The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk Question about AD door lock

Why do I have a keyhole on the passenger side only?

the only real answer is because that's the way GM made them

Bill

bozer, that has been discussed many times here. I think the real answer was in a GM advetisement that Denny Graham(?) posted here some time ago for an early GM car that in the add mentioned this.
My memory may not be the best or I could be wrong about the video but I do know it had to do with safety. Folks would lock the driver side and then slide out on the "street" or "boardwalk" side to keep from getting hit......

The same reason the fuel filler is also on the passenger side, to keep you from getting you rear knocked off by some passing vehicle while you're adding gas to your empty tank or unlocking your Bolt on a busy road.

I was watching an old "Highway Patrol" (copywrite 1955) episode a couple of weeks ago and Brodrick Crawford slid across the seat to get out on the passengers side in the city. So I think that is probably the best example of why. It portrays the customs of the times. I Just found it interesting.
Mike49

Yep, it's so that you didn't have to get out and lock it on the traffic side of the truck.

So is it possible to add a cylinder to the driver's side door, or are power locks the way to go?

What year truck?

6v or 12v?

To add to the discussion: It would be advisable to always have a spare door key available somewhere on the truck for those times when you lock yourself out, leaving the key in the ignition. If your passenger side door is locked and you accidentally bump the driver's door handle forward with your knee when you get out engaging the lock and you don't have a spare, well...

BIG CHEVY 3600, on my 53 you cannot push the handle forward when the door is open. I am assuming all AD's are the same.

GM has made it impossible to lock your keys in the truck. The driver's door is locked by pushing the interior handle forward and then the passneger's door needs to be locked with the key. If you have door locks on both exterior handles, one must be locked with the key.

How old are you guys answering this question? Yes, the main reason was for safety but a heck of a lot of the streets in small country towns in the 40's and 50's didn't have paving. When they were muddy from rain or slushy from melting ice/snow you slid out the passenger side (if there was a sidewalk) even on a car with locks on both sides.

Well I'll be 70 in December and owned a 51 3100 in the 60's. We lived on a corner and the side street was gravel. I wore galoshes before I wore shoes. Does that qualify?

AD, your right, I checked and could not lock the door without the key. What's weird is somehow my AD back in the early 60's was able to lock itself because I used a local locksmith to unlock it on at least 1 occasion. (slow learner) I don't know what I did but whatever it was didn't workout well for me. A good friend of mine's dad had a glass shop and replaced vent glass twice.

Baba,here is a link to coilover drivers door lock he made. driver door lock

The AD door locks can mess up and go into lock mode when you shut the door. I believe there is a discussion about this in the shop manual and it claims the an improper adjustment can lead to this. I have had it happen. If this happens to the driver's door and the passenger's door is locked from inside, the key will not unlock it.

I too have had the doors lock when I shut the door. Fortunately, if I can grab the top of the glass on the passenger side, I can just pull it down and reach in and unlock the door. I have no idea why it is so easy to do that.

Most of the time I don't bother to lock the doors.

Kurt

Thanks guys, I was just making an appointment with a shrink. lol