What Year Did the Trunk Latch Striker Bar Go from 11/32" to 7/16"?

-
MDchanic

MDchanic

Connoisseur d'Junque
Joined
Feb 13, 2015
Messages
199
Reaction score
267
Location
Hudson Valley, NY
Or, maybe, which other series had a 7/16" trunk latch striker bar?

I've got a '64 Dart.
I got hold of an electric trunk release latch from an '80s-'90s New Yorker or Diplomat.
Latch is in good shape, functions fine, not worn. It's "supposed to" work on early-As.
But the size inside the latch opening is about 7/16" instead of the 11/32-38" of the original, which means that if it is adjusted right to hit the top of the latch and get it to latch, then there will be too much play at the bottom, and it will rattle.

Only solution is a larger diameter bar for it to grab, which they obviously had on whatever car this came off of.

The original latch bar is retained by 2 screws, 2-1/2" apart in this configuration
(Bar is the vertical in the middle): –o—|—o–

If anyone knows the changeover year or model(s), please let me know, so I can post a reasonable parts request (no real junkyards left around here).

Thanks,

– Eric
 
2 things...

  1. If there is some tension on the latch by the seals it should not rattle.
  2. You could get some tubing, rubber, copper, plastic, steel and make a sleeve.
My 67 dart has a 0.33" od cross bar
 
Last edited:
Dana67Dart said:
1. If there is some tension on the latch by the seals it should not rattle.
2. You could get some tubing, rubber, copper, plastic, steel and make a sleeve.
My 67 dart has a 0.33" od cross bar
Click to expand...
Hi Dana,

11/32" (as measured with an open-end wrench) is 0.34", so it looks like the change was later than '67.

I could sleeve it, but I'd have to split the sleeve, since both ends of the bar are welded to the base, and I'm not sure that would be very durable.

The problem vis a vis the seals is that the play inherent in the mismatched latch sizes is larger than the compression potential of the gasket. If the gasket had 3/8" of easy compressibility, then, yes, this would work, but that's not the way these gaskets are.

Without the extra play, the trunk closes up nice and tight. It's just the play that's the problem, and I know there must have been a different part that this was supposed to have mated up with.

– Eric
 
Dana67Dart said:
A split sleeve will work well, I would not hesitate to use one.
Click to expand...

Wall thickness would have to be about 0.047". That's not much.

I'll see whether anyone can direct me to the right donor model, and if not, I'll start measuring tubing thicknesses. Guess if I wanted to be a real wiseass, I could wrap it and silver-solder it.

The annoying thing is that I"m looking for what is essentially a completely undesirable part, which never rusts or wears out, which essentially nobody would have saved, and which was probably still attached to every single car it was on when it was crushed.

Thanks.

– Eric
 
I have quite a few trunk latches . I can check to see if any are larger DIA than others.
 
RAT ROD AL said:
I have quite a few trunk latches . I can check to see if any are larger DIA than others.
Click to expand...

Great! Let me now when you can.

There's no question that this latch is made for a bigger striker.
Or maybe that it was made for a gasket more than twice as thick.

... So there has to be one out there.

Thanks!

– Eric
 
Hmmm. Must be a C-Body or a later-model thing.

I'll have to keep my eyes open, and if I don't encounter one, I'll find some tubing that's 0.047" thick and sleeve it.

Not vitally important, as the original latch works fine (slightly better, than before actually, as I readjusted it).

Thanks for checking!

– Eric
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
-

Back
Top