Door Latch Issues...Help!

[ccost23]

So I'm finally ready to start working on my Bronco for the summer, and what happens...I can't get in it! It turns out the driver side door is closed and, to what I can only assume, the latch is broken.

A bit of detail - both the outside and inside door handles don't do anything when used. After taking off the panel and looking around, all the rods (4 of them, the 2 door latches, the key lock and the door lock knob) seem to be in place but when pushed/pulled, don't do as much as the door that works. I've tried everything from shimmying it with my hand, wd-40, and a wrench to move things and no luck. So my question is - now what? I can't open the door and all my work had to be inside, under the steering wheel while laying across the seats, not the best working situation.

Please let me know if anyone has any ideas here before bringing it down to a shop (which I prefer not to do as they charge a fortune where I'm located). I appreciate any and all assistance here as I'm dying to start doing a major overhall, and this really slows me down!

Thank you!!!

 

[jon_eds]

I tried to find a pic of the backside of the latch but couldn't find one, but there is a lever on the latch that moves up and down that has a spring on it, there is not a rod attached to it. Make sure it's in the up position. My doors would act like that when the door was locked and I tried to open it while locked, that lever would get stuck and not return to the up position and door wouldn't open after I unlocked it, had to go in and move it up by hand till I rigged up a stronger spring and lubed it up good. Hope this helps

Edit: best I remember the lever goes across the back of the latch and the end runs up n down in a slot on the side of the latch, with the end barely sticking out

 

[JAFO]

Yes if the lock is down (door locked) then no response when you work either latch.
Follow the rod from the inside door handle down to where it attaches to the latch. When you pull that rod it moves a lever. Sometimes that lever assembly is worn so it doesn’t move things far enough to open the door. I had to weld a piece of metal onto the arm so it would move enough to open the door using the inside handle. When worn the inside handle can move it far enough to get the door open.

 

[Viperwolf1]

The opening lever is stuck on the lock lever. This happens when the rod for the outer handle is set too short.

 

[TheGanzman]

Are they repro outer door handles? I had this very same problem with mine when I first bought it; had to switch to ORIGINAL Ford door handles - problem SOLVED!

 

[Justafordguy]

X2, I also had this issue with aftermarket handles.

 

[GreMac]

The opening lever is stuck on the lock lever. This happens when the rod for the outer handle is set too short.

I just went through this same issue on mine. I had the rod coming from the outside handle button adjusted too short. It appeared that the door was unlocked when in reality it wasn't. Once I pulled the lower part of that rod off of the latch mechanism, I was able to unlock the door completely and the inside handle worked again. I only had to turn the adjustment out one turn (lengthening) and put it back on the latch mechanism to get it to all work again.

 

[ccost23]

Hi All, Thank you very much for the assistance. I will try to see if I can lengthen the rod to the outside handle. Is this something I do by hand or would use a wrench?

Also, please keep in mind that the door is closed so I'm basically doing this blind as I'm squeezed between the seat and steering wheel and up against a shut door. Not the most comfortable position to get things done.

As for the other questions - this is an original door handle. I am also interested in this backside of the latch idea, and will try and push it up. I'm skeptical here as I have had my hand in there for a while and not much would budge, even after some wd-40 sprayed.

If I can't get this to work, would I take the door off somehow to work on it? What would my other options be?

Thanks again!

 

[nutter3]

I think you will be doing all this by hand, you may need a small tipped screwdriver to pop the rod clips off. I had the same problem once, basically if you can get the rods off, you can then function the latches by hand. Once it is open, take it out and figure out the problem! I had to do this not too long ago. I was trying to link you to the supermotors.net article, but its not working for me now. It has a good picture of the latch and functions of the latch.
https://www.google.com/search?q=bro...wmMKHVA-BQEQ_AUICCgC&biw=1186&bih=625#imgrc=_

 

[broncodriver99]

X2 on a small screwdriver to pop the retainer clip off. After that there is a threaded adjustment.

My doors hang up sometimes as I haven't gotten around to pulling the panels and adjusting them. What I found is that if you use the key or the manual knob inside and lock unlock the door several times with a quick action it will release the mechanism and the door can then be opened.

