Door Latch - which holes for the open mechanism?

[orbitron3000]

I have been working to make the passenger door easier to open. In that process I removed the passenger front latch from the door. Unfortunately, during the removal, the two rods (one for the lock/unlock, one for the release) fell out before I could mark which hole these rods go to.

I figured out the lock/unlock rod, but I have tried two different places for the opening rod and the latch doesn't fully release the fork that holds onto the striker pin.

Where should that rod go?

7671

[thirdmanj]

I'm getting ready to replace my driver's side rear latch, so I'm curious to see how this goes. As soon as I get home today I plan on tearing into it so I'll let you know what I find provided someone on the boards doesn't beat me to it.

[thirdmanj]

Well I got into it today only to find that the rear latch was just fine, and that it was/is a pull rod tension problem. Now I'm back to square one. I think I've got some serious alignment issues now also because of a botched weather stripping job. It'll all be worked out eventually I'm sure (with a shit-ton of consulting with Josh at DPI). How goes it on your end dude? Get it figured out?

[QuadcityDMC]

I would replace both front and back a long with new rods. I did and my locks work great now, it is a bitch to get everything working. My only problem is setting the door key unlock. DMCMW is fixing that for me. There is a little white ring and a long rod to the key unlock/lock and the opening to adjust it is the size of a credit card, you will cut yourself if you don't tape the edges.

There is a Set Lock how to in the DMC work shop book.

[orbitron3000]

So I was finally able to work on the doors again today. I am happy to report that the passenger door is now as easy to open as lifting up on the handle and gently pulling. So easy a cavem....errr....child can easily open the door (probably). The correct placement for the passenger door front latch is in the picture circled in blue. I did set the rod length so that when it was pulled to all the right to the right (towards the back of the door, it has a little play due to how the latch is constructed) it perfectly lined up with the latch mechanism.

7710

What the real culprit was in terms of door opening difficulty, was the weather stripping. The PO (I'm assuming) had put some black tacky crap on the weather stripping so it was sitting as far in as it should. I ripped off the entire stripping for the door, removed the tacky crap where necessary, reseated the stripping and presto! voila! abra cadabra! the door opens as intended.

I even drove it a little afterwards to make sure I didn't mess up the weatherstripping. Feels good not to have to be Hercules to have to open that door.

...now I just need to replace the gas strut because the door hangs kind of low now...