The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk Frozen doors

I have a 61 chevy. I live in Illinois, it doesnt get bitterly cold, but it does get cold enough to freeze. Lately when it rains my door freezes shut pretty tight. i can usually crack it open, but does anyone have suggestions for the 'C' shaped lock? water collects underneath it and freezes, making entry impossible

I gave it a good coat of wd40, thats it

You might have to take a hair dryer to it and get it good and dried out. If the moisture lingers in there, it will just refreeze again.

an old truck pal of mine from New Hampshire has this suggestion:

What worked for us up north was to shoot a bunch of graphite into the lock itself (buy cheap at hardware store) and use lithium grease on the hinges, clasp and inside the door panel on the locking/door handle mechanisms.

Do NOT use WD40, PB Lube or hot water!!

No idea why, but the spray lubes always make it worse.

WD-40 and other spray lubes attract dust, even in cold weather (static electricity?) and you end up with a gummy, mucky substance that jams everything up.

I found that out by fooling around with locks and getting a good hearty laugh from my locksmith before he explained it to me.

You need to check for the source of the water and how it is getting in. You may have a bad seal or parking under an overhang.

The only problem I remember (growing up in Michigan) was after a freezing rain the lock openning would freeze over. I would simply take off a mitten and cover the lock with my hand. This always left a round red mark on my hand. LOL

Best of luck

DW40 is a solvent, not a lube, so it cleans real well, but something like motor/bicycle chain spray on lube will stick on the surface.

I've has problems with rubber door gasket freezing.Rubbing in di-electric grease helped

alright, thanks for all the suggestions, i'll try graphite first