I managed to get the passenger side door open, finally. lubed up the inner workings of the latch mechanism/rods and it all seems to be moving about well, but when I shut the door, I still can't get it to open. Looks/feels like (as far as I can tell) there isn't enough tension on the rod that links to the exterior door handle latch. I am not sure what to do to get it to "spring" to action...
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BOTH doors refuse to open from either inside or outside - please help!
- Thread starter montana68
- Start date
The rods have a threaded end that screws into the part that attaches to the door latch. You need to remove the small clip that holds the rod to the female threaded part so it comes apart, shorten the length between the rod and female threaded piece by turning it a couple of turns up the shaft, then re-attach it to the door latch and push the little clip back on.
It's not difficult to do other than you can hardly see anything working inside the door.
I KNOW!! That's one of my main problems, I don't know what I'm feeling about for, and then I stick my head back in to look and think I get it, but then I'm running blind and can't seem to figure it out (repeat ad nauseum)...
Steve83
Bronco Guru
Check out this thread:
http://classicbroncos.com/forums/showthread.php?t=178212
But you can probably get away with simply shortening the rod from the outside handle to the latch by screwing its clevis end up a turn or 2.
http://classicbroncos.com/forums/showthread.php?t=178212
But you can probably get away with simply shortening the rod from the outside handle to the latch by screwing its clevis end up a turn or 2.
Thanks for that link but I am not sure I could tackle that project, well, that's not exactly true - I am positive I would not want to remove the entire latch assembly myself. I'm not that confident in my abilities and not clever enough to even understand what levers do what.
that being said, I am not sure wht a clevis end is or how to screw it up a turn or 2. I'll have to google that one. Thanks again for the link though.
Tomorrow I'm going to try to figure this out again...%)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clevis_fastener#Clevis_rod_end
for those not familiar with clevis ends!
for those not familiar with clevis ends!
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I thought I'd add that, in case your Bronco has new-ish paint, don't just spray a bunch of cleaners in there or some of it will undoubtedly drip outside in the jam area and bye-bye paint!
On older paint though, it's not much of an issue if you wipe it off in a reasonable amount of time. Older paint is really cured. As opposed to just cured.
If this is not a daily driver, or you can spare a weekend, I would consider taking the whole thing out. Once you get the rods un-done and see where it attaches to the outer button and lock, it's really pretty simple.
The reason I like to pull them instead of spraying, is that this "gunk" that is gooing it all up is pretty hard to get off once it sets up with age. Best to take the whole assembly out and soak it good in de-greaser. Then re-grease and re-install.
Don't know if your doors are hard to open and close, but if so, you'll be amazed at how much better it all works after it's clean.
I know you got it working, and it's tempting to leave it, but if yours work as bad as many do, it's worth the extra effort.
The real trick though, is to leave the other side fully assembled, so that when you go to put one back together and nothing looks like it will go where you think it's supposed to, you can reference the still-assembled side.
See? Easy peasy.
Good luck.
Paul
On older paint though, it's not much of an issue if you wipe it off in a reasonable amount of time. Older paint is really cured. As opposed to just cured.
If this is not a daily driver, or you can spare a weekend, I would consider taking the whole thing out. Once you get the rods un-done and see where it attaches to the outer button and lock, it's really pretty simple.
The reason I like to pull them instead of spraying, is that this "gunk" that is gooing it all up is pretty hard to get off once it sets up with age. Best to take the whole assembly out and soak it good in de-greaser. Then re-grease and re-install.
Don't know if your doors are hard to open and close, but if so, you'll be amazed at how much better it all works after it's clean.
I know you got it working, and it's tempting to leave it, but if yours work as bad as many do, it's worth the extra effort.
The real trick though, is to leave the other side fully assembled, so that when you go to put one back together and nothing looks like it will go where you think it's supposed to, you can reference the still-assembled side.
See? Easy peasy.
Good luck.
Paul
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Hah! Been there, done that many times. They have an app for that though. Aside from just a deep socket, which might still be hard to jam up inside the upholstery, a nut-driver is perfect! Socket-on-a-stick basically, but doesn't come off.
Wait until you have to track down a wiring problem under the dash!
Better to just pull the seat, put a thick moving pad down and get comfortable.
It's a Bronco. Of course you are!
So you haven't read one of my novels yet, eh?
In his best Yoda voice... "You will..."
Paul
fuzzy2133
Full Member
Working blind is an on the job trainig excersice. My two favorite tools when I work inside car doors are a Mechanics Mirror and a small "AA" Mag Light.
grant_71
Bronco Guru
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- Aug 6, 2002
- Messages
- 1,933
TO test the latch w/out closing the door just trip the latch closed while its open w/ your fingers, w/ that diagram you know which rods to pull. That way you dont have to play contortionist to open it each time, and you can test your rod adjustments much easier.
ahhhh, good idea, thanks!
72Quarterhorse
Full Member
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- Dec 16, 2007
- Messages
- 320
The same thing happen to my passenger door yesterday. This morning I read this thread went out side and got the door open. For me I put the flash light inside the door to see whats going on.Its still hard to see the area closest to the inside panel and that's were you need to see. In my case the door was not unlocking all the way. to determine this press the knob on outside and or pull the handle on the inside to open the door as you do this watch the mechanism if they are not moving and only the rods are then it's steel in the locked position.
