What does this thing do????

[Mfr426]

Hello All and Happy New Year!

I was putting some finishing touches on my grill and testing the vacuum doors out this weekend. The one door rod hits this metal strap. I cant figure out what this thing does? It's too stiff to bend around any wires and I cant bend it out of the way of the door mechanism.

Anyone know what this thing does and how it is supposed to be positioned?

Thanks for any comments!

Mike R in Reading PA

[tan top]

my guess ,it might be to stop the door dropping shut when going over a bump in the road, because of the emblems on the door make it heavier, mine looks the same. probably wrong though.

[Just 6T9 CHGR]

That is actually a mechanical way of holding the doors OPEN if the vac assist fails.

Pushing the doors open manually "locks" the rod under the bend in the metal ......try it!

[Mfr426]

Mine (at least one of them) actually prevents the door from opening all the way. Perhaps that one is installed incorrectly?

Thanks Chris!

[Just 6T9 CHGR]

There should be a tab as well as the screw hole to loacte each one.  Its possible its just bent out of shape?

[8WHEELER]

Very interesting, must be a 69 option. Out of all the 68 grills I had and have now I have
never heard of those or seen one, Have you ever seen them on a 68 Chris??

Dan

[Mfr426]

Must be on a few 69's. Here's another...

http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,49.0.html

Still would like to know how this thing works...

[bill440rt]

My '69's got them too. My '68 does not.
At least now I know where they go, my grille/header is still apart! Thanks!! 

[Rolling_Thunder]

my 68 does not have those

[jaak]

Must be on a few 69's. Here's another...

http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,49.0.html

Still would like to know how this thing works...

when the lights are on and light doors are open the bar that goes across the door (blue arrow) "locks" in the groove of the retention spring (green arrow). Like Chris said, i think it just a way of holding doors open if you have a loss of vacuum.

Hope this clears it up some,
Jason

[Mfr426]

WOW, seems like it has to be bent and positioned "just so" so that it will not prevent the door from opening fully.

Another engineering feat from 30+ years ago...YIKES!

Thanks guys for the help!

Mike R

[Just 6T9 CHGR]

Like I and Jaak said, the part is there to manually hold the doors open...

I didnt know they were'nt on the 68's....an engineering breakthrough for 69!!!

[Mfr426]

Does this mean that they should hit that rod ALL the time when they open? I guess it depends on how hard they hit it as to whether or not it prevents the door from opening...?