I have a 30 Coupe I was going to replace the door latches as they were shot. After soaking for a few days and some heat. Every single one twisted off. Tried unsuccessfully to drill them out. So I drilled out the nutsert and ran to the bolt store. The ones they had are too small . No luck in the model a catalogs or a search on how someone did it. Any body else have this problem and how did you fix it?
There are inserts with a flat side I used for the sill screws. Not nutserts, I had to silver solder them in place but were perfect replacements.
Snyder's Antique Auto Parts has those D nuts for 10-32 to 3/8 x 24, not cheap but the direct replacement. Just go to their site and search D-nuts.
I just bought some d-nuts from Snyder’s also, just have to go through their catalog and find them. Ford used some odd screw sizes Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
I tried to call a couple of places to see if their d nuts fit the door but they were all closed. Now that I know what they are called I hope to find the correct ones. After looking them up they may be a bitch to peen into the door not much room. A ball bearing and c clamp was used but not sure it would fit in there. Any other suggestions?
D-nuts can be a PITA to swedge in the hole. If you can back them up with a dolly or any piece of steel clamped as a backer, a small ball peen hammer will fit in and peen the concave side. But Henry apparently installed a lot of them, THEN spot welded in the panel or skinned the door, making them inaccessible. On ones that I couldn't get to, like door handle inner nuts, I used long machine screws to hold and epoxy them in the hole.
If I am thinking right once it's in the hole the d shape will keep it from turning. So I may drill 2 holes beside it and tack weld it on then smooth it up with a sanding disc. after that the screw should hold it once the latch is on and tightened down. That should last my lifetime.
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