The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Interiors re-keying glove box door lock

can i have a locksmith do this or not? my lock is in pristine condition but i don't have a key for it and would like it to be fully functional. any advice is appreciated,

Indy

Yes, a locksmith can cut a key for it. There should be a code on the cylinder. If not then a good looksmith can "read" the keyway and cut a key. You might consider getting the locksmith to put different pins in it so that it matches the ignition lock. Some day I hope to get the door, ignition, and glove box keyed alike. That is kinda pricey though. If you had enough different cylinders you could do it yourself. I have seen an article on doing it yourself, but lost a bunch of information on stuff like that when my computer crashed here a while back. When I had all of my locks out for clenaning it looked like they all used the same pins and springs. And if I remember correctly it is just a thin brass strip that holds the guts in the cylinder. I shouldn't be to difficult to use one as the master pull the rest apart and mix and match pins and sprins to get them all keyed alike. I hope that helps.

thanks, i too would like everything to use one key, but didn't know that you could possibly do it yourself, i'll look into that.thanks,

Indy

...don't know about in your area but just a couple months ago I took two locks to and "old" locksmith. Cleaned and keyed both of them for 20 bucks. Look for an old established locksmith and you won't have to mess with it..... and loose the pieces

The real "key" to doing this is to find and use an older locksmith. The new guys don't know how to work on these old locks, but the older ones do.
If you happen to be a member of the Vintage Chevrolet Club Of America, they have a list of folks who are club members who do various types of work. I believe there are two members listed that are locksmiths.

I played with car locks years ago. The norm uses brass tumblers. I will try and explain it to where it will make sense and hopefully you will realize it is no big trick.

Your key has 5 slots of different depths. I think there are also 5 different depths possible. There is a hole over each depth cut of the key. In each hole are two brass tumblers stacked one on top of the other. The combined height of each pair is the same. (meaning if it has a short lower tumbler, it has a tall upper tumbler) The bottom line is that when the key is inserted, all of the junction points between the pairs of tumblers line up and allow it to turn with a "stop plate" that will pass through the junctions.

Tough to explain but I hope this makes sense. The key code that comes with a new lock is in a code book that literally gives the depth combination in numerical line-up of the key depths.

How do you remove the lock cylinder out of the housing bezel it is mounted in ?


Tim

Exactly how it works! Great description with the shortest possible verbage.
I know how they work and I can re-key one with a key, but I have not figured out how to get the right readings to make a key for one that doesn't have a key.

Greg has it right for many locks but the locks in our old trucks use little flat pins with a hole in each instead of the brass tumblers. They are numbered 1-5, to correspond with the 5 key cuts.

Joe, I have a code book. If you or anyone else wants a code looked up just PM me.

The door keys have the brass spring loaded tumblers. The easiest way as Cletis mentioned the flat srip glove-box lock would be to key the door to the key that fits the glove-box if you have that lock with a working key.

Wouldn't you need a set of pins (multiple lengths) in order to match pins with all three locks?

So how do you remove the lock cylinder out of its housing with no key?

I have not keyed a flat plate lock. I did several of the pin style locks in the late 70s. The door locks, if I recall correctly are the pin style. Those, I would just grab a few salvage yard locks and you should find a variety enough to make the doors fit your key. The ignition switch as Cletis mentioned is flat tumbler style. I assume you could take a similar strategy with it. I have an old ignition tumbler I was looking at and it appears to have a removable plate like the pin style for the flat plates. I am not sure how you would get it out of the switch without a key. I guess that is where the professionals come in.

To re-key the lock without the original key is reasonably simple although I only have experience with pin type cylinders.
Using a piece of thin shim stock slide it into the cylinder between the pins and the barrel and wiggle the pins up and down as you go until all the pins are in place and you can pull the cylinder out.
Rekey the cylinder to fit the new key and it is done.

Does anybody sell a glove box and door set keyed alike? I have a flaming river column in my truck but want to get the glove box and 1 door cylinder keyed alike and all I can find in catalogs is full sets including ignition or individual locks.

take the locks you want the same to a locksmith and have one changed to match the other

Bill

I have a GM re-keying kit with a bunch of pins of several types.

yes. LMC Does and the door lock goes in super easy but cannot figure out how to get the glovebox lock out of the dash. Everyone here wants to discuss the fine details of pins and brass and springs! Yipes, for 40 bux you can get the whole thing keyed and matched. But no one has yet to discuss how to get it out.

what year truck?

Here is a thread for advanced design trucks

https://www.stovebolt.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=878493#Post878493

Spitfire,

Can you post a link to a picture of how your lock assembly is held in the door?

Here is another thread on the subject. No one has responded to my query on how to remove my lock assembly from the glovebox door.

Tim -

See if this thread will help ...
https://www.stovebolt.com/ubbthread...Main=120846&Number=822296#Post822296

Thanks, Lonnie,

I saw that thread and it is no help in understanding how to remove the lock that has a non-scewed on clip (as found by chooglin and Bruce and me). chooglin's lock assembly eventually "dropped out" for him, mine will not.

http://tors54.tumblr.com/page/3

It looks like chooglin was able to re-use his original clip.

The style clip we have is a friction clip - no screw or screw-on bracket is used (but, one could be used - the screw hole is there but not needed).

I'll try today to remove the lock assembly by slightly bending the edges of the "clip" and trying to push the lock through, towards the front of the door. If the bracket becomes non-reusable, I'll simply put-on a repo escutcheon and repo bracket.

I dislike giving up on knowing how to do something right, but the door needs to be media blasted and primed/painted. I move slowly, but I'm movin on.

In case anyone is interested in this, here are some pertinent links:

The lock retainer that does not have a screw-on retainer bracket.

A long and boring set of photos of the two styles of mounting brackets.

Thanks,

Tim,

I see two possibilities. First is sacrifice the friction lock plate and mount the lock with the other holder.

Second, it looks like there are holes in the side body of the lock itself that the friction ring catches. Can you take something thin and try and pry the friction maount away from the lock body? I think if you can do that, and remove the lock leaving the mount with the glovebox door, the mount will come out easily once the lock is removed.

Years back,(probably 35) I went to the salvage yard and snagged every glovebox lock I could find after the spring loaded lock tab broke on my original lock rendering the glovebox door a serving tray. Somwhere I bet I still have that "trophy bag of locks and retainers".

that's how mine was put in, all i did was set the door on the edge of my work bench and took a rubber mallet to the lock and gently beat the lock (with the metal thing still on it) out of the hole. from there i used wd40 to lubricate the metal thing to where it would slide to the end of the lock, pressed the lock button to slide the metal thing off and i was done. getting it all back together is a different story, i'm still working on that one.

Thanks, materman

I'll report back as soon as I give this a try.

I hope you don't mind me getting a similar question answered on your thread, my truck (56 Chevy)has a different key for each lock - starter, driver door, passenger door, and I think even the glove box key is different (if it has a lock?). I see Classic Parts has a complete lock set for a truck for $85. How difficult is it to re-key everything using a classic set? Anyone ever do it that didn't have experience in this before?

take the locks to a good lock shop and they should be able to change some to match the others

Bill

OK, that is better than spending $85! =)