I've got a couple of questions about interior upgrades.I've been searching through the archives for about a half an hour now,and I'm not finding a direct answer to either of my questions.I am battling my slide door locks.They do not want to stay together.I've always hated them,and I want to swap to the push down locks.I've found threads that say it's not possible because of the different linkage,but I want to know if I can take the linkage from a push down lock truck,and swap it with the slide lock linkage in my truck?I know I'd have to drill a hole in the top of the door,but that's not a problem.

Also,I am swapping from my dome light to the dome/map light.I was wondering if anybody who's reading this has swapped it,and what did you use to get the wire from the dome/map light to run through the roof?Mine keeps bunching up somewhere.Thanks for all the help.

 

Easy swap on the locks. Just get the whole mechanism.

You are going to have an extra hole where the old sliding type used to be on your door panels though.

I would just fix what you have. Much better IMO.

For the dome light, it's easier if you take the B Pillar trim out if you can't fish the wiring harness down from the light to the area behind the drivers seat belt attachment point where the harness plugs in.

 

By whole mechanism do you mean the linkage and push part? Because I had to get a new linkage from the j-yard from a slide type truck because my truck didn't have it.It went in with the matter of a twist.It was pretty easy.I imagine that the only difference is the linkage and direction it goes.And I'm not worried about the door panels,mine are shot,so i'm getting new ones anyway.

And the problem with the wiring is,my truck is a base optioned truck,so it doesn't have any trim.There's three holes above the seat belt retractor,but there only the size of a dime,and it's hard to see in there.

 

Use a Fish Tape on the wire if you have one, or just a stiff piece of wire like a coat hanger or something and come from the bottom up. Push it up through near the seat belt retractor and grab it once it comes through up near the dome light.

You can also just tie a string or something on to your existing wire and pull it down through from the bottom. Attach the new harness to the string and pull it back up.



As far as the locks go there are only three phillips screws holding the entire latching mechanism in the door. Take the whole thing with the rod and just swap it out.

 

Okay i'll try that.

As for the mechanism,will they charge me extra for it from the J-Yard?

 

Using the old dome lamp harness is by far the easiest way to get the new harness in.

I know what you mean about the slide lock mechanism breaking. I've had 5 new ones on my passenger door alone.

The plastic welds break and come apart from the metal.

When Ford made them obsolete, I've modified mine with philips screws to hold them together. And it works great now.

The slide locks are unique to 1980-1981s, so I would keep them if I were you.

Ford switched to the push rod type mid model year 1981.

 

Well,I'd keep them,but I've got two factors that made me decide to switch.One,I've tried everything to try and get them to stay,but nothing will work.I'm fed up with trying.And two,my door panels are shot,so I need to replace them,and slide lock door panels are hard to come by around here.