Adjusting door strikes & latches

[0nebadbug]

So I've had my car sitting now since fall mostly back together and just waiting for this never ending winter to break to finish it up so over the last couple weeks just to do something rather than do noting been messing with little things. One of the problems I've been having is getting the door strike on the passenger side mostly to latch & release correctly.

It kind of gotten to the point of where not sure what else there is to look at to correct it... I move up, I move down, move over and everywhere in-between. Still no sweet spot. Either its too far out and will latch & release fine but then the door sticks out 3/8" at the rear edge of the door... So I move it in to where it should sit flush and then it becomes a bear to latch and becomes almost impossible to release without serious persuasion. So then I thought it was maybe the mechanism itself maybe worn out so I took it that out cleaned it checked it all and lubed it all and all seems as it should be doing what it should.

From there I looked at the cam on the backside of the handle, which was bent a very tiny bit so I pulled that back a little, put it all back together and still does the same thing then moved the cam a little farther out to absolutely it's solidly pushing the pin fully in on the mechanism itself and still nothing, so then I tried another handle and latch from my old donor car and swapped it all and still, same problem persists... Then even took the extra catch and swapped that and still does the same thing.

The drivers side closes, latches & releases with out any effort as it should but the passenger side? Cripes what a mess... also thought that maybe it was all because of the new rubber seals put in last summer just needing to conform a bit but seeing as they've been sitting closed tightly I would assume that have conformed to their final shape so...

Not sure what other ideas to throw at it next...

I did think about maybe adjusting the block in the catch but don't know if I should even mess with that not even sure how to do it actually and searching for this seemed to be vague at best so far. All I do know is that it wasn't like this before it was all painted and when it was all removed, everything worked perfectly! And seeing as I have 2 complete passenger latching sets I can't imagine that using one or the other or any combination of them all being no good...

Any Ideas?
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::: Slowoval ::: LaDawri Sebring ::: '61 Creampuff ::: Dust Storm '66 :::

[57BLITZ]

You might know this already . . .

Latches for '56-'57 are different from the '58-'62 latches.

Strikers for '56 are different from '57 strikers, but are interchangeable with each other, but not with the strikers for '58-'64.

Check the part number on the back of your striker and tell us what it is.
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Jesucristo es mi Señor y Salvador!

[0nebadbug]

[Snort]

It's in your Bentley manual, section 6-27.

[57BLITZ]

Thanks Snort, but Onebadbug does not have a Bentley yet, nor do I . . . any way we can see that page?
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Jesucristo es mi Señor y Salvador!

[Schwing]

I had this same problem. Took forever to get the passenger door right.
I ended up replacing the mechanism thats on the door. Folks are right that the catch on the b-pillar is oval specific, but I think I used a door mechanism out of a 62 to get her done, and they are plentiful.

Sounds to me like its not falling into the 2nd V properly, or not springing out of that like it should. Keep playing with it, but don't let it make you crazy. Consider a new door mechanism if you have to.
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Shadetree Westy
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=657279&highlight=

Single Cab - BBXXVII Long Distance Winner
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=...mp;start=0

[Jrb572]

Put you catch all the way out. Shut the door to check it latches properly there. The loosen the three flat heads just a touch. Then lightly bump door with you hand on the edge to get it flush with the car. Slowly open and tighten. It's how I've adjusted mine. May not work for all. As it gets closer to the correct gap and starts closing poorly. Check to make sure it's still is in the middle of the still in the of the striker. You may have to push up or down on the door to slightly bend the hinges.