Jose A.
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- August 16, 2008
- Messages
- 271
- Reaction score
- 1
- City, State
- Florida
- Year, Model & Trim Level
- 1997 Aerostar XLT 4.0
BrooklynBay,
sorry, I forgot to take a picture of the repaired latch and sent it to David already. It was a rush job.
maybe David can take a picture when he receives it? I did the same thing you did, (adding the bracket but I placed the screw further down).
the spring "leg" seemed to hold better in the opposite side of the bracket, then I put it on a vise and sort of crimped the spring leg between the two halves.
Also:
I went to an automotive body shop paint and hardware supplier yesterday, (I ordered a pint of custom interior plastic trim paint), and they have a display of hardware bits. One of the hardware bits on display is a Latch Spring which looks identical to the latch spring on these latches.
the problem will be removing and resetting the large hollow rivet (or whatever it is called), that goes through the spring and where the mounting torx bolt goes through.
finding a solution for this hollow "rivet", I know where to get the replacement spring.
Better yet, I would like to remove all three hollow rivets to separate the two halves of the latch, clean the gunk, grease it, and find a permanent solution to this badly designed part. It's not like Aerostars are going to be extinct tomorrow, people keep buying them and fixing them up. The Aerostar has become a treasured vehicle.
I'm lucky to have found a 1997 in near mint condition, but guess what? the sliding door latch is starting to show the latch symptoms!! This time I'm going to find a permanent solution.
sorry, I forgot to take a picture of the repaired latch and sent it to David already. It was a rush job.
maybe David can take a picture when he receives it? I did the same thing you did, (adding the bracket but I placed the screw further down).
the spring "leg" seemed to hold better in the opposite side of the bracket, then I put it on a vise and sort of crimped the spring leg between the two halves.
Also:
I went to an automotive body shop paint and hardware supplier yesterday, (I ordered a pint of custom interior plastic trim paint), and they have a display of hardware bits. One of the hardware bits on display is a Latch Spring which looks identical to the latch spring on these latches.
the problem will be removing and resetting the large hollow rivet (or whatever it is called), that goes through the spring and where the mounting torx bolt goes through.
finding a solution for this hollow "rivet", I know where to get the replacement spring.
Better yet, I would like to remove all three hollow rivets to separate the two halves of the latch, clean the gunk, grease it, and find a permanent solution to this badly designed part. It's not like Aerostars are going to be extinct tomorrow, people keep buying them and fixing them up. The Aerostar has become a treasured vehicle.
I'm lucky to have found a 1997 in near mint condition, but guess what? the sliding door latch is starting to show the latch symptoms!! This time I'm going to find a permanent solution.
