Door shutting hard...is new latch the answer?

[taxreliever]

The doors on the F250 don't latch like I want the too. You have to really shut them hard to make them latch; one door is a much harder push than the other. But the F150 shuts and opens like it rolled off the lot, real easy, nice and quiet and tight.

To fix this, do I mess with the existing latch (clean it up, take it apart, etc.) or would getting a new one from LMC do what I want it to do?

I checked to see if the door was aligned and or sagging and it's not....door seems to line up just fine.

Any other thoughts and suggestions?

Thanks!

 

[smokey]

Manually trip the latch with a screwdriver or something to see if it is really the latch. My guess is the latch is OK but the door alignment is off a bit.

 

[taxreliever]

Manually trip the latch with a screwdriver or something to see if it is really the latch. My guess is the latch is OK but the door alignment is off a bit.

I'll try that and try to get some pictures of what it looks like from the outside anyways......there's some electrical tape one on of the door stricker; guessing he was trying to make it latch somehow? Weird...anyways, I'll try that, then try to align the door?

How do we go about this if the door needs aligning....adjusting the hinge bolts?

 

[Jolly Green]

Is your weather stripping really new? That can make the door a little harder to close until it's broken in. I notice this with my passenger door – since it doesn't get use as much, it is taking longer to break in the rubber.

 

[smokey]

Hinge bolts,stricker it can be a test of your sanity and friendship of whom ever is helping you.Some times they line up easy others are cantankerous.

 

[taxreliever]

Is your weather stripping really new? That can make the door a little harder to close until it's broken in. I notice this with my passenger door – since it doesn't get use as much, it is taking longer to break in the rubber.

I checked and all of the rubber is new....thanks.

 

[taxreliever]

Hinge bolts,stricker it can be a test of your sanity and friendship of whom ever is helping you.Some times they line up easy others are cantankerous.

I've heard some stories.....

 

[Beach66Bum]

If you are going to do any adjustments or replace the hinges, outline them first with a pencil!! will save hours of sanity

 

[taxreliever]

If you are going to do any adjustments or replace the hinges, outline them first with a pencil!! will save hours of sanity

THIS IS VERY GOOD ADVICE.....Thanks Roy!

 

[bucks77ford]

The weather stripping that is new can make it harder for the doors to latch and this gets better over time, but this is usually noticed right after the rubber is replaced. Otherwise, the door strikers could be worn down enough not to catch the door latch. I had to slam the doors on my 75 and when I replaced the strikers, they latch like new. If one of the strikers has tape on it, than you need new. You should be able to get them at any local parts store. I bought mine at NAPA.

 

[taxreliever]

The weather stripping that is new can make it harder for the doors to latch and this gets better over time, but this is usually noticed right after the rubber is replaced. Otherwise, the door strikers could be worn down enough not to catch the door latch. I had to slam the doors on my 75 and when I replaced the strikers, they latch like new. If one of the strikers has tape on it, than you need new. You should be able to get them at any local parts store. I bought mine at NAPA.

HEY, this sounds about right....would make sense if they put electrical tape on the striker itself!.....so, just any parts store would have it, huh? I see it on LMC for $9.95 plus shipping....I didn't know if the had to be special for the truck or like you said, they'd have those same ones at any local parts store....I'll have to call or have my mechanic call.

 

[bucks77ford]

HEY, this sounds about right....would make sense if they put electrical tape on the striker itself!.....so, just any parts store would have it, huh? I see it on LMC for $9.95 plus shipping....I didn't know if the had to be special for the truck or like you said, they'd have those same ones at any local parts store....I'll have to call or have my mechanic call.

Ya, I found my strikers at Napa on their HELP section of parts. If I remember correctly, they were cheaper to buy from there than to buy from LMC and have them shipped. There are a couple different stricker bolts they sale and one has a larger tread size than the other. I've always had luck with local parts stores having these in stock.

This should be what you need
http://www.napaonline.com/Catalog/CatalogItemDetail.aspx/Door-Striker-Bolt/_/R-NDP6755138_0390072124

It's listed as 11.99 from my store.

 

[taxreliever]

Ya, I found my strikers at Napa on their HELP section of parts. If I remember correctly, they were cheaper to buy from there than to buy from LMC and have them shipped. There are a couple different stricker bolts they sale and one has a larger tread size than the other. I've always had luck with local parts stores having these in stock.

This should be what you need
http://www.napaonline.com/Catalog/CatalogItemDetail.aspx/Door-Striker-Bolt/_/R-NDP6755138_0390072124

It's listed as 11.99 from my store.

Awesome.....thanks for taking the time to give me the link....I stepped outside and took these and I'm beginning to wonder if that is in fact the problem because the striker bolts on them now look brand new. I manually tried latching and it worked just fine....I even looked at the latches and bolt while slowly shutting it and it looks aligned perfectly.

 

[taxreliever]

 

[taxreliever]

^^^better on youtube I think:

 

[bucks77ford]

Your latch is fine, but both your stricker bolts plastic sleeve (that's what I call it) that goes around the stricker that makes the door latch nice and tight are worn down to the point of not working, hence the tape trying to build it up so the door latches properly. You can see what a new one looks like in the Napa link. I think new stricker bolts will solve your problem.

Here is my new ones on my 75

 

[jebadiah04]

Those bolts wear fast if they, or the doors arent aligned

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk 2

 

[Ranger429]

Replace the strikers, black tape was used to replace the plastic bushing. Get a new striker and close the latch around it before you install it in the door to see if there is excessive free play.

 

[blacksnapon]

Hinge bolts,stricker it can be a test of your sanity and friendship of whom ever is helping you.Some times they line up easy others are cantankerous.

Guess I'm gonna have to post a picture how to on a 30 second door alignment!

 

[smokey]

Guess I'm gonna have to post a picture how to on a 30 second door alignment!

Please do!!! Normally I can get them right in a few minutes then one comes along that tries my patience.