Thread: Bear claw latch issue/problem

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When I built the roadster pickup, I installed Autolock bearclaw latches with the weld-in installation kits. The bearclaw is in the door, and the striker bolt is in the rear door jamb. I welded in large steel gussets between the rear door jamb and the floor to prevent the body from flexing, and adjusted everything to work correctly. My frame is boxed full length and has "K" members. Now that everything is finished and being driven daily, the drivers side door latches perfectly and stays shut. The passenger side door latches fine when I close it, and can't be jiggled or moved to unlatch. However when I am driving down the road, there are certain ways that I will hit a bump in the road, and the passenger side door will spring onto the "second latch" position. The only adjustment is on the striker bolt position, which will govern how tightly the door closes, and vertical door alignment to some extent. I am not sure what is going on---I thought that once a bear-claw latch closed and "locked" on the striker bolt, that nothing could make that sucker let go except the release lever which attaches to the door handle pull rod. I checked my door handle pull rod, thinking it might be under some tension because of improper length, but that was not the case. I am a bit confused as to what to do to correct this problem. All I can think of right now it to add a dovetail and receiver to the door and the jamb to prevent vertical "bounce" at the latch (non hinge) side of the door, or to chuck the striker bolt up in a lathe and turn down the outside diameter in 0.030" thou increments untill the bearclaw locks on it and can't be unlocked without actuating the release lever.----any suggestions?

Denny---I don't think so---the rods are relatively lightweight and short, and the rod is identical in both doors. I have been looking at this thing and the only issue I see is that on the passenger side of the car the jamb is not parallel to the rear of the door where the latch is mounted. (see attached picture looking straight down on top of passenger door and rear of cab) This means a divergence of about 5 to 8 degrees between the centerline of the striker bolt and a line projected 90 degrees from the face of the latch. On the drivers side, the jamb and the face of the door containing the latch are parallel, and there is no problem. (there was a ton of welding and metalwork in this thing as I built it). I am thinking of a tapered shim/washer placed between the striker bolt and the jamb to align the striker bolt more accurately with the latch. At least that is a way to try it that doesn't screw up my paint.??????

Denny---a picture is worth a thousand words---this is a pic looking straight down on trailing edge of passenger door.

My 71 does the same thing on the passenger side door . I still have not figured out whats wrong. Its usually when i hit a bump.Its autoloc bear claws.

I'm thinking that there is so much rigidity in the body,,and the fit and finish is so tight that there is no place to go except the apex of the triangle (two door hinges,,,one door striker mount)which is probably flexing just a few thou enough to bump the mechansism onto safety latch position.
I think you are on the right track with turning a few thou at a time off that striker pin until the problem goes away.
at least it's the cheapest probable fix

Brian, the taperd shim should fix the problem. The variance in the angle is probably enough to jar the latch loose on bumps. Give it a try and let us know if that fixed it.

Can you make a new pin with an offset to it?

Assuming the turning a few thou at a time off the original pin didn't work.

Would there be room for a lock nut device so as to retain the offset pin in the correct orientation?
Or maybe a small split pin to key into a locating hole before the hold-down nut is tightened?

Does the front of the door overlap the cowl area like a 29 or is it flush like the 30-31 A/s?
If it was an overlap, I wonder if shimming or adjusting the front of the door out a small amount would help the angle on the back?

The body is a 31 and the doors do overlap. (in fact, I believe that all model A sedan doors overlap) I decided on a different approach than the tapered shim. Since the striker bolt has a threaded shank and screws in from the outside of the jamb (nut plate is caged on inside of jamb), I took my trusty air grinder with 3" cut-off wheel and ground a reverse taper on the striker bolt, so that the outside diameter of the striker bolt now sets 90 degrees to the face of the latch in the door. I seem to be having some suuess with this approach, and if I do totally screw up the striker bolt, it can be unscrewed and replaced without messing with the paint on the door and the jamb. Its raining outside right now, so I have to wait for the rain to quit and the roads dry up before I go for a test drive and see what happens.

This is a picture of the grinding on the striker bolt which puts the inside face (where the bear-claw latch grips) at more of a 90 degree angle to the jaws on the bearclaw.

Just a thought.
Try taking the striker pin out and enter it into the locking mechanism on the door,,,see if your latch is closing all the way.

I think I got it. I removed the striker bolt from the jamb and tried it for fit in the latch, and it fits in and locks fine. I set the striker bolt up in my vice and did a little more creative grinding, then reinstalled it. So far---so good. Have driven about 70 mile this morning and door stayed latched like it is supposed to.---Incidently, the striker bolt has the strangest thread on it I have ever seen. It looks like a 3/8-16 unc thread, but it isn't. It measures at 0.412" (10.5mm) outside diameter.---I can't even find that in my "Machinists Handbook".