The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk installing outside door locks

There is only an outside door lock on the passenger side of my 1950 GMC. I would like to put one on the drivers side but I cant figure out how I would install it. Anyone have any idea?

Yes, I do it on all my trucks and no I wouldn't do it for anyone else because the cost would be prohibitive. I wouldn't recommend it for anyone without a well equiped shop and a good degree of mechanical knowledge. First, STUDY the factory latch release assembly and note where a locking lever (key actuated) will prevent the locking pall from being lifted out of the notched cam. The locking lever and everything else must be made from scratch because there is nothing offered on the market that I am aware of. Here are a few pictures of one in progress and in the drivers door of a 50 chevy pickup. Note the pointed end of the teardropped shaped bezel around the key cylinder points the opposite direction as the one on the passenger side since a right key lock must be used on the left door. Go to page 2. http://s32photobucket.com/albums/d41/coilover/

I'll try again. http://s32.photobucket.com/albums/d41/coilover/

Saw a whole bunch of hot rods in the album Evan, but no pictures of the latch being modified or locking parts being made.

Wrong album maybe???

Denny G

I saw them on page two.
page two
Tim

thanks for the help, the pictures will help alot and my dad has enough mechanical knowledge for the both of us!

Are you refering to an outside pushbutton door latch? If so It's easy. LMC sells a kit that works great and includes keys.

Erin, the white lever in the pictures is the one you fabricate and is turned to locked or unlocked by the key. As you can see, the white lever when in the locked position prevents the pawl arm (orange) from moving up out of the notches in the cam. The critical part of the installation after the latch is modified to lock is finding the exact spot to place the key cylinder so it's exactly in line with the pivot in the lock lever. I use a long 1/8" aircraft drill (called a bit by non machinists) to drill through the inner door skin, pass through the pivot hole for the temporarily removed locking lever, and finally through the outer door skin. This aligns everything. If the door is already painted inside and out then use a #8 clutch head screw to fill the hole you drilled in the inner door skin and people will think it belongs there, especially if you put a second one in the same place on the other side.
Denny, yes we do a lot of rods but also many back to original. If you want to look at a 53 AD that has been in seven shows and taken seven first place awards for originality then go to page eleven, pictures 172-175. There is no splash guard between the front bumper and grill in these pictures and bias ply tires are installed for just the shows. It loses a couple points for the turn signals and right tail light but so far has outpointed others. It is not a trailer queen but driven in downtown Dallas on many occasions. http://s32.photobucket.com/albums/d41/coilover/