Door locks

[Northbound]

So I was out in the woods grouse hunting the other day and we toss all the gun cases into the cab. It if force of habit I lock the doors.

Come back and go to unlock the drivers side door and the lock just spins 360 degrees. The passenger door won’t move at all - fun times. The drivers side window is down a little and I force it down more and I reach inside and I can move the lock from inside. So now I think we’ll were in a real bad spot, but before I break the window (I have sore glass at home) I just put the key in the drivers side lock again and just spin it and pull in the handle and it opens. Thankfully.

Thoughts on this and how to fix, because I have no idea, dealt with a lot of things, but never locks and instead going in a fishing expedition outside in the cold in upstate NY (no garage - that comes this spring). I figure someone here might know how to fix it so I minimize my time outside.

Thanks

 

[DomSmith]

What year is your truck? The early rigs had the small exterior toggle so I imagine you must have a newer (76+)?

That lock cylinder would be held in place by one of those flat clips on the inside of the shell and have a small arm with a clip and a rod inside. There’s a slot in the sheet metal that keeps the entire lock assembly from spinning if I remember correctly.

Is the key just spinning freely round and round or the entire cylinder?

 

[Northbound]

Sorry in my tired haze last night I didn’t give the year. ‘77 Aussie trick, now in the states.

Key spins around and occasionally i’ll hear a click like it’s grazing something.

Thanks I’ll get in the and take a look.

 

[Vintij74]

few years back, took the cylinder to a locksmith that has been in business for about 50 years, and for about $30 the internal metal disks that rotate on the rod now operate snug.

the sheetmetal slot Dom mentioned might be rounded & need a bit of metal added, or you could try a small tubular sleeve on the rod to tighten the mating

HTH