door latch kit

I recently purchased a set of Altman easy latch kits thru trique manufacturing. These are advertised as a "bear jaw" style latch, meaning they are similar to modern pin striker with rotating hook jaw. The design looks outstanding, has a secondary and primary latching system, and looks like the answer to many problems inherent with these oldies but goodies. I followed the directions, which weren't too badly written at all- even for a third grade educated fool like myself. The fit was good the finish was good, but the action is, well, let me say this- not so much.

One thing I see wrong is the striker pin is bolted thru a billet aluminium bracket with a hex nut and star washer on the back to retain it. This initself isn't so much an issue but if you think about it, OEM's press and clinch this assembly together. Realizing this, brings me to one problem- the striker pin won't stay tight. I believe this is compounded by the hole that the striker pin goes into is like 9/16" dia, and the pin thread is 3/8, so there is a lot of room for the striker pin to move around..... even if it is tight. I hate to give any product a negative review, but I get a little tweaked when I call and the tech line mailbox is full and to hang up. This tells me one thing--- lots of tech problems and complaints. I think I am going to try remedying this by bushing the striker bolt to the billet bracket with a sleeve. If this doesn't work, I am going to have a billet striker made at a job shop.... this will be the pin and bracket made as an assembly, configured such that once the bracket is bolted in, it should be quite stout for the latch to run against it.

The problem I was having was after adjusting for over an hour, and still couldn't get the latch to release reliably, or close reliably, I found then that the striker pin was coming loose in the bracket. Tried to tighten it up, and after closing the door twice, it was loose again. So I will try the bushing/sleeve deal, with some sleeve and bearing mount, and see if I can get this deal solved. It wouldn't be such a big deal, but I had to cut my door to install this product. I'm not necessarily a purist, but when I gotta cut perfectly good doors to install something, I get pissed when it falls short of claims and expectations.

Any body else use these latches, and how were your outcomes? ...... hopefully better than mine. Plus, had there been someone to take my call with my concerns, other than a "full mailbox, so hang up", it wouldn't have tweaked my strings quite so hard.

By the way, this was a 54 F-100 kit.

Sorry to hear about your struggles with this. I concur...if I have to cut up my sheetmetal/fiberglass then the product had better fit correctly.

Later,

Lee

My truck has this latch kit installed. It installed relatively easily and my doors close as good, if not better, than factor doors.

That's what my hopes were. My strikers go into a billet aluminum bracket, and the striker bolt (pin) and the hole it goes thru are horribly mismatched as far as size. I ain't no genius, but with the pressures and forces on a striker, the hole should match the size of the pin. Your strikers go into a "backside weldment" that looks really sound, as far as it looks to me. I am going to take the striker and bracket to one of the local manufacturing facilities and have a threaded insert shrunk into the backside of it. If that don't hold it, nuthin will.

I will admit, it did install easy, and I am a bit particular aligning doors, so I'm not a "sledge hammer jockey" when it comes to fitting them. Taking the time to visually match the striker contact with the latch goes a long way to great outcomes, and slamming doors shut is crazy with this setup.

Good news! Smuggled my parts into one of the local manufacturing facilities, with a drawing for an insert for the backside of the striker bracket. It needed to be .003 oversize to shrink into the hole, 3/8 coarse thread. Went and wasted a couple hours around town, got a text from my connection, went and picked 3 inserts up, (only need 2, they always overdo it) took them back home, fired up the torch, heated the aluminum bracket quite warm, dropped the steel insert in it, bolted it into the post, and it was 300% more rigid. Problem was, I couldn't get the door open. It would bind on something, but I couldn't find a spot of contact to adjust from, or to. Took a chance and filed the points off the hex on the striker pin, apparently they were the problem, it got better and better, and after 3 applications of filing the striker pin hex, it opens and closes as good as any cadillac door I have ever seen. Perseverence wins out- just cuz sumthins new, don't mean it can't be made better by the application of some backyard field expediency.

Awesome! Glad to hear it's taken care of now.

Later,

Lee

Get the passengers side done now, and the A/C in, and the Mrs. will be ecstatic!

I had to modify new parts a few times to get it to work better,the last time was with the electric wipers that I put on my 55 and it made the installation much easier. Sometimes I wonder if who designs the parts actually install them too just to see how they fit.

dieseldr wrote:Good news! Smuggled my parts into one of the local manufacturing facilities, with a drawing for an insert for the backside of the striker bracket. It needed to be .003 oversize to shrink into the hole, 3/8 coarse thread. Went and wasted a couple hours around town, got a text from my connection, went and picked 3 inserts up, (only need 2, they always overdo it) took them back home, fired up the torch, heated the aluminum bracket quite warm, dropped the steel insert in it, bolted it into the post, and it was 300% more rigid. Problem was, I couldn't get the door open. It would bind on something, but I couldn't find a spot of contact to adjust from, or to. Took a chance and filed the points off the hex on the striker pin, apparently they were the problem, it got better and better, and after 3 applications of filing the striker pin hex, it opens and closes as good as any cadillac door I have ever seen. Perseverence wins out- just cuz sumthins new, don't mean it can't be made better by the application of some backyard field expediency.

dieseldr wrote:Get the passengers side done now, and the A/C in, and the Mrs. will be ecstatic!

You got to keep the better half happy.

Got both sides done now, passenger side was 200% easier to do- things just worked better, kinda like the directions said they should. Had that side done in about an hour. After the battle with the drivers side, it's good to have something work well when you're done with it.

Anyone need an original set of latches and strikers for a 54 F-100? They still work, never let loose, the doors never came open, but occasionally it was a little moody to get them open, till you adjusted them (again). Now,just get the speedometer going, and the A/C.