Door popper location?

[Trip59]

Shaving my doors soon, I'm wondering the best location for the poppers on our trucks... anyone have a location or even better, a picture?

Trip

[mstrgrn]

Don't have a pic but when I did then I put them in the holes of the fenders (at least the drivers side had the hole drilled) top part of the fender about 6 in in. Yeah you have to pop the hood but it's only ifyou don't have the key fob. The rubber boots combined with the location to me didn't seem obvious but I guess if they want it they will take regardless. I actually left the pops there after I gave up on the shaved doors cause it didn't look out of place but the empty holes did. If I can I will get a photo tomorrow, but I leave in the dark, return in the dark so maybe this weekend if you still want a photo of location.

Also something I continplated for some time but never completed - using an tc car battery hookup in case the battery died. Or you can just use that if you have a key fob. No ones gonna know what those connectios are for or have that specific batt to break in

Just a thought

[Trip59]

Originally Posted by mstrgrn

Don't have a pic but when I did then I put them in the holes of the fenders (at least the drivers side had the hole drilled) top part of the fender about 6 in in. Yeah you have to pop the hood but it's only ifyou don't have the key fob. The rubber boots combined with the location to me didn't seem obvious but I guess if they want it they will take regardless. I actually left the pops there after I gave up on the shaved doors cause it didn't look out of place but the empty holes did. If I can I will get a photo tomorrow, but I leave in the dark, return in the dark so maybe this weekend if you still want a photo of location.

Also something I continplated for some time but never completed - using an tc car battery hookup in case the battery died. Or you can just use that if you have a key fob. No ones gonna know what those connectios are for or have that specific batt to break in

Just a thought

Thanks, I meant the spring loaded poppers, the pins that pop the door out... sorry. I bought a remote kit, and will be including a mechanical backup with a key, but I'm wondering if there's a prime place to put the popper itself.

Trip

[mstrgrn]

Prime spot - not sure I just bolted mine in where it would interfere with the window crank

[Trip59]

I mean this part



Trip

[mstrgrn]

LMAO - I was throughly confused - first the extra button, then the linkage pull - now i know what you are talking about.

I bought them - never found a place for them and then wound up getting a different set of doors anyway, went back to handles. - SO where i though i could be of assistance - I cannot. Sorry Trip

[Brad]

I'm thinking it's probably in the lowest, rear most portion of the door frame. The thing I'm concerned about is if this will bend the door sheet metal. It doesn't appear to be very stout there and with a little bit of rust issues I'm worried the popper might punch through the door at some point. I'm about to do this myself and although I seem to have good sheet metal, I don't want to bend that door corner.

I've also heard about installing them in the front edge of the door. Basically between the firewall and the door if that makes sense. I don't know how well that worked however.

I'll be watching this thread closely since I'm about to start drilling and installing myself.

[Trip59]

Originally Posted by mstrgrn

LMAO - I was throughly confused - first the extra button, then the linkage pull - now i know what you are talking about.

I bought them - never found a place for them and then wound up getting a different set of doors anyway, went back to handles. - SO where i though i could be of assistance - I cannot. Sorry Trip

No worries! There are so many ways to refer to the same things, and different things... that's why I posted the pic. I'll be removing the handles and lock inside and out, there will be buttons on the dash for doors to open and windows to lower-raise (when I finally do those) as well as a cable handle under the dash to open the doors in the event of a failure. Emergency button and cable under the hood as well.

Originally Posted by Brad

I'm thinking it's probably in the lowest, rear most portion of the door frame. The thing I'm concerned about is if this will bend the door sheet metal. It doesn't appear to be very stout there and with a little bit of rust issues I'm worried the popper might punch through the door at some point. I'm about to do this myself and although I seem to have good sheet metal, I don't want to bend that door corner.

I've also heard about installing them in the front edge of the door. Basically between the firewall and the door if that makes sense. I don't know how well that worked however.

I'll be watching this thread closely since I'm about to start drilling and installing myself.

I'm not going to use the little plate on it's own, though it is surprisingly stout, I plan to reinforce the area as well, since I'll be in there welding up holes and rust. It would be humorous, in a dark humor sort of way, to install them, shut the door and have the bot pop out through a cloud of rust though...

I thought about having them by the hinges, but it doesn't seem like there would be enough umph to do the job. The lock side doesn't have any real large flat areas, I figure someone must have done it before and either said "gee, that's the perfect place, I sure am happy" or "damnit, I wish I'd have put them over there instead of right here..."

Trip

[wancosc356]

Just thinking logically here....

Why not put them in the bottom rear edge? There is a flat corner there on the door, as well as a flat spot on the cab to mount the popper.

I don't have any experience with door poppers though, so I could be talking nonsense.

[chevy_mike]

Originally Posted by wancosc356

Just thinking logically here....

