Taylormade Posted November 19, 2016 Share Posted November 19, 2016 Oh, boy, this isn't going to be good. I was taking a look at my door latch mechanisms on my 1932 Dodge Brothers DL today. The driver side front seemed to work fine after I did a little cleaning and lube, but the passenger side was binding badly and just didn't want to move. So, I began by comparing the two to see if I could spot any differences that might be causing the problem. Uh, yeah, it didn't take long. Check this out... Driver side on the left, passenger on the right. I'm sure you can spot the problem, even without the arrows I've so thoughtfully provided. The sheet metal housing on the passenger unit has split in two places and is bent three ways from Sunday. Notice that the drivers unit is also beginning to split, but hasn't reached the catastrophic failure of the other side. Realistically, the chances of finding replacements is slim to none. I'm not sure if these could be welded up, but if so, I'm going to have to take them apart. This brings up my next question - how do you remove the circular springs? I've seen replacements for sale, so I'm sure they can be removed. This is the back side. Do I bend the two tabs in the circle to get the spring off? If anyone has run into this problem before, I'd sure like to hear your solution. I'm afraid the stress on this part means it's going to take a very good weld to fix it. The thinness of the metal makes me think it's not a feasible fix. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArticiferTom Posted November 19, 2016 Share Posted November 19, 2016 (edited) Cann't you just put a bolt in hole next to, that would that pressure off spring . Then welding will be easy for a good tig welder . May be able to add stiffener inside also . Find a welder before disassembling . Edited November 19, 2016 by ArticiferTom Spelling (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpage Posted November 19, 2016 Share Posted November 19, 2016 I don't think that you'd have to remove the spring to weld the outer case. With a fine wire I'm sure you could weld those up, The spring , in it's loaded position is probably tighter than if it was released. If you could unload it, it might open up enough to allow you to wiggle it out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bhigdog Posted November 24, 2016 Share Posted November 24, 2016 TIG welding that would be an easy fix for an EXPERIANCED welder. I would be tempted to weld on a scab since that's a known weak point.........Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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