Fallow the rod from the inside door lock and go down till it attaches to the mechanism about 1'' directly under that is another mechanism with your finger lift up on that mechanism and pull up on the inside door lock at the same time. That should get the door open. You might have to play around in that area but that's how I got the door open. plus I used a lot of WD-40. hope this helps you your thread has helped me.
Fallow the rod from the inside door lock and go down till it attaches to the mechanism about 1'' directly under that is another mechanism with your finger lift up on that mechanism and pull up on the inside door lock at the same time. That should get the door open. You might have to play around in that area but that's how I got the door open. plus I used a lot of WD-40. hope this helps you your thread has helped me.
Thanks guys - I got both doors open, which is great, but I (sadly/pathetically) still can't see how to solve the underlying problem(s). I looked for the clips to get the latch rod undone in order to twist it to tighten the tension, but I cannot for the life of me find them... The latch rod seems to be super loose, and possibly broken, and I've been manipulating every thing I can think of to try to tighten it, but nothing seems to be working. I am basically about to give up and remove the damn doors!!! I push the exterior handle button in and it doesn't do anything at all, the "cranks" in there tdo not turn, they only turn when I manually pull on the interior rod to release the door latch on the side... so I've left the panel off in order to open the door (with the window down). I tried to take photos, but they didn't turn out too well... Anyway thank you for all your help and advice, I'll keep trying to figure it out, but I'm a bit burnt out right now!
arghh - I'm going a little crazy here trying to do this - it sounds so simple, but I can't seem to find these clips - how big are they? Are they tiny? Like little cotter pins? I think I feel something small, but I am kind of afraid to yank it out especially since I don't know what it is and if I can put it back together if it wasn't what I wanted to do... I've looked at the diagram again - can't seem to see the pins, I'll check the other one and look at Tom's catalog or something too. Sorry, wish I could take off the entire interior metal door frame to see what's going on. Right now I feel that the 1968 Bronco design team was flat out diabolical... what a PITA!!
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The clip looks like this. The left end of the clip goes over the hole before the short "L" end of the linkage is installed thru the hole, then the right end of the clip is rotated to clip over the long side of the linkage.
In this Tom's Bronco Parts drawing that Orangecrush linked earlier, you can see the clips. They're a lot bigger than pins or cotters would be. To remove it you unclip it from the long side of the linkage, then rotate the clip a little to be out of the way, then the linkage can be removed. Once one end of linkage is removed, you should be able to rotate it in the threaded end to shorten it.
In this Tom's Bronco Parts drawing that Orangecrush linked earlier, you can see the clips. They're a lot bigger than pins or cotters would be. To remove it you unclip it from the long side of the linkage, then rotate the clip a little to be out of the way, then the linkage can be removed. Once one end of linkage is removed, you should be able to rotate it in the threaded end to shorten it.
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At the risk of having Bronco-owning and obviously Bronco-owning-woman-starved EB owners invade your part of Missoula (husband/dad/big sister/trusted neighbor does have a gun, right?), you could get it fixed in a jiffy for just the price of some sandwiches and/or pizza. Some Big-Sky Burgers on the barbeque would have a horde at your doorstep quicker n you could say A-1 Sauce!
Probably even get a few of them out-of-staters over to a meet-n-greet and fix-a-bronco day event involving EB's and food.
Not only would you meet a lot of good people, but get to learn how to fix a door the easy way, and then, to test that new-found knowledge, get roped into helping work on all the other Broncos parked on your property!
I'm kidding of course, but only slightly. We do it all the time here. Lots of new friends have been made to the detriment of Bronco issues of all types.
Lately there have been a few going out to look at Broncos that a new member was looking to buy, but was not in the area to go have a look. Some others came over to diagnose some electrical gremlins. Others just like an excuse to get together with like-minded people to talk Bronco.
That said, judging by the way some of us reacted to that fact that "a girl" (of all things!) is working on her Bronco at work, I'm thinking you should be careful around these parts. ;D
Good luck. Hmm, gonna' have to have one of those over at my house sometime!
Paul
Probably even get a few of them out-of-staters over to a meet-n-greet and fix-a-bronco day event involving EB's and food.
Not only would you meet a lot of good people, but get to learn how to fix a door the easy way, and then, to test that new-found knowledge, get roped into helping work on all the other Broncos parked on your property!
I'm kidding of course, but only slightly. We do it all the time here. Lots of new friends have been made to the detriment of Bronco issues of all types.
Lately there have been a few going out to look at Broncos that a new member was looking to buy, but was not in the area to go have a look. Some others came over to diagnose some electrical gremlins. Others just like an excuse to get together with like-minded people to talk Bronco.
That said, judging by the way some of us reacted to that fact that "a girl" (of all things!) is working on her Bronco at work, I'm thinking you should be careful around these parts. ;D
Good luck. Hmm, gonna' have to have one of those over at my house sometime!
Paul
beaux312
Sr. Member
stevew
Bronco Guru
Karen , give me a call & I'll walk you thru the fix over the phone .
Steve
Steve
The clip looks like this. The left end of the clip goes over the hole before the short "L" end of the linkage is installed thru the hole, then the right end of the clip is rotated to clip over the long side of the linkage.
Many thanks - I see it now and figured that was part of the equation, but I think i need something to de-gunk it since it feels welded on! Any recs for a spray on degunker so I can loosen it up?
