47-55.1 Factory screw up on inner door latch handles.

[MARTINSR]

Anyone have any idea why GM did this goofy thing with the inner door handle? They have a recessed area in the door for the "rod" going from the handle to the latch but then have the rod going down at an angle not using the recessed area! I actually pulled the latch handles apart and made them correct on my trucks doors I had years ago. I will have to do the same again, kinda OCDish I guess.

Sorry if this has been discussed to nausium, I don't remember seeing anything here about it.

Brian

[Matt_50]

How did you "fix" this?


I asked miraclepieco awhile back on what he did and this is what he said,

"It requires retrofitting mid-60's door relays (which surprisingly are less expensive than AD relays even though they look almost identical). You have to file the mounting holes out just a tad, then shorten the relay arm slightly. The arm fits horizontally in the lower door relay recess like the 1947 style instead of angling diagonally across the door like 49-up; this allows your door card to sit flat. Still uses the AD door handle too, although I remember I had to enlarge the door card hole a tiny amount (not enough to even detect) because it relocates the door handle knurled post about 1/16 inch. You can choose to push or pull your handles to open depending on whether you mount them up or down - I prefer to pull. I have some pics but I can't post them in the PM."

[mr48chev]

That is my education for the day. I don't have a door on the place newer than 1951. Not by choice but that is what I accumulated over the years.

[MiraclePieCo]

Chevy originally did have the door relay bar horizontal in the recess, maybe 47-48? They moved them up at the goofy angle when they switched the door handle rotation direction because too many people were inadvertently opening doors and falling out of the cab.

Like Matt_50 said, I retrofitted some mid-60's Chevy PU relays into mine. Minor mods required, but it keeps them in the horizontal recess and stops them from making bulges in your door cards.

[MARTINSR]

Originally Posted by MiraclePieCo

Chevy originally did have the door relay bar horizontal in the recess, maybe 47-48? They moved them up at the goofy angle when they switched the door handle rotation direction because too many people were inadvertently opening doors and falling out of the cab.

Like Matt_50 said, I retrofitted some mid-60's Chevy PU relays into mine. Minor mods required, but it keeps them in the horizontal recess and stops them from making bulges in your door cards.

AHHHHHHH, now THAT makes some sense! Funny being I had a friend fall out onto the swung open door going around a corner! He didn't fall out though, the window was down and he had his arms hanging over the outside so he stayed on the truck!

Yep, that makes some sense!

Brian

[jbarron]

I used the originals.
Swapped sides and then adjusted the rods to work.

[Matt_50]

Swapped and flipped them? Do you have a picture?

[jbarron]

I'll take one tonight.

[MARTINSR]

As I remember I simply ground the weld off the arm that is on the end of the shaft that the handle is on and rotated it down, then welded back on. As I remember that is all I did.

Brian

[jbarron]

Picture attached.

[Matt_50]

By swapping the relays side to side, do you push or pull the handle?

How much do you think you had to shorten the shaft?

[jbarron]

Yes the handles are pull handles like the original.
I ended up cutting about 1/2" out of the rod and rewelding.

[Matt_50]

I think I might try this. Thanks for the info and picture.

[Tempest67]

Thanks for the info jbarron,

Thank you to all that share your experiences and information, this is what makes this website so good.

[paulspickupparts]

Originally Posted by MiraclePieCo

Chevy originally did have the door relay bar horizontal in the recess, maybe 47-48? They moved them up at the goofy angle when they switched the door handle rotation direction because too many people were inadvertently opening doors and falling out of the cab.

Like Matt_50 said, I retrofitted some mid-60's Chevy PU relays into mine. Minor mods required, but it keeps them in the horizontal recess and stops them from making bulges in your door cards.

I agree this is a very early thing. I have found a few in the last 40 years and usually on the 47 year trucks. I once had a customer that wanted a pair of the recess controls . I had one and hunted for days to find a left. Finally rebuilt the other one off the same truck. Not really sure why GM went away from these . As in the picture above it is so much cleaner than the angle control . Rare but out there in very limited numbers.