'96 1500: new door latch - reliable source?

[DennisT]

I've been having a lot of trouble getting my door handles/latches/rods, etc. working right. Have replaced almost everything except the actual door edge latch itself. So I'm going to order one. I see them from $26, to $40 on up. I suppose a new GM/Delco would be best, but.....price. What luck have you all had with the general run of less expensive repro latches? From Amazon, LMC, etc. Any warnings? Thanks, Dennis

 

[Erik the Awful]

I have RockAuto's cheapest on my truck. They work as well as can be expected from such a crappy original design.

 

[Dropped88]

I have the cheap Amazon ones on my truck. Quality doesn't seem much different from the factory ones. But like mentioned can only do so much for a crappy design.

And my doors shut nice with them

 

[DennisT]

This is helpful, thank you. I've replaced everything in my door but the latch on the door edge. I still have the original problem which is when the rods are all connected they are so tight and stiff it prevents proper function. Example: - the inside vertical slide lock/unlock tab won't operate anything; can barely get it to move. I unhook it behind the inside handle, everything works including the actuator. I'm thinking something is wrong or bent on the latch that changed the hook-up lengths..... Rods seem just fine. Previous owner did some screwy things with owner repairs.

 

[DennisT]

And as long as I'm bitching about all this, I've avoided dealing with the latch because it's obvious from the you tube videos on these, they are a headache to replace. I confirmed this several days ago in a wrecking yard when I fought to get one out of a truck the same year as mine. That was the day it took me so long to do it I almost got locked in the wrecking yard overnight as I worked right up to their closing time. I got it, with rods. So I could reuse it, but, being a used item, I'm not taking the chance and will order a new latch. Those little flat lock tabs at the latch end of the rods are a real ***** as I felt I had to work blind to get them off. I did buy new ones already and hope they work OK. Not a job I'm looking forward to - wish there were better ways to do it but so far I've only found the 1A-Auto video and one other where the guy ground off the window elevator mechanism splayed rivets ......not planning to do the latter. Thanks for listening......

 

[Dropped88]

They are really not that bad but I did just do 8 of them. I'll look through my pics to try to and show how I did them

 

[DennisT]

Thanks, Dropp... This old age mechanic'n isn't what it used to be. I do a LOT of homework first. Latch should be here Thursday.

 

[zachary A makoff]

i got mine from carparts.com. Where did you get the door rods or is lmc the only place able to get them

 

[DennisT]

I found a truck in the wrecking yard same year as mine. The padded interior panel had been taken, but the steel sheet behind that and everything else was still there. I took the whole sheet and then went to work on the rods which were in nice shape. But to get them out, I had to deal with their attachments at the latch end. THAT was the headache for me. Even with the window blocked in the up position, access inside the the door at the latch end is very restrictive. I finally got one door handle short rod released and that allowed me to remove the outside door handle and eventually the latch itself which brought out, still attached, the rods. Finally !!! dropped88 here on the forum, (above post), seems to have a grip on this process........evidently better than I do. Sorry for long answer.....-rods - wrecking yard.

 

[someotherguy]

You'll develop a method after messing with them long enough; it's been too many years since I've messed with them to explain it in any useful detail. The short rod from exterior handle lock down to the latch IIRC is easier to deal with if you leave it attached at the latch and hook it up on the handle once installed. Exterior handle loose when latch is installed then you drop the exterior handle rod down into the latch (it doesn't have a clip at the bottom end, just a flange drops into a hole.)

You could go full custom and shave the door handles and use rear door latches from a boneyard Suburban as they'll be OEM and generally have far less wear than front door latches. Unfortunately they do not have the parts for hooking up the exterior door handle lock. Or you could simply use Suburban rear door handles, too.. just be sure your keyless entry setup is working 100%.

Richard