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Thread: bear Claw door latches
          
   
   

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  1. #1
    Navy7797 is offline CHR Member Visit my Photo Gallery
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    bear Claw door latches

     



    Anybody installed Bear Claw door latches in their rides ? If so are they that much better than original ? What's the good and bad of them ? Thinking of putting them in my 40 Ford p/u. I want to get the doors air and water tight with rubber moldings and the latches if necessary. Thanks for the inputs.

  2. #2
    Henry Rifle's Avatar
    Henry Rifle is offline CHR Member Visit my Photo Gallery
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    I have them on my '34. They're well named. They're solid as a rock and grip like a bear. I wouldn't use anything else on mine because I have suicide doors. (I also have dead bolts for the same reason.) Get them adjusted right, and you'll have NO wobble in your door. Good, firm & solid.
    Jack

    Gone to Texas

  3. #3
    Dave Severson is offline CHR Member/Contributor Visit my Photo Gallery
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    They get my vote, too!!!! Very solid latch, work great and last forever!
    M.T. and 36 sedan like this.
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    Carroll Shelby

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  4. #4
    36 sedan's Avatar
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    Ditto what they said, the only way to go.

  5. #5
    chopt50wgn is offline CHR Member Visit my Photo Gallery
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    Have them in my 50 Ply wagon. They latch a whole lot tighter than any stock latch. I guess that's why they are called bear latches.
    36 sedan likes this.

  6. #6
    randyr's Avatar
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    I put them on my '37. I also got the pre-made mounting kits, which made the installation easier because I had to correct some previous bad latching decisions.....
    36 sedan likes this.
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  7. #7
    rspears's Avatar
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    Unless you like the excitement of your doors popping open at inopportune moments (washboard road going into a turn....) you really want to go with a good bear claw latch.
    rumrumm and 36 sedan like this.
    Roger
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  8. #8
    40FordDeluxe's Avatar
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    I need to look into these for my 40. That door popping open going around a corner is not real cool when the people aren't used to it.
    36 sedan likes this.
    Ryan
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  9. #9
    The Bat's Avatar
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    I used them in my 1928 A roadster,much better lock.

  10. #10
    cffisher's Avatar
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    I can tell and SHOW what happens with out the use of them AND the dead bolt. This happened at about 30MPH. There was NO holding it when it popped open.
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    Charlie
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  11. #11
    daveS53 is offline CHR Member Visit my Photo Gallery
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    Quote Originally Posted by Navy7797 View Post
    Anybody installed Bear Claw door latches in their rides ? If so are they that much better than original ? What's the good and bad of them ? Thinking of putting them in my 40 Ford p/u. I want to get the doors air and water tight with rubber moldings and the latches if necessary. Thanks for the inputs.
    Manually operated or electric? My '37 Oze roller had bear claw latches that came with it, but no way to operate them. I wanted electric remote control, so I bought new AutoLoc latches, with the solenoid actuators. They work fine, but the method of mounting the solenoid to the latch is stupid. A bracket is provided that has three of the four holes that are used to mount the latch. You're expected to get just the right length of 5mm bolt and thread nuts onto the protruding bolts, inside the door, where you can't see them. I modified the solenoid brackets to bolt to the latch with two 10-32 button head cap screws, so the solenoid and latch could be placed inside the door as an assembly, and attached with four 6mm flat head screws. All I had to do was drill and tap two holes in latch and drill two matching holes in the solenoid bracket.

    Some brands of latches will require English 1/4-20 flat head screws for mounting, but AutoLoc products are all metric and use 6mm screws.

    AutoLoc sells a mounting kit that includes a steel support plate for the door and a door strike mounting plate, with a floating 7/16" nut for the strike bolt.

    Locking Large Bear Claw Door Latch Set « autoloc.com

    Power Bear Claw Door Latch - Large « autoloc.com

    Large Bear Claw Door Latch Install Kit « autoloc.com
    Last edited by daveS53; 10-22-2014 at 12:10 PM.

  12. #12
    36 sedan's Avatar
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    Bear claw latches can be operated by cable, rod, or a solenoid. I have all three operating mine.

    The inside door handle operates the Bear Claw by a rod behind the door panel, the cable operates the Bear Claw from a hidden location for emergency access (think dead battery), the solenoid operates the Bear Claw by my remote key fob. The solenoid can be mounted anywhere inside the door and connected to the Bear Claw by a cable or rod. Operate the solenoid through a relay via a hidden switch and/or a remote. Hooking up a Bear Claw latch is easy.

    http://www.summitracing.com/parts/el...FYtAMgodJHUAxw
    http://www.summitracing.com/parts/el...FQoEaQodpocAyw

    Many other sources on the net.

  13. #13
    cffisher's Avatar
    cffisher is offline CHR Member Visit my Photo Gallery
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    mine were operated by a rod I don't remember what car I got the operators from but that's where the rods came from.
    Charlie
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  14. #14
    Henry Rifle's Avatar
    Henry Rifle is offline CHR Member Visit my Photo Gallery
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    Manual Bear Claws and a dead bolt. I honestly can't remember how the Bear Claws are connected to the door handle but I think it's just a short metal link.

    bear claw.jpg
    Jack

    Gone to Texas

  15. #15
    Navy7797 is offline CHR Member Visit my Photo Gallery
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    Ok that settles it, I'm going with the Bear Claw. Any recommendations as to size I should use on my 40 Ford p/u ? Or what brand is the best ?
    Thanks for all the inputs !!!!!!

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