Fix Slamming Doors - Striker Door Latch Repair

[Bob Igram]

After i had made the assumption that slamming 33-42 year old doors was just an inevitability, i see this thread, LOLx3.......I currently own an 86 C20, an 83 K20 and a 77 K20........Im looking forward to trying this, and as i have already messed with the pass side striker on the 77, they are easy to remove as long as you have the large Torx bit, which thankfully i do...........Kudos to the person who posted this great "spare change from the sofa cushions" fix

 

[KilgoreTrout]

I pexed both my doors a few weeks ago.
Best $2 I ever spent, and I still have enough tubing to last me years.

 

[78C10BigTen]

My 40 year old doors must have been babied because i dont need to slam mine lol

 

[KilgoreTrout]

My 40 year old doors must have been babied because i dont need to slam mine lol

Must have been!
My passenger side wasn't too bad, but the driver's side definitely was.
No issue now, though.

 

[78C10BigTen]

Must have been!
My passenger side wasn't too bad, but the driver's side definitely was.
No issue now, though.

If one was to do this what size pex is needed

 

[MikeB]

I hate to show my ignorance, but which problem does this address?

 

[KilgoreTrout]

I hate to show my ignorance, but which problem does this address?

The strikers on the doors have plastic over them (where the door latch wraps around them).
Due to age and saggy doors, the plastic gets broken off, and you need to slam the door to get it to latch easier.
Take some pex pipe from Lowe's, cut a piece to fit, slit it, and wrap it around the striker. Now your doors shut nicely again.

 

[KilgoreTrout]

If one was to do this what size pex is needed

Half inch.

 

[MikeB]

So it's a matter of the latch slipping over the PEX much easier than over the striker's bare metal. I recently installed new door seals, which makes the doors even harder to close, for a while at least. So I may try the PEX fix today!

 

[KilgoreTrout]

So it's a matter of the latch slipping over the PEX much easier than over the striker's bare metal. I recently installed new door seals, which makes the doors even harder to close, for a while at least. So I may try the PEX fix today!

Yep. And I'd definitely try it. Can't do anything but help.

 

[gotyourgoat]

I hate to show my ignorance, but which problem does this address?

If you stare real close and close the door over and over you can see the plastic bushing(pex, garden hose, or tape) acts like a shock absorber for the latch mechanism. Without the shock absorber the latch mechanism kind of bounces off/around the striker. So slamming the doors harder is actually going to cause more shock/wear to the latch and striker.

 

[Wumbo]

I did this a few months ago on my truck, but rather than cut a slit, I heated the PEX with a heat gun and slid it onto the post. Worked great.

 

[Bob Igram]

Just did it to the 86 and the 77.........the 83 still had what i assume to be factory bushings.........I also discovered another use for the PEX, ive got the factory camper mirrors, code DF2 that can either be swung inboard or out, and naturally a previous previous owner caught the drivers side mirror on something, and almost tore if off the door.........Thin pieces of the PEX fit in between the mirror arms and the door! Yeah its kinda cheesy, but the mirror doesnt rattle any more........Its a $1600 dollar truck, that appears to be low miles, near perfect interior, runs drives well

 

[MikeB]

Just did the mod on my 82 after reading this thread. It helped a lot on the passenger side, but not too much on the drivers side. But that's probably because the drivers side door needs new hinge pins.

 

[Moose Drool]

After i had made the assumption that slamming 33-42 year old doors was just an inevitability, i see this thread, LOLx3.......I currently own an 86 C20, an 83 K20 and a 77 K20........Im looking forward to trying this, and as i have already messed with the pass side striker on the 77, they are easy to remove as long as you have the large Torx bit, which thankfully i do...........Kudos to the person who posted this great "spare change from the sofa cushions" fix

What size Torx?