Hey!
I am working on my doors. I started to adjust the door hinges and the striker plates and the doors are closing just fine. But it´s difficult to close the driver side door from inside. I took out the door latch and the latch control and installed a new door handle and shaft. The door is easier to lock if I try with it opend so I tried to adjust the striker plate again but It´s still difficult.
Sorry about my Swenglish!!!
Mats Nilsson,Sweden

 

Mats,

Would like to help as I have a 55 which has similar door locks. Don't quite understand why the door will close OK from outside but not inside. Can you please explain a bit more.
Fred K.

 

I have a 56, my drivers door will not close easily either. No adjustment seem to help, only thing I can figure out is the rubber weather stripping is new, and it will not allow the door to close without pushing pretty hard, witch is easier from the outside than inside, I am hoping it will flatten a bit as time goes on. Could yours have a similar issue?

 

The doors are closing just fine now, but it´s difficult to lock the door from inside with the door handle. If I try the same with the door open it´s a lot easier but not perfekt. The door has no lock cylinder so it´s not possible to lock with key. The door on the passanger side workes fine and is easy to lock with the inside door handle or key.
Thanks!!!!
Mats Nilsson, Sweden

 

Mats,

I understand the problem now, but, don't have a solution. Mine lock OK from the inside.

packrat56--- New seals I installed were preventing doors from closing properly. By placing a strip of heavy paper over the seal and slamming the door shut was able to determine pinch points then shaved the seal thickness with a razor blade ,exacto knife and high speed hand grinder. Working around the door was able to get a great door fit after several hours of work.Found out (too late) one can buy thin seals .
Fred K.

 

Mats-
If you replaced the push rod behind the outside door handle button it sounds like it may be too long and restricting the movement of the latch pivot arm. When you move the inside handle forward it moves another pivot arm to a position in front of the latch arm to keep it from moving and thus the door is "locked". See if you can adjust the push rod to be a little shorter as the latch pivot arm needs to be able to have some "free movement". Hope this helps. 56FUN

 

You had the answer of the problem!!!! Fantastic!!! I was trying for days and didn´t find the solution.
Thanks a lot!
Mats

 

Mats, glad it was the answer. I've been modifiying my latches to replace the star latch with a bear claw type and wanted to retain the locking feature both inside and outside and use the outside handle. So in the process of this I have become familiar with how the latch works and am glad you benefited. 56FUN