Door mechanism repair

Hey all,

Its been a bit since Ive been on here, but Im getting back to my '48 KB11 and the next thing I want to tackle is my door handle/latch problems.

The drivers door: you cant turn the outside handle, the part that does the latching to the door frame, moves free-ish (rusted) and the inside handle feels like your grinding corn.

Passenger door: Doesnt open from the outside when you turn the handle, but opens from inside when turning handle. Needs cleaned makes grinding noise/stiff.

I figure the only way to get to the mechanism is through the inside bottom door opening, but what do I do once I get in there to get the mechanism out to clean and repair?

Thank you

The door mechanism is inside just has square cut in the middle that turns and moves the door latch. The grinding you hear is prob dirt and junk in the sliding part of the latch. Does it have the two screws on outside of handle. Remove those and pull out the door handle. Check that the solid square bar is not spinning in handle. Remove the two larger screws in the jam of door to remove latch mechanism, it will have to come out via the oval door opening. It's pretty simple in there. You'll figure out the whole thing once you get it all out. Just clean really well and and when it's all cleaned and painted, grease the mechanism where ever there is metal on metal sliding.

Also if your striker plates (on body, inside door frame) are really worn out you can get a MIG welder and add some metal to it and file and sand them back to full. Those you can't find...

Sounds like the passenger door, might just have the outside handle rod missing the square hole in latch or is rusted solid to the outside cover that has the two small screws maybe. There are two handles in different locations turning on the same single latch mechanism. Outside is with a solid square rod direct to female square hole in latch mechanism and inside is using a long arm to pull the latch back. Does it have a key hole to lock? My passenger door will sometimes lock itself when you close the door because it pops the inside handle up and in a lock position, just from moving around in there. And the outside won't move until you giggle the handle or open from the inside.

Also there is a small piece of spring metal inside the latch for popping the handle back to normal, it's possible that it can be turned passed the settling point and be stuck there as well. Try not to pull apart the latch if you don't have to. Those tabs that you bend back to release cover of mechanism and spring, can easily break off and the little piece of spring metal is really hard to get back in place and loaded. I did find a source for that spring though, off another car.

Hey thanks!

What about the passenger door key lock, how does that come off? Do you have to take the window out? I think there was a set screw or something in a small hole on the inside? I think mine is stripped maybe.

It looks like the lock has to get pushed from the inside to the outside. But I can’t figure out how to disconnect it from the rest of the mechanism

Thanks for taking the time to respond Wylie. When I had my truck inspected last year, the inspector broke my door latch to where the handle would not return and whatever spring mechanism is no longer working. I have been dreading the repair because the doors are so small, but your explanation has me pretty sure of what I'll need to do.

The window can stay in, just close it up.
On the key it comes out from the outside there is a simple thin metal collar that is squeezed on from the inside of the door and you go in from the inside pull that tiny spring out that's horseshoe-shaped around the lock and then the lock will just fall out or pull out from the outside.
I'll make you a diagram when I get home and you'll understand everything after you see it.

Ah!! I found it. It’s in the door frame hiding under the rubber door seal. Thanks!

Oh are you talking about the coating on the door skin inside.

Hey jessemas27, here the spring you need to repair your door. Like I said, be careful on bending the tabs. But a fix is, if you break one or two you can just clamp it together and put a small tack weld (one you could easily grind off) to secure it. Just make sure its all perfect before you seal it up.

https://www.ebay.com/i/392598635467?chn ... gJycvD_BwE

Here's a diagram... sort of.

I found it easier to take the window glass holder out to make some more room to get the door latch out.

I have sprayed the mechanism with Wd4D several times, and hand sanded the bars down by hand, but they are still extremely stiff.

The truck is from the desert so nothing is rusted badly.

Any ideas ideas on what I can do to make them function a little better? Some product to let them soak in?

I bought an ultrasonic parts cleaner. I use a mild soap solution or EVAPORUST in the tank to clean parts. I have not tried a solvent, like Varsol because I am not so sure the ultrasonic action and a flammable liquid together is a safe event.
The ultrasonic action goes into spaces less than.0001 inch. I have used Evaporust and ultrasonic action to dedust old square bolts in a few minutes.
The attached pictures show the perfect ultrasonic cleaning on L&R door latches. I buy WD40 in gallon cans. I have used WD40 in a Ziploc bag to clean small parts. the ultrasonic action is very good at cleaning and loosening old heater, choke and throttle
Boden cables.
TIP: The ultrasonic tank can be filled with water and the small parts to be cleaned can be put into a ZIPLOC bag with Evaporust of other solvent, then placed into the water bath. This saves a few dollars. Hot water works better. Rather than having my ultrasonic cleaner heat the water. I take the hot water from the shop sink tap.
I like to super clean old tools and this is the best way. The ultrasonic action removes decades of dirt from the smallest of engravings.
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