The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk locking door handles...'58 Apache

maybe this is a really dumb question. Because the locking door handle comes on the passenger door from the factory can it be installed on the drivers door and work?? Never did understand the reasoning behind locking, unlocking, the truck from the passenger side instead of the drivers side.

There's no problem in putting a lock in the driver's side. It will work upside down from the right, however. You just need to replace the pushbutton in the handle with one that has a lock.
The reason that there is only a lock on the passenger side is that it used to be illegal to exit a vehicle on the driver's side when parked on the curb of a road. It was required that you exit on the curbside. So you would most likely lock the driver door from the inside, then lock the other door from the outside.
BTW-Drivers side door lock was an option.

thanks Bill. Must have been a real PITA climbing over the gear shift lever to exit and re-enter the truck each time. I think I will go the both doors route. Wonder if matching lock cylinders are available..????

Carl

yes you can get 2 locking buttons keyed the same - or you can just move the lock to the drivers side and lock the pass side from inside

Bill

thinking more about the unlocking than the locking. There are times when you won't want to have to enter the cab to unlock the passengers door. May have a lovely companion along that deserves a little special treatment. Or just need to stuff some groceries in the right side...

Carl

You can get another locking handle from a donor and have a locksmith key it the same as the other lock. I did this for my 54 for about $45. Much cheaper than buying the new lock cylinders.

I have re-keyed many of these old cylinders, it is really pretty easy-the locksmiths around here do not want to mess w/making a key w/o a service call($40+)etc. etc. I take a Frisbee or pie plate, get comfy on the couch, a good light & a magnifying glass if needed & using a pick disassemble the lock, then rearrange the tumblers to fit the key I already have. If I need a tumbler I don't have, a file can be used to modify it or I can rob it from another door lock. Brian

Why is the lock only on the passenger side? I assumed that someone replaced my '58 with a non-locking handle on my '58 3100 driver's side.

Might be original, who knows??

we know Phil, and now you do, it is original - these ol trucks always had a lock only on the passenger side, at least up to the 60's - nobody changed yers

Bill

It seems a bit odd that cars that were used mostly in cities had lock cylinders on both sides in that era and trucks which were used primariy in rural areas had the lock cylinders on the right side. I guess so you wouldn't get run over by some other farmer when you were locking the drivers door on a dirt road . Fred

Move the locking handle over to the other side, that's what I did on my 55.

Note my 2004 Silverado doesn't have key access on the passenger side (my 2003 and earlier trucks had them on both sides)