Fix Slamming Doors - Striker Door Latch Repair

[flyboy1100]

It won't come off.

 

[MadOgre]

If you had a pick up truck you could just reach around and hold the nut. But unfortunately the whole family doesn't fit onto a single bench seat.

 

[HotRodPC]

Nope, my OCD just didn't like the idea of having it slit lengthwise. It would have driven me nuts thinking it would pop back off.

-Josh

Gotcha. But FYI, it won't pop off.

My Pex is now several years old and haven't even replaced it and it's not even tried to slip off. IMO, the split actually keeps the pex from being to tight. It seems to be the pex actually rotates a hair too everytime the door is opened and closed and it appears to be self rotating so it doesn't wear the same place all the time.

As George suggested, there are other products that work too. Some have even just used electrical tape and wrapped it. That doesn't last forever though.

 

[Old77]

Picking up some more Pex today to get my "new to me" burb all fixed up and good to go Has worked great on my '77 since the start of this thread so I'm looking forward to it. Will be $2.02 at Lowes

 

[Old77]

Pex job complete on square number 2. I'd forgotten what a difference this 5 minute job makes

 

[donmateo]

Still need to do mine. lol I remind myself to do it...every night around 10pm.

 

[74propu]

white is not the only color it comes in .you can get red and blue as in new code for hot and cold water company name is (quest pex )

 

[5th]

Google brought me here...

Simple ingenuity made me a member.

Thanks for the write up, works like a charm.

 

[MadOgre]

My Pex is now several years old and haven't even replaced it and it's not even tried to slip off. IMO, the split actually keeps the pex from being to tight. It seems to be the pex actually rotates a hair too everytime the door is opened and closed and it appears to be self rotating so it doesn't wear the same place all the time.

As George suggested, there are other products that work too. Some have even just used electrical tape and wrapped it. That doesn't last forever though.

Ya that's a good point about it spinning around every time the door closes. The factory one has a larger ID then the door pin so its fairly loose and able to rotate on the pin. My OCD would not allow me to use the pex with a slit down the side lol

I actually just did mine last night and the 1/2" pex ID is smaller than the pin. So I removed the pin. Then I cut a piece of pex to length and then soaked in it a cup of boiling water. I used olive oil to lubricate the pin (I tried with out any lube and then with dish soap but the olive oil worked 100 times better). I also used a file to file off the sharp edge where the pex needs to slide over it and then chamfered the inside of the pex where it will meet the edge that I filed down.

Heat the pex, lube the pin and the use a hammer to get the 1/2" pex down as far as possible over the threads. Then I used the washers for the pin and a deep socket and hammer to continue to pound the pex all the way onto the pin.

It worked great on both sides.

The OD of the pex once installed on the pin is exactly the same as the factory plastic bushing. The only draw back is that it will not rotate on the pin. But heh I will just change them again when I need to.

 

[Jarhead79]

I took a roll of black tape and wrapped it around the striker, fixed it for now, you have to remember though that those plastic pieces were put on there somehow so I'm wondering if removing the striker would be easy

 

[HotRodPC]

You can run into problems removing the striker. Like dropping the nut on the other side, then how do you get access to put another one on? I believe it's just a tac welded nut. Break the tac weld, then what? It's been done, but some have had problems. I won't remove mine unless I have not choice but to do so.

 

[MadOgre]

I took a roll of black tape and wrapped it around the striker, fixed it for now, you have to remember though that those plastic pieces were put on there somehow so I'm wondering if removing the striker would be easy

Ya as long as you have a regular cab pickup. Simply remove the corner speaker and then just reach around the door pillar to hold the nut while you use a T-45 socket to undo the striker pin/bolt.

If you have a crew cab or jimmy it may be more complicated to gain access to that nut....but the regular cabs are a piece of cake

 

[MadOgre]

You can run into problems removing the striker. Like dropping the nut on the other side, then how do you get access to put another one on? I believe it's just a tac welded nut. Break the tac weld, then what? It's been done, but some have had problems. I won't remove mine unless I have not choice but to do so.

Both of my trucks have no tack welds on the nut. They are square pieces with little cleats on the surface to stop them from spinning. Every truck I have owned has been the same. Even if they were welded it would be easy to just use a large washer and a nut with a lock washer.

 

[MadOgre]

Oh and the pin is installed before the truck is painted at the factory so its really easy to see where the pin should be when it comes time to reinstall it.

 

[onekarnut]

Cheap---always good
Simple--even better
Easy----even more better
Works--F-----g fablous
Them dem dar okies do sumtyme do sumphin rite!!!!!
Great post really appreciate the tips I have gotten from the forum members.THANKS