John Ibele
05-25-2023, 01:01 PM
Door fitting is going well, and the standard TLC advised here on the forum seems to make the latches fully functional. I have no problem with them. I attached the passenger side latch after fitting the door, and it works like a charm:
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52925341211_d051bf0fe3_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2oCQd3X)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2oCQd3X) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr
Working on the DS, everything hooked up fine until I tried shutting the door. The latch does work, but engaged only part way in the mating hole in the striker. Hmm ... musta distorted when I tightened things down. Remove the striker, seat it loose in the latch, and I get this:
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52925340311_4ae52f7396_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2oCQcMr)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2oCQcMr) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr
That gap between latch handle and frame represents the part of the latch that still hasn't seated. Again, all the usual mods have been done ... interior of the latch, slight c'sink on the face of the striker hole (although the latch is already past that point anyway), everything. Just doesn't want to engage the whole way.
It does work, and fully holds the door, but ... not my style to leave it as is. Nor is randomly removing metal when I don't know what's going on. Micrometer tells me nothing obvious. Any clues?
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52925341211_d051bf0fe3_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2oCQd3X)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2oCQd3X) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr
Working on the DS, everything hooked up fine until I tried shutting the door. The latch does work, but engaged only part way in the mating hole in the striker. Hmm ... musta distorted when I tightened things down. Remove the striker, seat it loose in the latch, and I get this:
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52925340311_4ae52f7396_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2oCQcMr)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2oCQcMr) by John Ibele (https://www.flickr.com/photos/familycobra/), on Flickr
That gap between latch handle and frame represents the part of the latch that still hasn't seated. Again, all the usual mods have been done ... interior of the latch, slight c'sink on the face of the striker hole (although the latch is already past that point anyway), everything. Just doesn't want to engage the whole way.
It does work, and fully holds the door, but ... not my style to leave it as is. Nor is randomly removing metal when I don't know what's going on. Micrometer tells me nothing obvious. Any clues?