 

[JAFO]

For sure I had troubles with the inside handles not opening the door. But it was due to the latch, not the aftermarket handles. Basically you couldn't pull the handle far enough to get the door to open and if you did, the door handle flapper would get lodged under the door arm rest. What I found was the latch mechanism had a worn part causing too much excess play.

Watch this video....
http://www.cjponyparts.com/dynacorn-door-latch-assembly-passenger-side-bronco-1968-1977/p/3714/

Watch it a few times, then at time 30 seconds freeze it. That piece he puts his thumb on....it gets pulled by the inside door handle rod and it moves another piece up to unlatch the door. Well, the piece he has his thumb on, a part of it presses on another piece and where it presses, mine were worn badly, so much so that it caused too much free play of the inside handle. So people having issues with aftermarket handles, I suspect your door latch is worn here. I welded a piece of metal where the part was worn to make up the free play and then my inside handles worked perfect, without having to replace my whole latch assembly. When correct you don't have to pull the inside door handle very far before the door unlatches.

And freeze it at 37 seconds. At the bottom of the assembly, look at the square part that is the other end of the lever pulled by the door handle rod. That is the part I had to weld some metal onto to make the repair. It was worn on the top side that pressed on the other metal part.

Also, watching the video will show you how to diagnose the latch not opening. Watch what he pushes to lock and what he pushes that unlatches the door.

 

[TheGanzman]

The aftermarket handles are Chin-wa GARBAGE! I went through TWO sets, including the (supposedly) "Better Ones" - my Bronco parts cabinet looks like a Ford door handle factory!

I was VERY lucky to have someone right here on this Forum sell me a set of originals for peanuts - I put 'em on and have never looked back. If you study on the repros, the biggest problem is that the actual push-button is the problem; there's WAY too much "play" side-to-side/up-down when pushing it in - the result being that there's not enough "ass" to actuate the rod and associated latch. The repros look like they were engineered by Freddie Flintstone, and built by Barnie Rubble...

 

[langester]

Mine hung up a few times like you are describing. I was able to roll down the window and grab the lock on top of the door and lock and unlock several times (wiggle it up and down) the latch finally released and I opened the door. You can tell when it releases all the way by the length it pulls up. I could then work on it with the door open to readjust everything. Not sure if it will work on yours but its worth a shot.
Good luck!

 

[JAFO]

The aftermarket handles are Chin-wa GARBAGE! I went through TWO sets, including the (supposedly) "Better Ones" - my Bronco parts cabinet looks like a Ford door handle factory!

I went through one set of non-OEM china brand that really sucked. But I will swear that these OEM style from Toms Bronco Parts work extremely well. Like OEM if you ask me. If you look at the way they are built, it is like the OEM internals. I had gone the cheap China knock offs route, then bought the Tom's OEM and it is night and day the way Tom's function. Worth the money and they look really good.

https://www.tomsbroncoparts.com/pro...ermarket-66-77-early-ford-bronco-new-per-pair

And regarding the inside handle, if you get the slop out of the latch mechanism, any of the handles will work. I compared the aftermarket handle to the OEM handle I still have (but looks old and I wanted it to look new) and the angles and everything are the same. Internal door handle issues are almost always due to the slop in the latch mechanism. I've been all through both doors, totally rebuilding everything.

 

[ccost23]

Hi All, First off I wanted to thank you all for your comments and assistance. I'm happy to say that I got the door open and figured out the issue with the latch.

In somewhat of a strange situation, it rained today and I didn't get a chance to mess with it until this evening when it was dark out and was working with a work light. Instead of looking in a dark door in the daylight, the focus of the light was the best way to look in and see everything while dark out and really saved the day. This may be a good tip for others that have this issue.

So it turned out that the outdoor door handle button was pushed in to the point where the inside of it was jammed on the little arm that it pushes to lift the rod. Therefore the latch wouldn't engage. I was able to pull it out of being jammed and push it back in to re-engage.

For more detail, see this link and the 3rd picture, it's the little piece that sticks out and goes in and out when the button is pushed in.

Now the question - is there any way to ensure this doesn't happen again or do I just buy a new handle just in case? I don't want to have to take the panel off again and go back in there. Also, if you do think I get a new handle, which one do you guys recommend?

Thank you again for all your help, I really appreciate it.