The Stovebolt Site Forums The Parking Lot '60-'66 Trucks Power Door Locks

Has anyone installed power lock actuators on a '60-'66 GM truck? I've purchased the actuators from LMC and cannot come up with a way to make 'em work. The door handle link pivot moves approx 1.25 in and the lock actuator has approx .75 in travel. The instructions in the kit are of no help.

I just install some in my truck. It's a fairly involved process.... Had to modify the door latches in such a way to seperate the lock and the latch functions of the latch. There is no way to just "bolt on" these things. Basically what I did was remove the solid bar from the door handle and replaced it with a cable.

The lock arm on the door latch is tied directly to the lock actuator. The inside door handle does not lock the door anymore.

On the door latch I welded a cable stay on the top of the part that the outside push button pushes against and a small piece of tubing bent at a 90 degree angle for the cable to the inside door handle.

Remove the part of the latch the solid bar connects to and drill a hole in the pin on the lock pawl. The lock actuator rod can go through that hole and you put a cable stay on each side of the pin. Mount the lock actuators directly under the latch assy on the end of the door.

Takes a bit of work but the results are worth it.

Wow, that's great info, thanks!
I think I understand most of it or at least should be able to figure it out.
Do you have any pictures of your modifications by chance?
If so, I would really like to see them.
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Like a dummy I did not take pics. I might be able to get some "in place" pics when I open the door panel to install mirrors. Will post them then.

That'll work, thanks. I believe that I've figured out what your method was. Also, I'm going to run a pair of wires in a loop out under the hood for one of the lock actuators for access in case of keyless entry circuit failure. I have an engine cover that I can hide a loop of wire under, just in case.

I hooked up all my stuff with relays under the hood. (I installed power windows too) That way you can access all of it from under the hood. Its also tied to the alarm system. I can roll the windows up or down with the alarm remote.

I'm having trouble determining what you did in this step: "Remove the part of the latch the solid bar connects to and drill a hole in the pin on the lock pawl. The lock actuator rod can go through that hole and you put a cable stay on each side of the pin. Mount the lock actuators directly under the latch assy on the end of the door."

My interpretation of the lock pawl is that it's the component that the solid bar attaches to. I'm not understanding the part about removing this, yet drilling a hole in a pin on the lock pawl. Due to the placement of the window run channel, I'm not able to figure out how you connected the lock actuator rod to the lock pawl and made it travel between Lock and Unlock. How many inches below the latch assembly did you mount your lock actuator? Did you indeed bolt your actuator, just below the latch, with screws coming in from the very end of the door ?

will have some pics up tonight. Had to replace the lock actuators already!!

The piece on the latch that the bar from the inside handle is connected to is removed. The pin on the lock pawl that the removed piece engaged is what you drill and run the lock actuator rod through. A cable stay is then installed on both side of the pin so the rod will move the lock pawl both directions. The lock actuators are mounted on the end of the door under the latch just behind the window channel. (They JUST fit).

Will have those pics online tonight when I am doing my nightly computer time.

OK. Here is a link for those pics.

http://s884.photobucket.com/albums/ac41/budman1758/

Well, that explains it. My latches are different than yours. Maybe the '60-'63 was a different latch. My latch has a different configuration. I'm going to try rigging a linkage to move the lock pawl that the rod used to connect to.

The door release lever is the same, so I can use the same cable set-up that you did.

After many hours of figuring and trial & error, have one door that functions!
I welded on an extension onto the latch pawl that the flat rod used to go to. I then welded a nut on this extension. My lock actuator rod goes through this nut and is secured with cable stops, on each side of the nut. my lock actuator tucks inside of the window run channel and the mounting screws go through the side of the door. I used #8X1 1/2" SS screws so it looks OK. You see two small screw heads however.