53 Chevy - Door Latches

Bear Claw Latches

I spent a lot of time trying to get the original door latches adjusted the way I wanted. I never could get them quite right even after trying a new set of replacement latches. Decided to install bear claw latches even though this would mean the door jambs would need to be repainted. This project turned out to be much more complicated than I had planned primarily because I wanted to retain the functionality of both the outside and inside door handles. Going with electric door poppers would have probably been simpler.

I probably spent 3 or 4 nights staring at the bear claw latch kit, measuring, figuring, and re-measuring before making any cuts. Then it was time to take the plunge...

With this cut made, the next step was to test fit the installation plate that came with the latch kit. Used a c-clamp at first before any welding.

I initially thought that I could install the latch flush with the original door jamb surface. However, in order to get enough clearance for the window channel, the latch plate needed to be pulled out.

Here is a pic after some initial tack welds. Although this looks mostly complete, the most time consuming part of this job was yet to come. Unfortunately, I forgot to take pictures of all the "engineering" that was required to connect the outside and inside door handles. My truck has the push button door handles so a spring loaded "L" shaped pivot was required to get the needed downward pull. A lot of trial and error was involved to get a mechanism that worked reliably and still clear the glass channel and glass itself.

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