Why not put them in the bottom rear edge? There is a flat corner there on the door, as well as a flat spot on the cab to mount the popper.

I don't have any experience with door poppers though, so I could be talking nonsense.

When I did my previous '68, that is where I put mine. Worked okay but the poppers I had, had rubber boots on the ends and over time they cracked and were going to fall off. Removed them and put the handles back on when I sold it.

[matthufham]

although i havent done my truck i'm doing suicide doors/shaved handles on my camaro. i'm putting it in the jamb (hinge side). the poppers are usually adjustable for strength. those camaro doors are HEAVY, and it works enough to get it popped, not swung open, which is what i want.

[Trip59]

Originally Posted by matthufham

although i havent done my truck i'm doing suicide doors/shaved handles on my camaro. i'm putting it in the jamb (hinge side). the poppers are usually adjustable for strength. those camaro doors are HEAVY, and it works enough to get it popped, not swung open, which is what i want.

The ones I have aren't adjustable (see pic above)... what brand are you using/where did you get them; most importantly, what is the OD of the shaft (so I know if I can swap those in if mine don't work ) Bigger is fine, if they're smaller than mine, that would mean the hole would be too big.

Though... I wonder, if it's not enough, couldn't I just put a second one, thus doubling the strength?

I like the hinge side idea, I'm clumsy by nature, if it's sticking out, I'm sure to get dings on my shins, legs, etc. wherever it is if it's on the latch side...

Trip

[Brad]

Originally Posted by wancosc356

Just thinking logically here....

Why not put them in the bottom rear edge? There is a flat corner there on the door, as well as a flat spot on the cab to mount the popper.

I don't have any experience with door poppers though, so I could be talking nonsense.

Ummmm, that's what we were just talking about above.

[wancosc356]

Originally Posted by Brad

Ummmm, that's what we were just talking about above.

Haha. I guess I wasn't awake when I posted.

[Richard H.]

Hey Trip,
"I like the hinge side idea, I'm clumsy by nature, if it's sticking out, I'm sure to get dings on my shins, legs, etc. wherever it is if it's on the latch side..."
Then you are getting in backwards...lol I am doing my doors now only with bear claws in the pillars , I went out and looked and it does seem 2 in the front of the doors would be the most desirable location. my doors are bare so I don't know about window clearance. Your door rubber will push it to the safety catch...I will check it more tomorrow ,I'm using one piece windows so my finger tips will probably open the door the rest of the way.

[Trip59]

I just went out and propped one in the front edge of the door (hinge side) and it didn't budge. I held it in the latch side, bottom corner, and it popped beautifully.

I'm going to see if I can put it not on the outside edge, but in the ledge where the sill is, then the part that sticks out would be just over the rocker in the corner... either that or next to the rubber bumper.

The only downside there is that I'll have to wait until I replace the outer floor and rockers... though the upside there is, knowing I'm replacing them, I can weld in some reinforcements and try it out in a couple places before I replace them without having to worry about making a hole in the wrong place.

Trip

[Richard H.]

If I had known that I might use poppers and while I was out looking for you , I thought man that would be the perfect spot... Mine are done but if I had a do over that is where I would pick.

[Trip59]

Originally Posted by Richard H.

If I had known that I might use poppers and while I was out looking for you , I thought man that would be the perfect spot... Mine are done but if I had a do over that is where I would pick.

Where did you think would be perfect? I'm feeling a bit dense this evening...

Where did you put yours again? Do you have a pic? Do they work there?

~Trip

[Richard H.]

My meaning is my rockers and floor are done,where the rocker rolls up to the pillar...is what I thought you were saying. Once you put them in there it would be forever tho.

[Trip59]

Ah, yes, I'm going to play with it a bit, try out a couple of locations before I do all the repairs. I really thought there was like, one perfect place for them...

Trip

[matthufham]

Originally Posted by Trip59

The ones I have aren't adjustable (see pic above)... what brand are you using/where did you get them; most importantly, what is the OD of the shaft (so I know if I can swap those in if mine don't work ) Bigger is fine, if they're smaller than mine, that would mean the hole would be too big.

Though... I wonder, if it's not enough, couldn't I just put a second one, thus doubling the strength?

I like the hinge side idea, I'm clumsy by nature, if it's sticking out, I'm sure to get dings on my shins, legs, etc. wherever it is if it's on the latch side...

Trip

yea using different hinges for the suicide doors and welding bracing everywhere makes it pretty different. there's a slight angle built into my poppers, with a angle to the popper and a dip in the door skin to counter the angle. if you search door poppers on ebay there's a bunch like mine. i mean if you want it hinge side like mine it'll probably be alot of hacking and welding. so i'd go lower corner latch side. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...=STRK:MEWAX:IT