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Hey Guys,
I’ve an old 1999 Dodge Quad Cab that I’ve finally decided to replace the door latches on. The club doors (or suicide doors) are known issues, and one that I have. The bottom latches tend to collect water and then rust shut. Super easy to pull out the latch if the door is open, but near impossible when the door is closed.I’ve removed the door panel to get access. I can wiggle the lever, but it’s not enough to break the rust free. I’ve soaked it for days in PB Blaster. I even got a cheater bar on it, but the lever started to bend instead of trip the latch.
There is no access from the bottom without cutting out a panel.
Any ideas?
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You could try persuading it with a hammer and a large diameter drift. It might respond to repeated impact, rather than the steady pressure of a cheater bar.
Yeah… I’ve been doing that as well. Beating on it from every angle I could get. Also just rocking back and forth…. Such a tight spot.
Automatic transmission fluid has not just lube, but stuff that breaks down rust. Acetone from the paint thinner section has a low boing point. Mix them in equal amounts then squirt into or onto the area of that latch, generously. Let it soak over night. It should come loose the next day. Remember it is flammable, so be safe. This for me works better than any store bought lube.
Just in case anyone searches for this later, I got them open.
I first cut the black leg off with an abrasive wheel on the end of my Foredom. I fed the Foredom down into the door in the whole where the door handle is mounted. The unfinished leg will come out with the black leg, no need to cut it.
I then broke the three 10mm bolts off flush by overtightwning them.
That gave enough clearance for the door to swing free. Then it was a matter of an Engineers Hammer and a cold chisel to break the latch free.
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