Door Locks

What needs to be done to replace door locks? Im gonna buy some door locks for both doors, but do the door panels have to come off? Is there a guide for installing them or does the locks come with one?

The door panels will have to come off. There is a horseshoe like spring that hold the lock into the door. There are a couple of clips on the lock assy that will have to be unhooked also. Once you look at it it will pretty much explain itself.

I think I can get the door panels off but if they are held on by ribbits then thats another story.

They should be attached at the bottom with a few screws, then there are clips that run up each side of the panel. Some careful prying with a long, thin scraper or similar tool makes the job simple. If you're really careful, you can pop the clips free with just your fingers.

As mentioned, the lock cylinders are held in place by a small horse shoe type clip. A pair of needle nose pliers are handy here. Very simple task.

The door panels are held on by push in clips on the sides and screws on the bottom. There shouldn't be any rivets involved with this. The push in clips hook to the panel and then are pushed into grommets that are in the door. Just be careful when you pull the sides loose otherwise you will tear the part of the door panel that hold the clip.

For $80 you can replace all of your locks and they will then have a single set of keys. I did this to my nova when I first got it. Glove box was easy. Just needed a flat screwdriver to push down a spring loaded rod and the cylinder dropped out. Doors where really easy. There is a tiny C clip holding the locking rod on the back of the cylinder. Then there is another c clip that pushes between the door and the lock cylinder.

It's an hour long job.

The only one I haven't yet replaced is the trunk lock since some retard mangled the hole that the lock cylinder sits in.