Hidden behind the new door...
Hidden behind the new door panel from LMC Truck is a remote-control door lock actuator, also from LMC.
Of all the trucks I’ve owned, only one of them has been newer than ’75 and none of them have had much in the way of convenience accessories; the simpler a truck was, the better was always my theory. But now I’m beginning to think there are some modern features that would be nice to have on our project Hot Rod Hauler, and one of the most convenient features is also one of the easiest to add—a remote door lock system.
Thumbing through LMC’s truck catalog we found two types of door lock kits: part number 47-1110 is an electric door lock kit that unlocks or locks the passenger-side door when the driver-side door is unlocked or locked with the regular key. From inside, the same thing happens with the operation on the manual door lock.
A second LMC offering, and the one we chose, is the keyless remote kit, part number 47-1100. Buttons on the included key fobs lock and unlock both doors. There are no switches to install and the standard door lock buttons and exterior key still operate normally.
Included in the remote entry...
Included in the remote entry kit are two key fobs to lock and unlock the doors.
Since we had to get inside the doors to install the actuators for the door locks, we decide to update the interior with a new pair of door panels. Available in a variety of colors, LMC Truck’s replacements panels look like the originals and are made from heat resistant black plastic (we used part number 49-5370-BL for black). Paint with an ultraviolet inhibitor is used on blue, gray, red and tan panels and replacement armrests in the same colors are also available, our black set was listed under part number 49-5410.
Installing the power door lock kit is simple. The biggest challenges are to make sure the actuator’s rod and the linkage that operates the door lock are parallel, and that the actuator doesn’t obstruct any of the door’s internal moving parts.
With actuators installed, the next chore is to run the wiring harness and install the receiver. The actuators’ wires are color-coded and plug in, they then have to be run from the doors through the cowl; we routed them through the same holes that were used for the existing stereo speakers. Once the wires from both doors were routed behind the dash, they were simply plugged into the receiver, which was secured to a brace with plastic wire ties. All that’s left is connecting the recover to a constant 12-volt source and a good ground.
After testing the operation of the locks, we attached the new armrests on top of the replacement door panels and snapped them in place. This update was quick and easy. Along with a better looking interior, thanks to the new door panels, and the power door locks, the Hot Rod Hauler is becoming more presentable and a little more user friendly too. CCT
There are two actuators in...
There are two actuators in the kit (four–door versions are also available). The actuator with five wires goes on the driver side, the two-wire unit is for the passenger side.
This is the receiver for the...
This is the receiver for the remote controls. The wiring harness plugs into the 8-pin plug. The black wire is the antenna that picks up the signals from the remotes.
The wiring harness is color-coded...
The wiring harness is color-coded and everything plugs in. A second small harness was included in our kit but not used—our guess is it can be used in conjunction with a relay to flash the lights when the door locks are activated.
A variety of links are included...
A variety of links are included to connect the actuators to the door lock linkage; we used the small rods.
The rod from the actuator...
The rod from the actuator attaches to the lock’s linkage with a clamp-on connector—set screws hole it in place.
To install the actuators,...
To install the actuators, our ratty door panels had to be removed and thrown in the trash.
Here the actuator and rod...
Here the actuator and rod are positioned on the outside of the door to give an idea how it will be positioned.
It’s hard to make out, but...
It’s hard to make out, but this is how the actuator mounts inside the door. The rod from the actuator has a slight bend to clear the link from the inside door handle.
There were rubber grommets...
There were rubber grommets in the cowl and doors for stereo speakers, and the wires for the door locks were run through them as well.
While we were at it, we installed...
While we were at it, we installed new door panels from LMC. They’re duplicates of the originals, up to and including the openings for the original door speakers.
Original style plastic retainers...
Original style plastic retainers are used to secure the panel to the door. Note the speaker opening at the lower right.
Also available from LMC are...
Also available from LMC are replacement armrests and the door pull cups that fit inside (not shown).