90 Suburban rear barn door lock/latch fix - The 1947 - Present Chevrolet & GMC Truck Message Board Network

shiner2001 · 11-18-2011, 03:11 AM

Since I picked up my Suburban a few weeks ago, I have one by one been rehabbing the innards on each of my doors (mainly lubing the power locks and window regulators so they actually go up and down on command) and finally got around to the rear passenger barn door today. The problem I had been having with it was that when the door was unlocked, about 75% of the time I tried to open it, it would only "half way" unlatch (imagine clicking the door shut instead of slamming it) when I tried to open it, and would then have to be unlocked again to get it the rest of the way open. Once I took the door panel off to see inside, I could tell what was going on when the problem occurred. In the picture below with the letters on it, you can see the main parts involved. "A" is the plunger attached to the button that you push from the outside, and "B" is the plate that, when in its upper position, is struck by "A" to actuate the latch. When the plate is in its lower position, the plunger clears the top of it and you get no resistance to the button being pushed (i.e., your door is locked). My problem is that "A" would push "B" back far enough to pop the door, but would then slide over the top of "B," basically locking itself halfway through the opening process. That's why when I, with the key, re-unlocked the door (raising "B" back into position to be struck by "A", the door would finish opening. My fix was to simply weld a nut on the end of "A" (which originally has a rounded end, which aided in the slipping) so that it had a greater surface with which to contact and push "B." Pretty simple fix and the door works 100% of the time now. Now to just replace my actuator, which will only lock the door, and I'll be all set...door wise.

After the fix, door unlocked.

After the fix, door unlocked, button being pushed from outside.

After the fix, door locked (notice how "A" will simply clear the top of "B").

After the fix, door locked, button being pushed from outside.

Wordy for a small fix, but hey, I'm bored.

BLE 'BURBAN · 11-18-2011, 03:34 AM

COOL and simple enough fix.

motornut · 11-18-2011, 07:29 AM

Good info
my 88 is stuck locked just like that
sprayed all kinds of lube around the button
hope it works as the truck is packed to the roof back there

11-18-2011, 03:11 AM	#1
shiner2001 Registered User Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Fort Worth, TX Posts: 222	90 Suburban rear barn door lock/latch fix Since I picked up my Suburban a few weeks ago, I have one by one been rehabbing the innards on each of my doors (mainly lubing the power locks and window regulators so they actually go up and down on command) and finally got around to the rear passenger barn door today. The problem I had been having with it was that when the door was unlocked, about 75% of the time I tried to open it, it would only "half way" unlatch (imagine clicking the door shut instead of slamming it) when I tried to open it, and would then have to be unlocked again to get it the rest of the way open. Once I took the door panel off to see inside, I could tell what was going on when the problem occurred. In the picture below with the letters on it, you can see the main parts involved. "A" is the plunger attached to the button that you push from the outside, and "B" is the plate that, when in its upper position, is struck by "A" to actuate the latch. When the plate is in its lower position, the plunger clears the top of it and you get no resistance to the button being pushed (i.e., your door is locked). My problem is that "A" would push "B" back far enough to pop the door, but would then slide over the top of "B," basically locking itself halfway through the opening process. That's why when I, with the key, re-unlocked the door (raising "B" back into position to be struck by "A", the door would finish opening. My fix was to simply weld a nut on the end of "A" (which originally has a rounded end, which aided in the slipping) so that it had a greater surface with which to contact and push "B." Pretty simple fix and the door works 100% of the time now. Now to just replace my actuator, which will only lock the door, and I'll be all set...door wise. After the fix, door unlocked. After the fix, door unlocked, button being pushed from outside. After the fix, door locked (notice how "A" will simply clear the top of "B"). After the fix, door locked, button being pushed from outside. Wordy for a small fix, but hey, I'm bored. __________________ Derek 72 Chevy Cheyenne Super LWB 454 SS LS6 90 GMC Suburban V2500 350 ----------- 64 Chevy El Camino 357 73 Jeep Wagoneer 360 78 Jeep Cherokee 360 79 Scout II 345 88 Jeep Wrangler 4.2L 91 Jeep Wrangler 4.3L 98 Lincoln Mark VIII 4.6L 01 GMC Yukon 5.3L *"If it's not broken, fix it 'till it is!"*

11-18-2011, 03:34 AM	#2
BLE 'BURBAN In the Forgotten far North. Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Anchorage, Alaska Posts: 2,627	Re: 90 Suburban rear barn door lock/latch fix COOL and simple enough fix. __________________ 1987 R3500 CREW CAB DUALLY (BIG RED)Acquired 06/12/2015 1990 chevy suburban V2500 5.7L My cluster Mods-Nov 2007 overhead console Stereo install Round 2 Aug 2009 Heated/turn signal mirror upgrade

11-18-2011, 07:29 AM	#3
motornut 78K & 79C Jimmys Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Ottawa Ont CANADA Posts: 7,901	Re: 90 Suburban rear barn door lock/latch fix Good info my 88 is stuck locked just like that sprayed all kinds of lube around the button hope it works as the truck is packed to the roof back there __________________ John 1978 GMCJimmy4X4-350/203 1979 GMCJimmy4X2-305/350



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