No matter what improvements a person wants to make to their classic truck, it's important to do things in the right order. This is particularly true when it comes to handling the major operations like making sure to do the body and paintwork before moving on to upholstery or installing the wiring harness while there's still access. Disregarding the right steps can lead to complications further down the line and ultimately affect craftsmanship. That said, some of you might be wondering why in last month's issue I brought the dashboard in my '68 GMC up to snuff with a new gauge cluster and a stereo AM/FM radio before I made sure it wouldn't be that easy for thieves to break in. The answer is simple; I wanted to do the fun stuff first instead of dealing with the ugly realities involved with cracking open the innards of a door.
Right from the very start repairing doors can get ugly real fast if a person doesn't exhibit care and pay attention to how things came apart. The doors on my GMC were a classic textbook example of what's usually wrong with most old trucks that haven't been maintained. The vent window latches were worn out and didn't hold, and one door handle was broken. Neither door could be locked because the locks were bad, and the weather stripping was shot, so the rain and the wind got in. During my tenure as the Editor of Custom Classic Trucks, we covered how to replace C10 weatherstripping in numerous tech features that can be found archived at www.customclassictrucks.com, but never got down to the real nitty-gritty on how to repair the vent window latches or take a door lock apart. Since the door locks and door handles are accessed easiest by removing the window glass first, it's not a bad idea to replace all of the old window channel and door rubber while you're in there. The only thing I have to warn you guys about is if you've worked on '73-'87 doors before, you're going to find the '67-'72 doors are a little trickier because they don't have as large an access panel.
Here's what I started out...
Here's what I started out with, a worn-out windwing latch that made it easy to break into the '68 GMC.
The first step to rebuild...
The first step to rebuild the windwing was to use a 3/32-inch pin punch to drift the roll pin keeper out of the handle.
With the handle removed, there's...
With the handle removed, there's access to remove the wavy round tension washer, and unscrew the chrome retaining nut.
Here's a comparison of the...
Here's a comparison of the original GMC parts with LMC Truck's quality reproduction parts. Notice there are two different lengths of stainless steel capped studs, and the inside depth of each windwing handle is bored to match.
Super-fine steel wool (0000)...
Super-fine steel wool (0000) works best for cleaning the vent window glass.
Note the notched half of the...
Note the notched half of the shaft is placed at the bottom, and the black rubber gasket faces the outside of the vent window glass as the shaft is pulled through.
Next, the black plastic flat...
Next, the black plastic flat washer (GM original is woven fiber) is placed on the inside of the glass.
Followed by installing the...
Followed by installing the chrome retaining nut and carefully tightening it to a snug fit-do not over-tighten!
The last part installed before...
The last part installed before mounting the vent handle is the wavy steel tension washer.
The trickiest part of the...
The trickiest part of the job is getting the roll pin started (pushed) into the vent handle. A pair of needle-nosed pliers worked well.
The hot setup on and off the...
The hot setup on and off the truck was to squeeze the pin in farther with Ideal Sure-Grip self-adjusting pliers.
The Craftsman 3/32-inch pin...
The Craftsman 3/32-inch pin punch was used to drive the roll pin all the way home without scratching the chrome.
The first step to removing...
The first step to removing the door glass is to remove the door panels. A special door handle tool available from LMC Truck was used to push the retaining clips off the handles.
This rear view shows how the...
This rear view shows how the tool must align with the ends of the clip to push it off.
For disassembly without any...
For disassembly without any snags I always pre-soak the screws (or nuts) with Royal Purple Maxfilm.
Then, I carefully drove the...
Then, I carefully drove the screw in and out to work the Maxfilm into the threads until I finally have the screw fully removed.
For stubborn cases, I used...
For stubborn cases, I used an impact vessel with a hammer to carefully back the screws out.
Maxfilm also works great for...
Maxfilm also works great for loosening up the old fuzzy strips and weatherstripping without a fight.
To avoid damaging the clip...
To avoid damaging the clip slots on the door, it is best to pull the inside fuzzy strip and outside window squeegee strip straight up from the door.
The vent window assembly should...
The vent window assembly should be removed before the side window glass. It is held in with two 1/4-20 Phillips head screws found below the four window regulator Phillips head screws.
Next, the three Phillips self-tapping...
Next, the three Phillips self-tapping screws must be removed from the front of the door window frame.
The vent window assembly is...
The vent window assembly is removed from the door by leaning it back, and then twisting 180 degrees to allow the lower part of the divider strip channel to clear the window opening in the top of the door.
Next, the window regulator...
Next, the window regulator is removed, and the window channel at the rear of the door is removed to allow the window glass to be withdrawn from the rollers and then lifted vertically out the top of the door.
With the entire door glass...
With the entire door glass removed, replacing the broken door handle was a cinch.
These two holes allow access...
These two holes allow access to the two 7/16-inch hex head 1/4-20 bolts that hold the door handle to the door.
The stock door-lock tumbler...
The stock door-lock tumbler is mounted to the door with a flat press-on clip that looks like this. Note how the arm on the door lock must be positioned with the door latch in order to work properly.
The arm on the door lock is...
The arm on the door lock is held with a special slide-on clip that uses a small folding tab to lock it into place.
To unfold the tab without...
To unfold the tab without damaging the special clip, I used a Craftsman jeweler's screwdriver to bend the tab flat. Note how I backed the special clip with a window-molding tool to hold it steady.
The best way to transfer the...
The best way to transfer the special clip to the new LMC Truck door lock is to place the old lock alongside and make sure they are positioned exactly the same.
The self-adjusting pliers...
The self-adjusting pliers worked incredibly well for sliding the special clip onto the new lock. Then the locking-tab was bent back into its hole with the Craftsman 3/32-inch pin punch.
Here's how the LMC Truck door...
Here's how the LMC Truck door lock looked after it was installed using the retaining clip LMC Truck supplies.
Thanks to LMC Truck's black...
Thanks to LMC Truck's black inside door lock knob down to the brand-new show-chromed door handle and stainless steel shielded door locks, my '68 GMC not only looks a whole lot better, it's going to be a lot harder to break into.