Stock door handles and bear claw latches

Can stock 40 ford door handles work with large bear claw latches and can you post pix of them and how to do it.

Thanks

 

Ask 38Chevy454 he makes them.

 

Simply make a link from the door handle shaft to the latch release lever.
This could be as simple as a bar with a square hole for door handle and the other end with a hole for a small bolt/nut to the release lever.

 

He doesn't make them but offers the best deal I've ever found selling them. If you are in need of any give him a shout............you WILL be satisfied.

Frank

 

What bear claw latch would work best in a 39 dodge Desoto door the large or the small bear claw

Thanks

 

I had the same question - especially for the rear / suicide doors on that year Mopar.

 

I don't know about the Mopars, but I used the small ones in my 38 Chevy, and they work just fine.

 

Had the same question. I have to do my 46 Plymouth.

 

Better think this thru a little bit,,,I assume this is NOT on a roadster,,so you will be needing to make the linkage for the INSIDE handle with consideration for the window glass...No simple linkage for that

 

Terry sent me this on the locking >>>>>>>>>>>

Quote:
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=6 width="100%" border=0> <TBODY> <TR> <TD class=alt2 style="BORDER-TOP: 1px inset; BORDER-RIGHT: 1px inset; BORDER-BOTTOM: 1px inset; BORDER-LEFT: 1px inset"> Originally Posted by HILLBILLY HOT RODS
Can yours be locked
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
No locking capability built into the latches. The latches require some other method for security such as solenoids, locking handle, etc.

The latches do lock closed and will not open until the release lever is pulled, but I believe your answer is if the latches have internal locking. Terry


And this as for size of bear claw >>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Most likely the large size since your doors are thick enough, but check the dimensions of the latches and compare those to your door area to determine for sure. Terry



Hope this helps

 

This may help.

http://www.carolinacustom.com/pages/product_pages/door_latch_hardware/door_latch_hardware_page.jsp

 

Or here.....................
http://www.hotrodlatches.com/

 

I used the Carolina customs on my 51 dodge pickup

 

Take a look at Altman latches. www.triquemfg.com

 

I put some into a 40 Tudor and having done so ...my preference now would be to just go to the wreckers yard and get a mechanism from late model car.

 

Some what?

 

I don't think anyone has answered the question in the first post. I would like to do the same thing as HILBILLY HOT RODS. The problem is, the bear claw would mount directly in front of the inner and outer handles........on the stock set-up , the outer handle goes through the ass'y and are not conected to a lever. Has anyone ever don this?
Hope I didn't hijack.

 

I fitted some Altman easy latches into a 40 Tudor. They went in and are working ok at present. In fact the doors open and shut real nice.
However......
-the threads in the B-pillar didn't match the factory ones so I had to make new threaded plates and modify the B-pillar.

-I had clearance issues with the latch and B-pillar.

-Theres not much room in them doors what with the window track running right there, and the door handle shaft needed to be cut down length wise and make an arm and rods up (that's nothing unusual but takes time to figure it all out)

-the supplied flat rod that attaches to the inner handle mech has small holes for the screws which attach to the latch mech...but the holes in the latch mech are large and the screws supplied wouldn't work. I couldn't get them tight enough to avoid the possibility of them slipping...and thereby not getting enough purchase to unlatch the mechanism. Easy fix to drill the holes the same size and get the correct screws but really shouldn't have to.

-at one point with one of the pair of latches I could hold it in my hand and manually work it and have it not unlatch on me...which is a bit of a worry if you've ever had an upholstered door that won't open on you!

In short I had to do more engineering to install a kit supplied as being 'To fit a 1940 Ford' than I thought was appropriate. I know the products are built to be affordable and they are somewhat universal and I MAY have got a dud but... the OEM factory engineers spend a lot of time figuring out clearance and loading issues etc so I think I'll take advantage of that more in future. Universal products generally don't fit universally very well as it goes.
Hope this helps.
just my .02 PB
-

 

I used these in my 41 Plymouth and they worked great. Check my thread for the details.

 

I just put bear claws in my F1 this weekend. The original latches are nearly identical to the 40 Ford and I think this will work on it too. The way I did it took a bit of thinking and fabrication but only cost me about $15 after the cost of the latches. I cut down the original latch and switched them from side to side. Here's the pieces I used to add the lever to activate the latch and how they were assembled. The latch plate fits right behind the window channel. The lock for the passenger side was welded to the top of the bear claw and the internal c shaped part was cut down and welded to the lock piece on the bear claw. I had an old passenger door that I cut up to pre-fit everything, the latch point for the bear claw ended up just below the dovetail. I used a cable to attach to the inside door handle. Still have a tiny bit of adjusting to do but they work like a dream so far. Hope this makes sense, I didn't do too good of a job of documenting it.