The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Paint and Body Shop Doors door locks 57 to 51

Like a lot of bolters I was having a hell of a time trying to get my drivers side door to line up to the striker and close properly. I was spending approx. 1/2 hr a day on the striker plate & door ajustments, up,down sideways each time I tinkered with it. One day while trying just about everything I could think of my wife came out to see how things were going. Maybe she heard me inventing new creative curse words!!LOL While standing back she suggested maybe to have a look at the actual worn out lock. Once removed and clamped it to the vise I started to manually work the pivot of the catch. One thing that I noticed right away was the steel pivot, that is like a rachet with teeth or notches that holds the catch once the door is closed, was worn down to thin lines. This would make it useless as far as holding its position when closed. I took a punch and removed the steel pivot pin that held the pivot ratchet in place and removed it. I filed new notches, put it back together, peened the pin back in place, re installed the lock. And wow!!!!!!!!!Now a light push and the door aligns & closes perfect and held its position very firmly!!!! I did the other side with the same results. In all of the great Ideas and suggestion found here on stovebolt I had never heard this suggested so I thought maybe it was important to share it with my follow bolters. Hope this helps someone else who was as frustrated as I had been.

http://s150.photobucket.com/user/vickraft/media/003-4_zpsf3a48171.jpg.html?sort=6&o=0

Woops!!Title of this article should be 47 to 51 not 57.