6 replies to this topic

[splintercat]

Just finished off changing my doors to "suicide" style. may not be to everyone's taste but it is what I wanted to do.

Everything is now smoothed over and so I have at present no outer or inner door handles, just a bare door shell.

I have spent ages trying to research and investigate as how best to lock/secure the doors. Looked at door poppers/door actuaters/solenoids etc in depth.

 

The best idea that I can come up with is to use two solenoids, push/pull type, mounted at the front edge of the door, the bolts are permanently out and when energised they pull in or close thus allowing me to pull the door shut fully and then when i then release the door switch they de-energise and the two solenoid bolts shoot back out and locate into two corresponding  holes in the footwell/ inner wing void, thus securing the door closed.

 

To open the door, just operate the switch  and they operate . the bolts pull back  to allow to door free to be pushed open.

 

Was going to add door  poppers to aid to opening swing of the of the door but too much hastle.

 

As to the legality of opening the door from the outside, I am going to use an engine deck lid cover handle push button catch from a VW beetle for manual pulling with a simple 12v key switch fitted where the push button is to allow me to operate the solenoids form outside the car. 

 

So if anyone can improve on this idea............ love to hear suggestions or even criticisms.

[mab01uk]

Just a thought, but it might be worth researching how the rear suicide door was locked/secured on the first generation of the R55 MINI Clubman and if any parts are suitable they are probably readily available secondhand from modern MINI breakers? However it does shut in conjunction with the front door with no central 'B' pillar, so the rear door can't be opened on its own.

Other cars with similar rear suicide doors are the Mazda RX8, some Vauxhall Meriva's and FX4 Fairway London Taxi.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited by mab01uk, 07 January 2024 - 05:03 PM.

[stuart bowes]

I'm using the flusher 80s kind of styled black plastic handles off a metro, and while my doors open in the standard way the method I'm going with - operation via handbrake cable pulling on the inner door handle bar - would probably work for you as well, obviously the lock and internal handle would have to be reversed but the theory is the same

https://www.theminif...ild-998/page-10

My efforts so far (as yet incomplete though) post #147 onwards

Essentially with a cable the lock and handle can be anywhere at all relative to each other

The problem with the original handle is its simplicity really, the back of the button literally just pushes straight onto the lock mech so any change of position or different type of handle and you have to come up with some sort of linkage or lever to transfer that movement as it were

I only say all this because personally I would prefer to steer away from electrics just because a mechanical option is less likely to go wrong especially in the event of flat battery

And obviously if there's a crash you don't want to be relying on that working to get out of the car it kinda sounds like basically you're dead-bolting yourself in ? Then what you gonna do you'll have to kick your way out of the front windscreen or something (which to be fair actually isn't that hard, it's how I took my window out.. carefully)

Whatever you do though id be interested to see pictures if you have a link, just curiosity really and always nice to see cool different mods good on you

Edited by stuart bowes, 07 January 2024 - 07:00 PM.

[splintercat]

Just a thought, but it might be worth researching how the rear suicide door was locked/secured on the first generation of the R55 MINI Clubman and if any parts are suitable they are probably readily available secondhand from modern MINI breakers? However it does shut in conjunction with the front door with no central 'B' pillar, so the rear door can't be opened on its own.

Other cars with similar rear suicide doors are the Mazda RX8, some Vauxhall Meriva's and FX4 Fairway London Taxi.

 

 

 

 

 

 

see what you meanabout the locking mech.........interesting and worth investigating, thanks

[splintercat]

I'm using the flusher 80s kind of styled black plastic handles off a metro, and while my doors open in the standard way the method I'm going with - operation via handbrake cable pulling on the inner door handle bar - would probably work for you as well, obviously the lock and internal handle would have to be reversed but the theory is the same

https://www.theminif...ild-998/page-10

My efforts so far (as yet incomplete though) post #147 onwards

Essentially with a cable the lock and handle can be anywhere at all relative to each other

The problem with the original handle is its simplicity really, the back of the button literally just pushes straight onto the lock mech so any change of position or different type of handle and you have to come up with some sort of linkage or lever to transfer that movement as it were

I only say all this because personally I would prefer to steer away from electrics just because a mechanical option is less likely to go wrong especially in the event of flat battery

And obviously if there's a crash you don't want to be relying on that working to get out of the car it kinda sounds like basically you're dead-bolting yourself in ? Then what you gonna do you'll have to kick your way out of the front windscreen or something (which to be fair actually isn't that hard, it's how I took my window out.. carefully)

Whatever you do though id be interested to see pictures if you have a link, just curiosity really and always nice to see cool different mods good on you

Ok  got that and you are right didn.t think about locking myself in and a manual release is sensible, haven't read your build yet but will, I promise and initially do like your metro handle system......mmmmmm there again I am sure I could do something mechanical with the beetle release.

[GraemeC]

I think legally you should have a two stage catch, and with a suicide door I would've though that was sensible too.

I would be looking to graft a normal latch mechanism on to the front edge of the door and A pillar - having to hold the door shut whilst you operate the solenoids sounds like a pain and prone to issues where as a latch is "automatic".
However I would maybe look to reverse the usual layout, so the catch was on the a pillar and the striker on the door - that would make operating the latch with solenoids and manual over-rides easier and mean you don't need to get wires into the door.

[splintercat]

I think legally you should have a two stage catch, and with a suicide door I would've though that was sensible too.

I would be looking to graft a normal latch mechanism on to the front edge of the door and A pillar - having to hold the door shut whilst you operate the solenoids sounds like a pain and prone to issues where as a latch is "automatic".
However I would maybe look to reverse the usual layout, so the catch was on the a pillar and the striker on the door - that would make operating the latch with solenoids and manual over-rides easier and mean you don't need to get wires into the door.

 

 

yep see what you mean.....putting the striker  and loop on the door is some thing that i can work with    there is room I am sure for  the mech to be grafted in that A pillar area  just thinking tha t i may have to put the passenger set up on the drivers side for it to work.......thanks very helpful. Bit worried that the door being held shut by only one striker loop, so may think about using a dead bolt servo as an additional lock when actually driving...