Bob67Barracuda
Well-Known Member
The driver side latch on the top of my '67 Barracuda has been floppy for a few years. Mainly just an annoyance. But this spring it got worse... no springiness at all, more floppy than ever... and felt like parts could maybe fly off.
Last year I diagnosed the issue as a missing torsion spring, one of two that give the latch its flex. I bought a box of torsion springs thinking I could just pop one in. Soon realized there was a missing stud that anchors the spring. And no obvious way to put in a new stud with the latch in place. I couldn't figure out how to get the latch out... needed FABO tip of raising the top only partially and reaching in under the canvas to get to the nuts.
With the latch out, I could see why the lever had become even more floppy. There was already one spring missing, and now I saw the other one had broken and wasn't applying any pressure. So I grabbed my variety pack of torsion springs... and soon found that the only one even close to fitting was too fat. And its orientation meant that it could only work on the side of the latch that was missing the spring stud.
I decided to try creating a stud by using a small machine screw and a nut. It was looking good, and I managed to squeeze the spring into the slot and get tension on the lever. Feeling triumphant, I went to reinstall the latch... only to find that the nut holding the stud in place prevented the latch from sliding back into its slot. Boo!
Now I'm bummed, and was moving the top a bit and heard a little rattle in the hollow frame bar of the convertible top. I'm like, what's that? Could it be the missing stud? Sure enough, after I shook the top a bit, I reached into the latch slot and pulled out a little metal stud.
Turns out this thing is a like a miniature wheel stud. It just mashes into place with pressure... no nut to hold it in. So I used a vice grip to squeeze it into position, slotted in my modified torsion spring, reinstalled the latch and ta-da, back in business!
Funny to think about that total one-off piece, probably no way to source a new one, rolling around in the vert top frame for a few years, only to be recovered and literally pressed back into service. This time, Cuda gods on my side!
Last year I diagnosed the issue as a missing torsion spring, one of two that give the latch its flex. I bought a box of torsion springs thinking I could just pop one in. Soon realized there was a missing stud that anchors the spring. And no obvious way to put in a new stud with the latch in place. I couldn't figure out how to get the latch out... needed FABO tip of raising the top only partially and reaching in under the canvas to get to the nuts.
With the latch out, I could see why the lever had become even more floppy. There was already one spring missing, and now I saw the other one had broken and wasn't applying any pressure. So I grabbed my variety pack of torsion springs... and soon found that the only one even close to fitting was too fat. And its orientation meant that it could only work on the side of the latch that was missing the spring stud.
I decided to try creating a stud by using a small machine screw and a nut. It was looking good, and I managed to squeeze the spring into the slot and get tension on the lever. Feeling triumphant, I went to reinstall the latch... only to find that the nut holding the stud in place prevented the latch from sliding back into its slot. Boo!
Now I'm bummed, and was moving the top a bit and heard a little rattle in the hollow frame bar of the convertible top. I'm like, what's that? Could it be the missing stud? Sure enough, after I shook the top a bit, I reached into the latch slot and pulled out a little metal stud.
Turns out this thing is a like a miniature wheel stud. It just mashes into place with pressure... no nut to hold it in. So I used a vice grip to squeeze it into position, slotted in my modified torsion spring, reinstalled the latch and ta-da, back in business!
Funny to think about that total one-off piece, probably no way to source a new one, rolling around in the vert top frame for a few years, only to be recovered and literally pressed back into service. This time, Cuda gods on my side!
