55.2-59 Power to doors.

[marc55]

I have a question how people are running power through the door jams for power windows. I am looking at the sliding loom style or the contactors that only work when the door is closed.

[nvrdone]

I've seen what you are talking about and honestly I don't like either. I have the spring loom type and dont like it. Its noisy opening & closing the door. I did see some one on this forum had a bent tube that was solid mounted to the front door pillar. Dont remember who it was but maybe they will chime in.

[nvrdone]

I think it was Ogre on his '58 chevy

[leegreen]

These older trucks are a problem as the door and jamb close face to face.

I just taped wires to the bottom of the top hinge and left several inches of extra wire in the inner cowl to allow for movement. I expect this will last a long time. If I ever feel the need to upgrade I'd braze a piece of fuel line to the bottom edge of the hinge and run wires through that.

if you use the site search and "ogre door jamb wires" you will find what he did, which is nice.

[my56chevytruck]

I've used electrical button door connectors, great item

[damnyankee36]

I'm new to these trucks. There's not enough room for these? I've used them on my past builds with success.

[leegreen]

you can only use that style after 1959, 1959 and prior the door opened out past the fender and there was no space between door and frame when closed.

1960 the door opened so the leading edge tucked inside the fender to allow door to open wider. you might fit that style in the pocket between fender, cowl and door in the 1960 and newer cab

[_Ogre]

i have power windows, shaved latches and speakers in my doors, this required six #14 wires
look at post #25 in my build thread (bottom of page one)

[damnyankee36]

Very nice Ogre! Looks like a plan for mine. Have you thought about selling the plans or making kits?

[_Ogre]

naa. that would turn a hobby i enjoy into a job.

these wire looms have held up rather well over the past 14 years and 36,000 miles. both plastic door bushings fell off the first year and are hanging on the wires inside the doors. i'd recommend using the tape to locate them and the drill some holes for screws.

as for plans, i posted everything in my thread. a couple guys have posted that they were building these, thou i've never seen a finished product. but that goes for my fiberglass stuff too

[mr48chev]

Ogre pretty well drew up the plans in his thread.

The hard part will be drilling the hole in the side of the plate for the roll pin if you don't have a decent drill press and drill press vise.

If you don't have local scrap yard or fab shop that sell small pieces of aluminum sheet metal scraps that could be a challenge too.

I'll have to look the next time I am up at Chicago Junk that is local to Nvrdone and me.

The map for Nvrdone in case he doesn't know about this go to for small pieces of metal at an honest price in Yakima. I've done business with them for over 40 years.

[nvrdone]

I've been by there but they seem to be closed every time.

[marc55]

I like what Ogre did but I just went with the looms. My doors were really hard to align and did not want to take them off. I was able to drill the hole in the door with it on the truck. Only issue is you are only getting 2 wires through the conduit so no switched in the door.

[damnyankee36]

Are both ends free to slide in and out of the door and frame? It doesn't tend to kink?

[marc55]

One end is fixed the other has about 6 inches of slide. I ran the sliding side into the door. I could only get 14 gauge wire through it (with lube). Put the wires through before install. The conduit is flexible. I put the holes to the inside of the jam to have a larger arc when open. Hardest part was getting the 27mm jam nut on inside the door.

[leegreen]

what did you use for the conduit?

[Getter-Done]

Silicone Flexible stranded tinned wire is best for door harness wire.

So that it does not break over time because of opening and closing of the door.

[marc55]

It was a kit I bout online. Looks like PTFE braided hose.
https://www.keepitcleanwiring.com/ca...m-%281-Pair%29

[_Ogre]

Originally Posted by marc55

It was a kit I bout online. Looks like PTFE braided hose.
https://www.keepitcleanwiring.com/ca...m-%281-Pair%29

i bought those keep it clean door looms, i couldn't make them work, they wanted to kink. the hinges on tf truck doors just aren't kind to door loom. this when early on when for electric windows only. 3 wires maybe, 4 wires probably not.

keep it clean is a hoffman industries product. i've not been impressed with any of their product. switches are shipped broken, customer support is non existent, they are the lowest level of quality you can find on the internet. i do have door solenoids in my truk from them, probably the best item they carry. the reviews back in the 00s suggested the same. any hoffman website used to suck a big one, dead links and never load links

[leegreen]

couple ideas to consider:

a 7 conductor trailer wire is reasonably stiff, just run it through a couple loose fitting grommets and it would probably slide in the grommet rather than kink when the door opened/closed, some cable lube would help

jeeps with removable doors have the same problem we do. They added cable cover to the door stop strap and those are commonly available:
https://www.amazon.ca/Protecting-Adj.../dp/B07GZJNVVK

[Daze57]

marc55

i used the same loom on my 57 --- i got 4 wires thru it -- wd 40 helped alot