The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Paint and Body Shop Doors Altman Latch Installation

I am planning to install Altman latches in my 1950 doors.

I have the kit and have reviewed the instructions but would appreciate any insight others that have done this conversion can provide before I start cutting into things.

My doors are off the cab currently and working finishing repairs prior to paint. My thought is to modify the doors, install the latches, then remove them for painting. Unfortunately that means I will not be able to make any of the "adjustments" related to the latch until much later in my project unless I install the doors and then remove them again.

Any insight from others experience would be greatly appreciated.

What are Altman latches?

https://triquemfg.com/collections/c...5-1959-chevy-truck?variant=7185124589626

They are expensive.

Those locks haven't really received a lot of attention here over the years but on other forums they do come up from time to time. Here's my take and what experience has taught me:
1. if you rebuild the original locks in your doors or buy new locks and striker plates your doors will shut really nicely if (and only if) you follow number 2 below
2. if you purchase 7/16" thick weatherstrip and you have good hinges without wiggle, wobble, etc.

The truth is most of the weatherstripping sold today is 11/16" thick and that's too thick by over 50%. The AD trucks were designed for a rather soft weatherstrip that was 1/2" thick and until the early 1980s GM still made and sold it. Sadly it is no longer available and no product today mimics it. Furthermore every bit over 7/16" which is what Steele makes after Steve at the Truck Stop and I worked with them on this a few years ago will increase the difficulty of closing your doors exponentially. 7/16" = .4375" and 11/16" = .6875" and the net effect is you have weatherstrip that is about 55% too thick and you have to slam that door like crazy and still it won't shut right.

A friend installed these Altman locks and new 11/16" weatherstrip and his doors didn't shut any better than they did with the original GM locks and the too-thick weatherstrip.

One other thing: unless they've redesigned these, they won't lock as the originals did. Some folks have told me they had to install electric solenoids to make theirs lock. Just a few things to consider in case you haven't already cut up your doors and can still return them. Good luck!

PS...edit by Jon...the 11/16" weatherstrip was first used in 1956 when doors were designed differently. My guess is it was easier to make just one type and that's what has been happening until we did our work (as mentioned above).

I installed the Altman latches in my 1950 and I like them. The lock needs to be modified and I chose to put power remote locks in. Absolutely get the mounting bracket from trique it makes installation much easier. The key on the passenger side opens both doors when turned to unlock. Doors close very nicely and I did all adjustments after paint.

Thank you for the feedback.

Yes they are expensive but I like the type of latch and decided this is the path I am taking.

I have not decided about locks yet. Considering not having functional locks.

Djg, glad to hear that you like them. Did you do the installation or was it done by someone else?

I did the installation myself it is intimidating to cut the door up like that but it is not hard to do and the mechanism fits well. The other posters are right about the weather stripping get the 7/16 size not the 11/16 it will not work.

... and the best thing I did to my '52 GMC. Other old truck drivers are amazed when I show them the light touch it takes to close and latch the doors with the Altman latches installed.

Downside is you lose the inside handle locking function.

Nice!

Thank you for the on-going input and information.

I am hoping to get to this soon but life seems to be making it hard for me to get my truck project back on track.

I wish I could help you. I looked at those and the install looked too intrusive to
the truck. My welding skills are non existent. I can share what others tell me when I
ask about making something better on these old vehicles.

Its just a truck. But I hear you on the life thing. If I can help you with anything let me know.

I have installed them on a 1954 and a 1955 first series and consider it one of the best upgrades I have done. The doors close without slamming and stay closed. The latches and the install will be different on a door with no vent window, be sure to order the correct kit. There was no welding required with the vent window doors but making that first cut was a little concerning. The install instructions and pictures were very good and there are videos on the Altman site and on line. On the push button doors it is easy to install a lock on both doors.

Completed the prelimnary install of the Altman latch on the driver's side door. My doors are stripped down to make repairs, paint etc. so I wanted to get the cuts all made, etc. before I continued the paint efforts. I determined my inner door handle release is actually junk but I may still do the install of the link to confirm the cutout for the connector part clears the opening cut into the door.

My outside handle also needs to be replaced (shaft broken off) so I can not really evaluate that aspect of the release.

The striker part will require some other cab work (some of the screw plates are missing) and the door to be reinstalled to confirm alignment, etc. I believe all of that can be done after paint so it may be a later stage project.

