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Hi all. The truck is a 54 F-100.........
What is the best way to get the door latch adjustment so the door stays closed? The striker plate is not very old and it doesn't look like it is worn in any way.
The dovetail of the latch does ride up on the shelf of the striker plate but the star wheel doesn't seem to catch in the teeth under the shelf of the striker plate.
I have tried moving the striker plate up and down and in and out many times but I just can't find the right spot. I even put a shim at each striker bolt to bring it out to meet the latch.
I had the adjustment right on the mark before I put the window back into the door but now I can't get it in the zone. I checked the hinges and they don't seem to have any up or down play as if they were worn.
I am stumped!
The Altman latches are a very good step up from the OEM latches. I have installed quite a few pairs on various trucks and I have them on my 56 F100 and my 40 coupe.
I second the Altman latches. I kept having problems with mine and saw the Altman latches at last years Grand Nationals. The were very easy to install and adjust.
I like and dislike the Altman latch. I like the fact they latch securely but don't like the way the function. If you don't mind having to walk around to the passenger side every time you want to lock or unlock the door so you need to buy a power lock system. They are an easy system to install however. You can't lock or unlock the door from inside the cab either..
It is true that the locking mechanism on the Altman latch is not designed to readily interface with the OEM F100 door lock mechanism. That said, the Altman will work well with ANY cable actuated design, electro-mechanical or other door lock mechanism that is in use on a majority of modern vehicles today. If someone were determined to keep the OEM door handle and locking mechanism I would think that it wouldn't be too difficult to design a pivot bar that would convert a lateral motion to a vertical motion that would actuate the Altman locking lever.
It is true that the locking mechanism on the Altman latch is not designed to readily interface with the OEM F100 door lock mechanism. That said, the Altman will work well with ANY cable actuated design, electro-mechanical or other door lock mechanism that is in use on a majority of modern vehicles today. If someone were determined to keep the OEM door handle and locking mechanism I would think that it wouldn't be too difficult to design a pivot bar that would convert a lateral motion to a vertical motion that would actuate the Altman locking lever.
I was just looking into this exact thing. My Altmans kit just arrived last week and I was thinking about what I would do even although it will be some time before I get to it.
I found this post from a few years ago. No pictures but i think we can get the general idea.
see post 12 https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/4...r-latches.html
Hi all. The truck is a 54 F-100.........
What is the best way to get the door latch adjustment so the door stays closed? The striker plate is not very old and it doesn't look like it is worn in any way.
The dovetail of the latch does ride up on the shelf of the striker plate but the star wheel doesn't seem to catch in the teeth under the shelf of the striker plate.
I have tried moving the striker plate up and down and in and out many times but I just can't find the right spot. I even put a shim at each striker bolt to bring it out to meet the latch.
I had the adjustment right on the mark before I put the window back into the door but now I can't get it in the zone. I checked the hinges and they don't seem to have any up or down play as if they were worn.
I am stumped!
Has anyone tried the Trique Altman Easy Latch?
Hi,
Doors are real frustrating. Mine is a 56, and my drivers side latch acts like yours. There is a very finite amount I can move the door latch around to make it work. I think I need new hinges. I did repin mine last summer, but made a mess drilling out a broken pin in the top hinge, then had to drill it out and go with a larger pin to compensate. But I have had retinal issues with one of my eyes and I am no machinist so who knows if it's really in straight.
Did you make any changes like installing new weather stripping? With the pillar side latch removed, how is the in/out adjustment of the door itself? With the door shut and no latch on the door piller, does the door shut with no gap between the door edge and pillar post? You may need to adjust the door pillar side of the hinges out a little to get the doors' outside edge to allow the door to move in a little. Also on mine, I had to add a washer (as shims) on the bolts between the bottom door pocket hinge leaf and the door itself to allow just a little more room for my door to shut well. It's all a balancing act. Mid Fifty has hinges now with set screws on the door side leaf to help with that. Or you could just drill and tap the hinges you got too if you want that fine adjustability.
You mentioned something else I have noticed with mine too. I stripped out my windows, the door latch assembly, and the window regulator so it was easier to adjust the doors. Between my wife inside the cab tightening the door pocket bolts and me holding the door for the 5/32 gaps, using slit pieces of 5/16 rubber hose as gap spacers, we had it perfect! Door opened and shut perfectly! But when she left and I removed the spacers and carefully torqued down the hinge pocket bolts, it all changed! So I learned a couple of things that day. Leave the spacers in, torque the hinge pocket bolts in progressively in a pattern such as top bolt on the top hinge, then the bottom bolt on the bottom hinge, then the middle on the top hinge, etc..etc..
And try to keep the wife there just in case. Could of taken her out to dinner that night and all would of been forgiven! LOL...
I have never tried the Altman's. I am sure they are great. But once you get your latch problems behind you, you'll like the nice, solid, click of the factory latches.
