The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Paint and Body Shop Doors Oh, oh! Passenger door will not open!

The passenger door lock mechanism on my 55 1st Edition has been acting up lately, and starting today, it refuses to open at all!

The symptoms leading up to this have been that the door would INTERMITTENTLY refuse to open, using either the interior handle or the exterior button. In addition, it would seem each time to be kind of "not fully closed" either - you could jiggle the door a bit, and it would rattle if driven while in this state. Persistent attempts to either open it or fully close it, via pull or push activity on the outside door handle, would eventually allow it to open. It would then work fine for a while.

Today, it opened and closed this morning, but after a 40 mile drive,refuses to open at all. No amount of jiggling seems to help. I know my hinge pins are worm - I have new ones, and am just waiting for my friend Randy, an experienced mechanic, to help me replace them sometime soon when his schedule allows. So, I tried "lifting on the handle as I jiggled. No help. Still won't open.

Three questions:

1. What is wrong?

2. How do I access whatever is misbehaving?

3. What is the cure?

Jim G

Sounds like it's time for you to roll up your sleeves and discover the joy of discovering how your door works. I'm not familiar with a '55 but I never knew a door that you couldn't remove the interior trim panel and get access to the inner workings.

This isn't high-tech stuff, it's just levers and handles. Look for loose or broken parts. Chances are your hinges have gotten so bad the weight of the door has finally overcome you ability to move it.

Good luck.

yep , pull the door panel an have a look , the latch mechanism might have went south an is NOT COMING back ..a replacement will be in order.
If so ..after you get the panel off ..a screwdriver should be the ticket to flip the latch an open the door ..so you can proceede to remove the broken latch mechanism.

Ok, sounds like fun.

Jim G

I had the same thing with Ol Yeller (a '52 1/2 ton)about 2 months ago. It was as if it was welded shut. My daughter-in-law thinks old trucks need to be slammed around a bunch. Turns out the latch mechanism wedged itself over center. The only way to fix it was to take the inner window crank and door handle off. Remove the door panel and take a look at where the latch is. I found that I had to pry the spring off the latch to get the darn thing to come loose. This took quite a while and I had decided that if I had to buy a new one might as well just tear the whole thing out. As luck would have it after the spring was removed the door popped open. I put it all together and then spent some time re-aligning the door latch adjustment on the body. After about an hour and a half it works. Now when the girls go for a ride I let chivalry take over and open and close the doors for them.

Thank-you! That narrows it down a LOT for me.

Jim G

Hi,

Before you tear into the door panel and skin your knuckles fiddling with the door latch, you should look at the articles in the Tech Tips section under General Bodywork. There are three or four on the door latches that will help you out. Also, just so you know, removing the passenger door latch mechanism is a PITA. I just did it last weekend. Besides the window crank and door lever and trim panel you have to remove the window track as well. The Chevy Shop Manual was a big help in figuring this all out. For some real fun, try dropping the latch mechanism down inside the door!

Good Luck!

Wilber

Thank-you, Wilber!

Jim G

I was able to remove and replace the latch on my 52 with the window track in place.I removed the two screws that hold the bottom of the track,and got real stubborn about getting the latch in and out.Another pair of hands will help a lot

No!!!

MUCH simpler fix!!!

Maybe this will help others.

I went outside an hour ago, and examined the stuck passneger door and compared to the mechanism on the driver door. I figured out what happened and how to fix it without taking the door panel and latches apart.

There is a part whose name I don't know, on each door, on the rear edge, visible only when the door is open, that physically rotates as the door is closed. This part is forced to rotate by a FIXED plated part on the frame of the cab opening, and as it rotates, its inside end rotates UP behind the door frame latch parts, to secure the door closed.

When you press the exterior door handle button to open the door, you rotate this rotating part back to where that inner edge of it drops BELOW the fixed part on the door frame, and allows the door to be pulled open.

This roating part was jammed in a "halfway" position. It was not rotated sufficiently upward on its inner end to latch the door securely (the door "rattled" but would not open or close tighter). It was however sufficiently partially rotated to prevent the door from being pulled open!

I could see this by pushing against the door from the interior, to open a slight gap bewteen the door and door frame, and lighting the area with a flashlight.

I CAREFULLY inserted a flatblade screwdriver into that gap, from inside the cab, positioned the blade end on top of that inner roating edge, and rapped the end of the screwdriver with my hand only (NOT a hammer!!!). That popped the part downward and the door opened.

I grabbed the door to ensure that it did not try to close itself (slight side slope in my drive), and braced it open. I then lubricated the heck out of the roating part and all the surfaces it comes in contact with, using WD40 spray. I then WORKED the part, woth the door open, by MANUALLY moving it by hand into the "closed" position, and using the door handle button to "open" it each time. I repated several times to ensure penetration of the WD40.

Seems to have worked like a charm. The door opens and closes just fine.

Morals of the story: 53 year old door parts need lubrication that prior owners may or may not have provided. And, sometimes we should look first at the EASY solutions. We might get lucky, like I did this time.

That's good news! You analyzed the problem and fixed it... now your door works and you're feeling pretty good about yourself.

Well there you go! Congrats on fixing the problem.

Jim,good going on the repair.WD40 my not last as long as you want as a lubricant.Get some spray white grease GUNK make some.This sprays hard to reach places but clings longer than WD40

Like spray form white lithium grease?

Jim G

Yes. sorry I didn't explain properly

Obtained and used white lithium spray grease today. Worked "slick".

Jim G

Darn!

The passneger door jammed again today. I had to do the screwdriver insertion trick to open it.

Is this occurring because my doors sag justa bit due to worn hinges not yet repaired, or is this something different?

Jim G

I would check out the condition of your striker, I would replace the latch and striker together .

Ok, will try that.

Jim G

Jim I recently replaced the latches on my 52.I had done the strikers previuosly.The improvment is great.I doors almost open and close themselves.I had to yank on them pretty hard before.The latches are a bit troublesome to install,as the window,and track will have to come out.I was able to do one door with the window rolled up,but a extra pair of hands would have helped

BC52: Thanks for the alert!