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82eye
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i didn't really know what sub-forum to put this in so i'm posting it here.
i have a 97 ranger i bought about 4 months ago - pics here. 6 weeks ago the drivers door lock started sticking, eventually getting so bad i thought i'd have to replace it. a week ago it stuck solid. a week of opening the truck up from the passenger door gets tired real quick.
did a search and didn't come up with too much. it was stuck solid so graphite wouldn't do much, and since you shouldn't use wet lubricants on door locks i was kinda stalled. so i decided just to go ahead and give 'er a go myself.
dunno if this will work for everyone but i what is did was:
pulled the lock cylinder to inspect it and removed the clip on the back. then made sure there were no broken/rusted springs or tumblers. then i cleaned it. that's it, no great wizardry.
i used a dremel tool w/flat metal brush attachment to clean the cylinder body, the exposed part of the tumblers, and back of the lock. the lock is sorta built as a cylinder within a cylinder, i made sure the tumblers and places where the two cylinders met and slid past each other, were well cleaned. every few minutes i used compressed air to blast away any debris. i didn't use graphite or any other lubricants.
during the process i would insert the key and work the lock as best i could, eventually getting a little movement, and cleaning the area that gave as best i could with the dremel. working back and forth until the full range of movement was restored to the lock. then reinstalled the lock.
works good as new, and smoother than the passenger side. at least for now, we'll see how it holds.
also:
the lock on my ranger had a small plastic gasket to help form a seal behind the face of the lock and protect the paint. after 13 sun scorching years on black paint mine essentially disintegrated. they aren't on most trucks, if you have one and it survives, i recommend you very carefully remove it with a pair of tweezers, and reinstall in the same way. they are not available new anywhere.
i couldn't find a ranger specific gasket at at the local wreckers, but did manage to source a couple near matches off a full size 80's xlt truck. my dad modified the gasket by removing material to suit my lock with a toenail clipper. kudos to dad
we carefully reinstalled the gasket using tweezers. it will stretch a little, but you must be real careful not to break it.
sorry i didn't take any pics, never dawned on me it would work so well, or at all.
hope this helps someone.
i have a 97 ranger i bought about 4 months ago - pics here. 6 weeks ago the drivers door lock started sticking, eventually getting so bad i thought i'd have to replace it. a week ago it stuck solid. a week of opening the truck up from the passenger door gets tired real quick.
did a search and didn't come up with too much. it was stuck solid so graphite wouldn't do much, and since you shouldn't use wet lubricants on door locks i was kinda stalled. so i decided just to go ahead and give 'er a go myself.
dunno if this will work for everyone but i what is did was:
pulled the lock cylinder to inspect it and removed the clip on the back. then made sure there were no broken/rusted springs or tumblers. then i cleaned it. that's it, no great wizardry.
i used a dremel tool w/flat metal brush attachment to clean the cylinder body, the exposed part of the tumblers, and back of the lock. the lock is sorta built as a cylinder within a cylinder, i made sure the tumblers and places where the two cylinders met and slid past each other, were well cleaned. every few minutes i used compressed air to blast away any debris. i didn't use graphite or any other lubricants.
during the process i would insert the key and work the lock as best i could, eventually getting a little movement, and cleaning the area that gave as best i could with the dremel. working back and forth until the full range of movement was restored to the lock. then reinstalled the lock.
works good as new, and smoother than the passenger side. at least for now, we'll see how it holds.
also:
the lock on my ranger had a small plastic gasket to help form a seal behind the face of the lock and protect the paint. after 13 sun scorching years on black paint mine essentially disintegrated. they aren't on most trucks, if you have one and it survives, i recommend you very carefully remove it with a pair of tweezers, and reinstall in the same way. they are not available new anywhere.
i couldn't find a ranger specific gasket at at the local wreckers, but did manage to source a couple near matches off a full size 80's xlt truck. my dad modified the gasket by removing material to suit my lock with a toenail clipper. kudos to dad
we carefully reinstalled the gasket using tweezers. it will stretch a little, but you must be real careful not to break it.sorry i didn't take any pics, never dawned on me it would work so well, or at all.
hope this helps someone.
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