Hi everyone. I've recently acquired a 1981 Ford F-250 Ranger Lariat. It's a really nice Quality Truck. I've restored most of the systems on the truck including the power windows cruise control and air conditioning. This one's really clean and it came with the original sales documents and warranty and even the dealership check off list from the original sale. This owner checked off every possible option when he ordered the truck. It's got everything, factory AC, factory tilt steering, Factory power door locks, Factory cruise control, Factory power windows, this trucks a real sweetie. The problem I'm having right now is with the power door locks. Both of the actuators work, but they just flop around inside the door like they're not attached to anything. As far as I can see there is two pegs on either side of the actuator that slide into the slot in the little saddles. The problem is there's nothing holding them in the saddles. What am I missing? Is the saddle supposed to be facing with the slot to the bottom of the door? Or is the slot supposed to face the top of the door? I can't figure out if the actuator supposed to sit in the saddle or be pulled up into the saddle. And what holds it in the saddle because it just sits in there so loose it doesn't stay it just jumps out when I click the lock. They both are the same. The saddle is there, and the actuators are there and working, but the actuators just jumped out of the saddle up and down when you operate the lock. They don't move the actual lock. There's nothing holding the actuator down. Is there another part that's supposed to hold the actuator in the saddle?

 

Welcome to FTE.
I don't have an answer and I cant look at my 81 custom as it did not come with door locks, base model I guess?
Could you post up a picture or 2 of this set up so I can see what you have going on?
Any way does this saddle un-bolt from the door?
If so what I am thinking is the actuator pegs went into the saddle and were penned over making the actuator & saddle as one assy. and this assy. was then bolted into the door.

If this is the case then we need to make this 1 assy. again.
Maybe you can use something like screw hose clamps going around the actuator & saddle to make them 1 again and bolt them back into the doors.
May need to cut slots in the saddle for the hose clamps to pass thru to make this work?

Now why did the pegs pull thru?
I am going to say it was because the latch / lock assy. got hard to move and put too much stress on the actuator & saddle and the pegs were the weak link.
You may need to pull the whole assy. out to give it a good cleaning and lube as part of the fix.
I know my latch assy. were hard to move when I pulled my truck apart for rebuilding. When they go back in I will lube them to make sure they work good as I don't ever plan to pull them out again.
Dave ----

 

As I recall there are supposed to be bushings on the pins of the actuator where it slides into the saddle part, and the saddle should be riveted to the bottom of the door. Your actuator should look something like this:



Those black plastic bushings that snap into the saddle part are probably broken and missing. I don't think you can buy them separately so you'll either have to improvise a fix or replace the actuator assembly. Maybe zip ties would work?

 

Zip ties can dry out over time and break and the actuator flops around again.
It looks like you get 1 peg in the hole and twist that black bushing up into place and it kind of locks in.
Maybe you can find a plastic bushing at the hardware store that will work?
Or maybe a short piece vacuum hose slipped on that peg will work?
Dave ----

 

Thanks for the replies. But it doesn't seem like any of this information is relevant to my truck. First of all know the Saddles are not bolted into the door there riveted. But it's a single rivet so the saddle can spin around upside down or upside up I'm not sure which way it's supposed to Face. I think it's supposed to Face downward not upward because the passenger side has the wires attached to the saddle with a little clip and it looks pretty stock to me. My saddle's do not look like anything close to the photo you posted. And neither do the actuators. The ones you posted look like late 90s or newer. Mine is a 1981 and the Saddles are all metal, and the slots are very long like the actuator is supposed to slop up and down in the saddle. It truly looks like it's designed that way. My Saddles are about 2 and 1/2 in tall and the slots are from the top all the way to the bottom. They don't look worn they look like stock like that's how they're supposed to be. And my thinking was that they are supposed to float a bit in the saddle, so that when you operate the slide locks that were only available on 1980 and 1981 models the actuator could move a small amount in the saddle and not put drag on the manual lock. That's my best guess. I don't have a photo of the mental have to get in there somehow with a light and a camera or my phone because like I said they're riveted in. I suppose I could drill out the rivet and take the whole saddle out and get a better look at it and then bolt it back in later. I was just hoping somebody here already knows about these different type of saddles that the actuator sits in. Cuz mine look nothing like these ones in your photo. And mine are made out of metal. And so is the actuator casings.

 

That's what I was thinking too. That there was some sort of grommets or a plastic piece or bushing that would keep it tight in there. Or perhaps the actuator pegs on either side of it are worn and now it comes out too easily. Maybe there was no bushing. I guess my best bet is to drill it out pull it out and figure it out on the workbench. The only problem is if it is supposed to float in there like it looks like it's supposed to, I need it attached to the door lock to know how far it supposed to float.

 

Do you have the slide locks located in the middle of the door or the newer style push button that goes down through the top edge of the panel? I've never seen what the actuators for the slide type look like.

 

I have the slide locks that are in the middle of the door panel that were only available on 1980 and 1981 models

 

I forgot the 80/81 had the slider locks as mine were gone when I got my truck and as soon as I got it home I pulled it all apart, still apart and did not have elect. locks, so I guess they would be different than the pull up/push down type lock.
Little bump to see if someone has an answer for you.
Dave ----

 

Thanks for the reply Dave. It seems I've made a mistake, what I thought I was looking at was not what I was looking at. It was really dark when I was out there messing around with it inside the door and I guess I was looking at the edge of the window track. Cuz now I look at it in the daylight and took a couple photos down in there with my phone and I can see that the saddle is quite a bit like the one you show in the photo above. My actuators look different, but that might just be a different year or brand. Mine look completely original stock 1981. And they're still working fine. But they just pop right out of the saddle. So I think it's accurate to say that the plastic pieces are broken and or missing. Perhaps if I look with a flashlight I'll find them down in the bottom of the door. But I think they'll probably be garbage if I do find them. I'll have to make something or find a way to keep them in the saddles. I was thinking I might just take the Saddles out and bend them at the tip with the hammer just a bit and then the actuator can't come out. And then I would replace the rivet with a bolt so that the actuator and saddle could just be put in as one piece. I think that's probably the direction I'll go. It just seems to make the most sense and would be the strongest.