Which way does lock rod go?

[mrwfp]

The driver's door lock rod on my '70 'Cuda fell off (plastic retainers are shot).  I don't know which end of the rod goes to the lock mechanism in the arm rest and which end goes into the lock mechanism at the open end of the door.  I also cannot locate the hole in the mechanism at the open end of the door where the end of the rod fits into.  I tried to see and feel for a hole with no luck.  I put new fittings on both ends of the rod - one white and one black. At one end of the rod there is a slight bend about one inch from the white plastic fitting and a second bend about 4 inches further down.   The other end has a bend about 3 inches from the black fitting.  Any pictures or idea which way the rod goes and where the hole is at the lock mechanism end?  Thanks.

[Challenger in NC]

Does this help at all? I hope that this photo represents the correct way- I tried to pull it out and set it up the way that it came out so I'd have a reference when it came time to reinstall it.

[mrwfp]

If I understand your picture correctly, my rod end with the white plastic clip goes to the lock pivot inside the arm rest and the black end goes into the mechanism near the striker.

[anlauto]

Just my opinion....I think the black clip end goes to the latch...Once you're in the door it really only fits comfortable one way  Not sure how it "fell out" because it gets sandwiched in between the door and the fore/aft adjuster plate.

[mrwfp]

I located the hole that the latch end goes into.  Is there an easy way to get the plastic clip and rod in?  I keep getting interference from the window regulator when I try to run the rod from the hole without a clip to the lock lever in the arm rest.  I've tried both ways and keep getting interference from the regulator and the other door rod.  Looking for a way to get this done.

[anlauto]

Have you removed this part? The two rods go in between this part and the inner door. This part holds the rods in place

[mrwfp]

No.  Thank you.  This is probably the tip that I needed to help figure this out.  I appreciate your help.

[Mopar5]

I will send a pic from a donor door I am about to disassemble.

[Mopar5]

Here you are

[Mopar5]

The way the factory installed them to me is counter intuitive

[mrwfp]

Thanks for the info but my problem got worse.  I removed the panel anlauto mentioned then tried to pop the plastic retainer into the hole by the latch.  It fell out of my hand and landed somewhere inside the door.  I looked for it but could not see it.  I cranked the window up to see if it fell behind the glass and as the window went up, something jammed.  I tried to get the window down and the glass popped out of the plastic knobs in the track and now I can't get it up or down.  I don't know how to fix the window and don't know anybody else who knows.  Every time I try to fix something simple, something else breaks or goes wrong.

[Mopar5]

We all have those moments . I am sure you will figure it out if you have to remove any bolts or screws take photos and label their locations. You can try just loosening some of the fasteners to see if that will give you some play to get the window moving again. It sounds like it has to come out now anyway.

[JS29]

    

[71vert340]

 As said, we've all been there @mrwfp. These things just snowball. I wish I lived near you as I've had to do several of these windows, tracks and regulators and I'd bring my car over for you to look at and to help you. I've always had a couple of e-bodies in my possession so I could look at one to put the other one together. And, most modern shops can't help you with these old cars. My insurance years ago agreed to pay to have the drivers side door glass replaced in my 71 Challenger but only if a auto glass shop did it. The shop installer didn't know how to do it so I had to sit there in his shop and install my own glass. He still had to charge my insurance. He couldn't even get the door panel off. Best to do it yourself and learn.
Terry

[mrwfp]

Yes, you are right!  I am just going to have to bite the bullet and figure this one out.   Looking down inside the door, I can see how things work together to make the window go up and down. I just hate fixing one thing and then finding out that I did something to cause something else to break.  In this case, removing that plate allowed the window to drop, exposing some badly worn out rollers and one completely broken one.  I can see that the plastic rollers are worn out and should be replaced so I ordered a new set today.  I just replaced the motor in the car and have been trying to get the car put back together for an upcoming car show.  Extra unplanned repairs like this delay that process. I just want to drive the car again - not keep working on it!