Door popper placement?

(1) Welcome to CT! :waytogo:

(2) Is this the SPAL 'Shaved-40' kit? ( http://www.spalusa.com/pdf/SHAVED-40_SPEC.PDF )

Door poppers, or latch release solenoids? I've always referred to poppers as the spring loaded push rods that "assist" the door opening after the latch has been activated (such as a shaved handle, remote operated). I've always been able to mount them down in the corner, under the latch, on an angle bracket, bolted to the inner door structure, and connected by a custom rod linkage or a cable.

i bolted mine at the lowest point via the bracket it came with in the door under the latch.

if i did it again id mount it horizontaly on the bottom and put a pulley in the corner and cable from the solenoid to pulley to latch

Hopefully, the cable would never jump off the pulley. You'd have a heck of a time getting the door panel off with the door stuck closed.

hmmm true, something i didnt think of. since the cable has to be somewhat loose.


mabye use some brake line and bend it to a curve?

yota.coma said:

hmmm true, something i didnt think of. since the cable has to be somewhat loose.


mabye use some brake line and bend it to a curve?

Click to expand...

A cable like on a bicycle brake wouuld give you that same result to, just solid mount the 2 ends on the sleeve

humanmachinehead said:

A cable like on a bicycle brake wouuld give you that same result to, just solid mount the 2 ends on the sleeve

Click to expand...

i meant put the cable thru the brake line, sont know if that helps explain it

yea i got what you meant, i was just throwing another idea out there

ohh .bicycle cable is pretty much what mine came with

I meant the whole cable assemble, sleeve and all, then its flexable and you can run it wherever you want.

I just put one of my poppers in a few hours ago, ill post a pic when I get to a computer

If you dont have shaved handles, and as long as you leave the factory rods on the door handle and lock. You will be fine and you won't get locked out if the popper fails for some reason.

But if the handles are gone, disconnect the lock rods or at least take off the plastic top that gets pushed down. It will be a major pain to get that door open if you lock it and have shaved handles.

My poppers are directly below the factory latch connected with a regular steel cable.
I have a back up bicycle style cable that connects to the latch, goes through my door's wire gromment and is hidden somewhere but is still easily to get at if the popper ever fails or both my batteries go dead.

Another backup alternative is run an extra set of wires some where so you can "jump" the popper if you have a dead battery.

humanmachinehead said:

the kit i got has a set of cables wired in for that. I was a bolt of for a box style s10 but i cut and drilled it a bit and made it a bolt on for the taco. fit better that i thought it would

Click to expand...

i shoulda got that kind^^ i have the big ol' soliniods in mine

My kit has cables for a battery jump built I. I still have my interior handle hooked up and my lock. I have a viper alarm, so I know without handle it doesn't need to "lock", but that activates my alarm, and it also disengauges the old outside handle lever the popper is on, that way I don't hit the buttom in my pocket and open my door when I don't want it open. If its locked, I can hit the popper button and it just pulls a dead lever till I turn the alarm off. I still have my drivers handle in, I wanted to put the kit in before I shaved it and made sure it all worked. I'm also gonna run a bike brake cable (or similar) to run a manual pull outside, so ill have it and the battery back up cables. It came with a rocker switch wire aswell that I can open my doors on the inside with a 3 way rocker, I just thought that was kinda neat lol