Door Lock Function ???

[HUSSEY]

I'm trying to figure out how GM originally designed the door locks to function on AD trucks. I have a 49 with an exterior lock on the passenger side. With the door closed you can insert a key and rotate it to prevent the door lever from moving and unlocking the door.

Now, inside you can also push the door handles forward to lock the doors. I thought at first that you could push the door handle forward on the passenger side then use the key to unlock if from the outside. But I've learned that this is not the case.

With my truck I can push the handles forward and shut the door but they are now locked, with no way of unlocking them from the outside. From some research I found the following:

"Be aware that setting the inside handles to " lock " and then slamming the door , is the very quickest way to ruin your priceless door latch ~ when the truck was new , the latches were designed to unlock if you did this , now that they're all rusty and gummed up , you'll just beat the latches mercilessly if you do it....."

Is this true because mine doesn't do that? It has to be because any other way would be a pretty lame design. I'm guessing that I need to disassemble my latches, clean them up, and lubricate them. My concern is getting locked out of my truck one day by accident.

By the way my doors close and latch easily, no need to slam them.

[1project2many]

I dunno if I'd say it's really that lame although I do agree it's not convenient. The trucks were designed for a very different world than we live in today. The inside door locks lock the latch. It helps prevent accidental opening while driving. The outside lock locks the outside button to prevent unwanted entry. You are not supposed to be able to lock the inside handle then close the door. Originally the LH door would be locked from the inside, then the RH door would be locked from the outside.

I *believe* the TF truck latch does not allow moving the inside handle to lock while the door is open. I'll have to check.

FYI European vehicles are somewhat similar. You can't lock all the doors from inside as you're getting out. You need a key to lock the final door from the outside. Compared to US and Japanese cars this is a PITA. But it does guarantee someone outside the vehicle has a key.

[mr48chev]

Normal procedure if you planned on locking the truck was to lock the driver's handle and slide across and get out and lock the passenger side with the key. Back then guys seldom locked their trucks unless they were parked somewhere that they felt they had to be locked or they had valuables in the truck.

I remember my stepfather getting out and having me lock the handle before I got out and then coming around to lock the passenger side when we were headed out hunting with the rifles in the truck which was about the only time the truck ever got locked.
I had my wife do the same in the 48 when we first built it in 1973 and stayed at motels a lot while going to rod runs. I think she grumped every time she had to lock or unlock it but liked the fact that I had to open the door for her every time it was locked. That is the easy way if you have someone riding with you.

[joedoh]

i think 67 was the first year you could use the key to operate the actual locks instead of just disconnecting the handle. it sure worked that way on my 65, with a key that disabled to button on the handle but did not lock the latch like it did when you pushed the inside handle. one of the last things i planned on the 65 was installing 67 door latches and lock "buttons", and i sold the truck before doing it.


if all you are worried about is not locking the doors when you get out, remember that you are pulling the door lock the opposite direction to open the door so it would really take concentration to lock the door after that