Drivers door latch

[grumppyoldman]

Drivers door latch won't hold door closed, just pulls back open. What causes this problem, it's on a 55 Fairlane.

[frank long island]

if i remember there's a spring that sets the star wheel or something

[miker98038]

It's also possible the plate in the door jamb has drifted out of adjustment. Those 55's were marginal, one of the reasons they used a new deeper design on the 56's. Seems to me there's also some kind of "ratchet" catch in the star wheel as Frank mentioned above.

[KULTULZ]

There was a lengthy thread regarding this not too long ago. The consensus was to go with the 56 system.

It's in the archives somewhere (just like PREGO) but I have no luck with the SEARCH FEATURE here.

[grumppyoldman]

Thanks for the info. as soon as the weather clears up I'll check it out. Al

[grumppyoldman]

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Got it fixed, dropped the latch down and moved it inward, now it stay closed and back edge lines up perfect.

[54vicky]

good for you

[Daves55Sedan]

Originally Posted by grumppyoldman

Got it fixed, dropped the latch down and moved it inward, now it stay closed and back edge lines up perfect.

You mean....you moved the striker plate down and inward?
The best way to adjust a striker plate is to loosen the attaching screws barely enough to allow the striker to move with the force of the door latch closing on it, but not loosening the screws so much that the striker plate falls to the bottom of it's enlarged holes behind it.
The result you want is for the "guide" on the door latch to engage with the striker spring-loaded nylon "push-bar" AND simultaneously having the latch star-wheel engage properly with the teeth on the striker.
I also suggest that the striker plate be moved OUTWARD from the surface of the door-jamb enough so that the latch star-wheel teeth will fully engage with the teeth on the striker plate. This can be accomplished by adding more composite shims behind the striker plate. Don't move it out so far that the door gets scratched by the edge of the striker.

[grumppyoldman]

Thanks got-er-done. Al