New Door Latch

[brant2000]

Although it has a neat, concealed latch design; I'm going to mount an alternative latch that provides more closing force without making it too difficult for my wife to open. I'm looking to get this on Amazon and welding it on. Looking for something relatively heavy duty without being too spendy. Just wondered if anyone has ever used anything similar or has any better ideas. Not sure how well the molded vinyl will take the heat, but figured it would be sacrificial.

 

[maple1]

Is your latch giving you problems?

 

[brant2000]

Yes, I have slight gasket leaks which are manageable, but only if I tighten the door as tightly as possible. The latch uses a removable hex wrench to rotate the latch mechansim against a cam/wedge. Because I put so much pressure on it, the door has actually flexed enough that I've rotated beyond the cam. The other problem is that my wife is usually unable to physically open the latch.

 

[stee6043]

The EKO's can have similar issues with over rotation on the door latch cam. I wonder if you can get enough leverage with the latch you linked above?

I plan to add a small piece of material to the strike plate on my EKO eventually. Rather than replace the latch/cam I figure it's easier to add material to where it makes contact.

 

[brant2000]

I ordered that latch, which should be delivered tomorrow. You can't beat Amazon's 2 day guaranteed shipping . Hopefully I'll be able to weld it on without having to shut down. My welds will be preheated nicely.

 

[brant2000]

Just as an update - I got and installed the latch a few weeks ago. Maybe not the most elegant solution, but it definitely provides more closing force and is easier to operate. I need to wait until the spring to clean up, finish, and repaint. The mistake I made; however, was welding so close to the glass without having something to protect it. Any spatter caused pitting on the glass. Lesson learned.