They're the best single modification i've done to my cab/doors.
True,some say they are expensive but they are much less invasive than weld in ones,not everyone has the welding/bodywork skill required for cheaper weld in kits.
Imagine paying a shop to fit them.
My doors have never shut more easily and more importantly stay shut!

the 55-59 are weld in. At that price and intrusion, I`ll keep my
doors as they are. Closing fine. They have new trucks for sale at the dealership for those who need.
I enjoy the limitations of an old vehicle. Getting these trucks in the 21st century is a rabbit hole.

Finally getting back to the doors and the Altman latches.

I have the latch parts installed in the door and all seems basically okay, although the Altman mounting bracket that attaches to the outside of the door to mount the latch strikes the cab pillar recess just prior to the door being flush with the cab. I think I can get this resolved but glad I caught it prior to paint. For future reference the previous picture of the installed latch does not have the latch spacer plate in place. The spacer moves the latch further into the door the thickness of the spacer (roughly 1/8").

I am trying to install the striker plate but it has a flange that interefers with the cab. The on-line video I reviewed the striker plate is flat (no flange) so they did not have this interference. It appears I could make a spacer to move out the striker plate and reduce the interference but I would still need to reduce the width of the flange. Alternatively I could cut off the flange such that the striker plate would look like the one shown in the on-line video.

The striker apparently is intended to be mounted with the flat head internal hex bolts provided but they are smaller than the original 5/16-24 threaded plates captured in the cab pillar and may be too short if a spacer is added. My cab did not have striker plates installed when purchased (hardewar store slide bolt latches) but I can not imagine someone changing the captured threaded plates (not all are in place). Assuming I can find nuts to fit the provided bolts I could remove the threaded plates and just use nuts and washers on the inside of the pillar (not convenient but possible).

Any insight from others that have installed the Altman latches would be appreciated.

I believe the original thread plates for the strikers were 1/4-20 (I can go confirm that if necessary.) But in either case, it wouldn't be difficult to fabricate replacements out of some bar stock. They have a serrated front face to keep them in place as the strickers are tightened, which might a little tough to replicate. Maybe use a chisel to upset some metal that would provide some "bite" into the sheet metal of the pillar. I think it would be a giant PITA to use nuts behind the strikers, as the striker would cover up the access to reach the nuts.

Thanks, for the insight regarding the thread plates. Some of mine are missing so making more to replace the larger threaded ones isn't too big a task.

I suspect the "bite" helps to lock the striker in place so probably a good idea to have something that can bite to hold the adjustment once made.

I am seriously considering just cutting the flanges off the striker plates, it is almost like they were added for a different application and somehow got carried over into this truck series by mistake.

I confirmed tha tthe bolts with the kit are 1/4-20 thread so I made some screw plates.

I could not see how to get the striker plate to work with the flange as received so I cut it back (not completely off) only to discover that the vertical hole spacing is not the same as the cab. The striker plate holes are 4 3/16" center to center but the cab measures 4".

I have contacted the manufactuer after getting their information from the vendor that supplied the kit.

I may just need to make my own striker plates to get this put together.

The manufacturer indicated my cab must be a 52 (or later) and their pictures of their latch kits show a flat striker plate for that vintage. I have asked them to clarify the bolt spacing and the bolt size.

If they are correct that means my truck titled as a '49, has the frame of a '50 or later (tube shocks), and a '52 or later cab (although the doors are pre-'52 as they do not have vent windows). I am not familiar with the differences between the model years other than the shocks and vent windows in the doors so it may be interesting to sort out what model years I actually have for the various big picture items.

That happens. Johnny Cash did a song about that.

52 doors would have vent windows with pushbutton door handles, but someone may have removed the vent windows. The latches changed between '51 and '52.

The vertical spacing of the striker holes on my '51 cab is 4-1/8" center to center of the slots (as close as I can measure.)

My door actually had the windows and window mechanisms for single glass (no vent windows) and turning door handles so I always assumed (a questionable approach) that the truck was a '50 or '51 based on the doors and the shocks but clearly over the years a lot of things can get changed. Seems strange that the cab would be changed but not the doors but stranger things have happened.

It is kinda hard to measure the bolt spacing but I know when I hold the new striker plate aligned with the top holes the bottom holes are at least 1/2 covered. Kinda hoping that the manufacturer can give me some real numbers for spacing.