The 1947 - Present Chevrolet & GMC Truck Message Board Network







Register or Log In To remove these advertisements.

Go Back   The 1947 - Present Chevrolet & GMC Truck Message Board Network > 47 - Current classic GM Trucks > The 1947 - 1959 Chevrolet & GMC Pickups Message Board

Web 67-72chevytrucks.com


Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 11-28-2022, 03:12 PM   #1
blap
Senior Member
 
blap's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: bristol,CT
Posts: 586
56 GMC door latch

Having a heck of a time trying to get the drivers door to latch . Tried up down in out with the striker on the door jamb. Door closes pretty good as far as gaps .
it will not push the latch on the door?
blap is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-28-2022, 04:44 PM   #2
Hcb3200
Active Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2017
Location: Suwanee GA
Posts: 190
Re: 56 GMC door latch

assuming you are all stock. parts.
I had same issue.
I found on my 56 the door had to hit the bottom strike plate. just grazing it.
if the door latch was dead center and not nicking the bottom box of strike plate it would not latch.
I pulled the plate all the way out so I could see how much up and down i needed. once i got the door latching with the plate all the way out and the correct up and down. I moved the plate in slowly till i found the good spot where the doors where flush and could close with rubber moldings in place.
Hcb3200 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-29-2022, 12:04 AM   #3
dsraven
Registered User
 
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: calgary alberta
Posts: 7,773
Re: 56 GMC door latch

here is what I do. I like to do this without a door seal, if a new door seal is also in the works.
-ensure the hinges are in good shape. to check this open the door a crack and then see how much the door is able to lift. a loose hinge bushing and pin set will allow some movement so adjusting the latch will not be a lasting endeavor.
-with door open check to see if the door is solid as these doors have a habit of getting rust and cracks around the inner supports that reinforce the hinge mounts. also check the areas between the inner and outer door panels, near the vent window etc. these spots crack when the other spots allow a lot of movement between the inner and outer door panels
-remove latch striker
-remove front fender
-adjust door to fit the door openng on the cab with a decent gap all around. a wooden paint stick works well without scratching the paint
-install front fender and adjust the fender to fit the door with a reasonabe gap. again with the wooden paint stick to keep gaps consistent. don't be getting the gaps too tight because these trucks flex and can remove paint on edges if the gaps get too close
-check the door latch and striker for wear and replace as required
-with the door in the closed position where you decide it is good, with no latch striker installed yet, place a piece of masking tape on the door and the cab, right next to each other, then place a pen mark on the tape across the two, horizontally
-install the striker and adjust the door to close against the striker without the striker having to lift the door or push the door down. the latch has a primary and secondary latching mechanism so ensure you hear the second "click" when you adjust the door for it's in and out final resting place. the door should swing into the secondary latch "click" without a rise or fall in height. keep an eye on the pen mark on that tape you installed and ensure the latch doesn't have to pull the door up or down as it latches
-check the gaps on the hood etc. some will be tighter on one side than the other. this can be due to worn cab mount brackets under the floor, rusty hinge pillars allowing some movement, rusty rear cab mount support areas etc. if all good the cab can be rotated on an axis of the front driver side cab mount since one of the front mounts in the cab has a round hole and the other has an oblong hole to allow movement. there is a youtube about this on the net. check out old man fixing stuff site
dsraven is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-30-2022, 12:01 AM   #4
blap
Senior Member
 
blap's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: bristol,CT
Posts: 586
Re: 56 GMC door latch

Quote:
Originally Posted by Hcb3200 View Post
assuming you are all stock. parts.
I had same issue.
I found on my 56 the door had to hit the bottom strike plate. just grazing it.
if the door latch was dead center and not nicking the bottom box of strike plate it would not latch.
I pulled the plate all the way out so I could see how much up and down i needed. once i got the door latching with the plate all the way out and the correct up and down. I moved the plate in slowly till i found the good spot where the doors where flush and could close with rubber moldings in place.
Thank you so much
blap is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-30-2022, 12:02 AM   #5
blap
Senior Member
 
blap's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: bristol,CT
Posts: 586
Re: 56 GMC door latch

Quote:
Originally Posted by dsraven View Post
here is what I do. I like to do this without a door seal, if a new door seal is also in the works.
-ensure the hinges are in good shape. to check this open the door a crack and then see how much the door is able to lift. a loose hinge bushing and pin set will allow some movement so adjusting the latch will not be a lasting endeavor.
-with door open check to see if the door is solid as these doors have a habit of getting rust and cracks around the inner supports that reinforce the hinge mounts. also check the areas between the inner and outer door panels, near the vent window etc. these spots crack when the other spots allow a lot of movement between the inner and outer door panels
-remove latch striker
-remove front fender
-adjust door to fit the door openng on the cab with a decent gap all around. a wooden paint stick works well without scratching the paint
-install front fender and adjust the fender to fit the door with a reasonabe gap. again with the wooden paint stick to keep gaps consistent. don't be getting the gaps too tight because these trucks flex and can remove paint on edges if the gaps get too close
-check the door latch and striker for wear and replace as required
-with the door in the closed position where you decide it is good, with no latch striker installed yet, place a piece of masking tape on the door and the cab, right next to each other, then place a pen mark on the tape across the two, horizontally
-install the striker and adjust the door to close against the striker without the striker having to lift the door or push the door down. the latch has a primary and secondary latching mechanism so ensure you hear the second "click" when you adjust the door for it's in and out final resting place. the door should swing into the secondary latch "click" without a rise or fall in height. keep an eye on the pen mark on that tape you installed and ensure the latch doesn't have to pull the door up or down as it latches
-check the gaps on the hood etc. some will be tighter on one side than the other. this can be due to worn cab mount brackets under the floor, rusty hinge pillars allowing some movement, rusty rear cab mount support areas etc. if all good the cab can be rotated on an axis of the front driver side cab mount since one of the front mounts in the cab has a round hole and the other has an oblong hole to allow movement. there is a youtube about this on the net. check out old man fixing stuff site
Thank you for your detailed instructions!!!!
blap is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-04-2022, 09:55 PM   #6
dsraven
Registered User
 
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: calgary alberta
Posts: 7,773
Re: 56 GMC door latch

here is that link to
old man fixing stuff
he has a few videos on his Task Force truck. hope the link works. if not google "55 chevy truck build, going over the body alignment of the cab to door to fender to hood" and see what comes up on youtube

https://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&sourc...R7Gadzu9X5Mx9G
dsraven is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Bookmarks

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -4. The time now is 12:57 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
Copyright 1997-2022 67-72chevytrucks.com