OK, I'm sure there is a logical explanation for this, but it has had me stumped. Why did GM only install door locks on the passenger side of the AD trucks? Shouldn't logic dictate that if you want to go to the trouble of locking up your truck, you'd want to take care of both sides? :crazy:

I've been toying with the idea of trying to modify the dr side latch mechanism to accomodate a lock. Has anyone done this?

Yeah i have been pondering that one as well..

It's a safety issue
you get out on the curb side
so ya don't get hit in the road.
I just made that up,
I dont know?

They did it on cars too. I'm not 100% certain, but I've been told it's a safety thing. The designers wanted people to exit on the curb side. In the "olden" days people would park curbside. They would lock their door on the drivers side and slide across to the passenger side (curbside), get out and lock the passenger door. It was supposed to help keep people off the busy streets. I'm not sure if it's true or not, but it sounds good.:)

They did it on cars too. I'm not 100% certain, but I've been told it's a safety thing. The designers wanted people to exit on the curb side. In the "olden" days people would park curbside. They would lock their door on the drivers side and slide across to the passenger side (curbside), get out and lock the passenger door. It was supposed to help keep people off the busy streets. I'm not sure if it's true or not, but it sounds good.:)

But I don't see any provisions for locking the Dr side door at all...

in my 48 there is nothing to lock the drivers door....

Pull the handle backwards. That's how you lock both doors from the inside.

R

I just swaped the handels from side to side. Why cant you just put two pas. side door handles L&R with locks. They all come apart! I just reread your post, never mind your handles are different on a 51 !!!!

Reasoning behind the passenger side lock was twofold. First was economy, so GM only put a keyed lock on one side. Second was that when you parallel parked, the law said you could not exit the vehicle into a lane of traffic, so the lock needed to be on the passenger side. When these trucks were built most owners didn't lock them unless they were in a big city. In rural america the keys were left in the ignition, too.

Thats about what I have heard about exiting into traffic. It was common place to exit curb side in that time. You had the room to do it in older cars so it was faster to get in and out on that side.