How much do you trust your door poppers?

I shaved the handles of my truck and installed door poppers but i'm worried about the reliability of the poppers. I purchased the autoloc ones and installed them per the instructions, and they work fine. I even installed the backup button but it also works off power. There is no feasible way to install a mechanical door pull so i'm worried about relying on the poppers alone. So far I haven't driven the truck anywhere I did'nt feel ok about leaving the windows down, but I want to make this more of a daily driver.
Has anyone out there had long term success with door poppers and any tips? Thanks

 

I wouldn't go without a mechanical back up. Not too hard with a cable.

 

I just reach through the vent windows.

 

They've always scared me. I'd at least have a backup cable on the passenger side.

 

I cant figure out how to run the cable release. Since its inside the door on my 66 f100 and it needs to pull down, where do you put the release cable that makes it accessible when the door is shut? I would run it through the door jam but there's no place to go that would make it accessible.

 

That's a Good idea!!

 

I run power door lock actuators on a OT daily driven truck for years. Never have had a problem. They are gear driven compared to the magnet style selnoids. They are alot (ALOT) more quiter. No big clunk. I have know people that have had the selnoids freeze up from rust and sand. But I trust mine without a doubt

 

I ran a choke cable through my door jamb and then ran it through the fire wall so I can manually open the door after I pop the hood. Just in case I need it.

 

Don't know your truck , but there is always a way.

 

I have Autoloc poppers on my 54 chevy too. I ran one of these through the door into the fire wall, and the handle is tucked way up under the driver side wheel well. Haven't had to use it in an emergency yet, but It works flawlessly.

http://www.autoloc.com/catalog/Shav...ERKD/Universal-Emergency-Latch-Release-System

 

Cable or a rod that sticks down out the bottom of the door just far enough to get a pair of pliers on it. It has to be long enough to stay in the spot but not so long that the wrong people can spot it.

 

I don't trust them at all. Maybe being in the buisness I see to many (averages ya know) but anytime one fails without a backup it's a big problem.
48 Chevy has a good idea, one I use sorta a lot for a back up. I run a solid rod down thru the door into the jam 1/4", straight below the latch. Differance I always make it push to open (sometimes that takes a bell crank type system) so you can open it with a screw driver or even a key, slip it into the jam, use the rocker to lever agaist and push the rod up to open. Decreate, no one knows it there unless you tell them or they see you do it.
Saved my butt one day when the wind blew the door shut when I was out in the middle of no where, truck running and the actuator button is hanging on the key chain in the ignition!

 

My cousins 50 Chevy is shaved with electric door and trunk locks. He has manual backup for trunk and having battery in trunk jump box gets you in with dead battery.Did see a setup that you could plug in dewalt 12v battery and get in.

 

I trust mine so much that I always leave the wing window unlocked!

 

I've used a roller from a patio sliding door from any hardware store add a spring to tension inside the door.
my truck and others I've done I put the bear claw latch in the B pillar so I can run a cable to a secure location without going thru a door hinge. also bought the power window switches that use the stock door handles to pop my remote door latch.
I don't trust any power unit that could leave me stuck inside or out. I have a lever to release inside also.

 

I had a them on a Pick Up of mine and as I would go down the road some times it would accuate and open door going down the High Way Thank God I had a safety back up latch

 

I am thinking of buying a car with them and am not liking the potential for an inconvenient failure. It has no vent window and is a cab not a roadster so getting in seems potentially problematic.

 

What kind of car? And any popper system with no backup entry/exit, is a bad idea. Mine has 3 failsafes if the popper fails.

 

My experience was different.
The door opened, then banged against the curb. I was worried the glass would shatter, I couldn't slow down and pull over until I was a good 100 yards down the road. I finally got to pull over and wow what a mess! I bungeed the door and went home sick!
I have a very good body shop a couple miles from my house and within 2 hours, my car was in his garage being taken apart to see the extent of the damage.. The bodyshop owner is a gearhead and knows what it's like.. He removed the solenoid system I had him install the previous winter against his advice. He saved all the parts, I guess he knew I would be back.

After that experience, I never liked the no door handle look...

 

I have door poppers on my '37 Chevy coupe. Due to the nature of mechanical/electrical stuff I do not trust them at all. I have a wire hanging below the driver's side running board. It is a hands and knees deal but it works and is not noticeable.

The trunk has a wire pull as the battery is in the trunk. Not trusting all of that I have auxiliary battery studs attached to the frame. Another hands and knees deal. There are wire pulls on the inside as well.

All things considered I would not use them again.

 

I've never had an issue either, and I'd imagine a lot of it comes down to the quality of work/parts used.

I've also heard 'terrifying' stories on poppers proven false. A lot of guys don't like them, and hey, that's cool. When I first got on the hamb, my introduction post, one of the first responses were from a guy who felt the need to lecture me on how dangerous my car was due to poppers. He was driving a roadster, I forget what exactly, but I'd take my shaved shoebox in a wreck over a roadster any day of the week, and twice on Sunday.

 

I also had that issue with my Dodge, where the door popper would actuate when passing traffic...

 

I did two things. 1- ran a wire off the positive side of the battery through a all weather push button under the car and to the drivers door actuator. 2- I welded a lever to the actuator and then a rod down close to the bottom of the door. Then welded a small plate to the rod in the door. I drilled a small hole through the door bottom and down through the rocker panel. I have an allen wrench which is needed to remove the hood sides, taped up and stuck to an earth magnet and put the magnet under the radiator area. Allen can be used to go up through the hole in the rocker and then through the bottom of the door to push on the plate welded to the rod. You do need to add a piece in the door to make sure the bottom end of the rod stays over the hole in the door. Has worked for 16 years, but I have never had to use it. The button from the battery has always had enough power to open the door. I guess I should add that I open my hood by pushing a rod in the front of the Rootlib hood sides. My hood is hinged at the back. once open, I can either hook a small charger to the positive post on the alternator or jumper cable. Haven't had a problem I couldn't make work yet.

 

I'm betting the parts used 30 years ago were not "Autoloc", made in China or some other similar quality junk.

 

Good friend of mine had a truck with no vent windows or mechanical back up way to open the doors. Had a battery go dead away from home and had to break out a door window!

 

I always trusted mine, but I had quality solenoids. I wouldn't trust anything Autoloc.
That being said, a mechanical backup is never a bad idea. Neither are remote battery terminals so you can get power to the car to open the doors in the case of a dead battery.

 

Agree, I always suggest to have a backup entry method.
As long as you can open a hood, you can put voltage on the alternator or generator hot lead. That goes to the battery. Gets you inside with a dead battery, even if battery is located in the floor like many older vehicles.

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