Hooking up a door latch for a Street Rod or Project

hurst01

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I have seen a lot of questions about DIY'ers wanting to hook up a door latch on street rods, hot rods and home built cars and projects. As you might know, trying to hook up door latches such as Bear Claw can sometimes pose a bit of a problem. You are sitting there scratching your head trying to figure a way to route linkages and bell cranks to operate the door latch while trying to figure out how to clear the window, especially if it needs to be operated from a direction that you didn't anticipate.

This proves to be a problem sometimes, especially since most door latches have handles that might need to operate by either pushing or pulling in different directions. First of all, try to not have the linkage "push" as it tends to "Deform" or "Flex" during the actuation process. You can purchase an expensive cable and pulley set for $50-$60 per door, or you can go to the local bike shop and purchase a cable for a bicycle that normally would be used to operate a hand brake.

Since this cable has its own sheath, it doesn't need guides or pulleys to keep it in place and it is easily routed so as to pull the latch in either direction without the use of pulleys. You will have to fabricate a way to hold the cable on each end so it won't move, otherwise it won't pull the latch.

Instead of spending $50-$60 per door, you can spend $5-$10 or so and have a setup that will not only be dependable, but won't break you wallet either. That might possibly leave a few greenbacks to play with other stuff that you want to do :mrgreen: .
 

ChevyHiPro

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Hey Bright Boy!!
Thanks for the suggestion!!
That's real clever!!
I have a couple of '32 Ford hot Rod projects coming in a year or two.
The two cars I have are just shells on frames, one doesn't have a front end.
The interiors are completely stripped.
I'm going to have to fabricate a dash for both and door handles and opening devices among other things.
Fortunately, they both have all the glass, not sure window mechanisms for up and down.
One of them doesn't even have floor boards, but that's pretty easy to fabricate.

Anyway, I appreciate your sharing the bike cable idea!
That's dynamite!
Ray
 

hurst01

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Sometimes I surprise even myself, but thought I would share. As for the window mechanism, put power windows in it and that cures that problem.
 

ChevyHiPro

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Ed wrote; "Sometimes I surprise even myself, "

Yep, that's me!
I've always said, "I'm Ray, The Fast Fixit Man!, If Ray can't ix it, nobody can!
Why I can fix anything from a broken heart to the crack of dawn!
My only requirement for fixing something is, that it's broken in the first place!
Why, I'm so good, sometimes I even amaze myself!
Yep!
That's me, Ray, The Fast Fixit Man!"
:lol:
 

hurst01

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I am convinced that you are not right :roll:
 

ChevyHiPro

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Well put!
:lol:
And, just looking atmy post, . . . . I can't even spell!!

:shock:
 
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