Door relay"?

What is Series 1?

Series 1 trucks are Chevy and GMC 1/2 ton 1947 to 1954.

PHAK 1...thanks for the comments.. Makes sense now.

I thought they were called Advance-Design Chevrolet & New Design GMC (1947 - 1955st (first-series) trucks).

The misuse of the term "First-Series" originated from filthy Task Force people who bastardized that term to include all A-D trucks from '47.2 through '55.1.
The interesting thing about this is that these "shameless" people do not refer to any of the Task Force trucks as Second Series. Not even the 55.2 second series truck.
Hope this helps.
(No offense intended to most of you Task Force fans.)
Carl

I never realized how careless and devious (and, incorrect) those Task Force owners are, Carl.

Thanks

They are not bad people.
They are just envious of those who did not have to settle for the less attractive, later models...