I recently purchased a 1999 Ram 1500, Quad Cab, 4x4, with a 5.2 and an auto.

The driver side quad cab door was frozen shut and it has been a very nightmarish process getting it open. I can tell you that I soaked it down with several types of penetrating oils: Sea Foam Deep Creep, Magnum w Teflon, PBblaster, WD40, and a few others I can't remember. I took the interior panel off and knocked a black square plastic thing out of the way to get access. I loosened the 3 bolts and kept spraying everything that could move. I finally took a break for dinner and my neighbor came over after I had eaten. He held the handle and I kicked from the inside. After 3 kicks it just popped open. I tried cleaning the mechanism, but have decided to just replace both of them.

I got some good tips from this forum and will do my best to give something back.

 

Congrats! And welcome to dodge forum!

 

I have also recently purchased a 99 Ram Quad Cab, with the back drivers door that would not open. I tried all the same penetrating fluids, I removed the inside panel, the black vent and those three nuts. I spoke to a couple of autobody mechanics (no suggestions) and in the end I did what my Dad suggested, I took my Saws All with a 6" metal blade and I cut the u-bolt. The door has a short cut in it, less than an 1" long. Now I am looking for a new latch set. Colin

 

well what causes it to mess up?

the passenger side back one works great but the drivers side back one is a pain in my *** bur i manage to get it open when i have to by jerking the thing open...

sometimes it gets a little harder to open...

i thought it was just my truck lol

 

I live in South Western PA, near Pittsburgh. From what I've read and from people that I have talked to, the latching mechanism just rusts and then jams up from the crud in there. My driver's side latch was frozen closed, and the passenger side won't latch at all. There is a massive Dodge salvage yard here in PA, so I plan on trying to get both of the latches this week.

It also looked to me like the latches were encased in some type of plastic, perhaps as an anti rust proofing that didn't work. I pulled quite a bit of this thin plastic out of the latching mech.

I do have to yank on the driver's side rear door to get it open and have been opening it everytime I drive the truck.

 

Both of the rear doors on our newly purchased truck were like that. I was able to get them open by removing the door panel and cutting the nuts/studs off inside the door with a dremel tool. This left the latch mech stilll attached to the striker. I was then able to cut the striker with a sawzall to get to the striker plate screws. A bit of a pain BUT no marks or damage to any part of the truck I was keeping.

 

Can I ask what the name of that yard is and do you have their phone number? I live in morgantown WV I could just drive up one day and look and see what I can find.

 

http://www.balsleyautosales.com/

There is a link to their site. it is best to call them in advance to check prices and see what their rules are. I don't know if you can just go walk around out there.

 

i think it has more to do with the drivers side door being opened and closed so many times that it eventually jams the door up

because if u think about it... the drivers side gets used the most

maybe there is some foreign guy here that has his drivers side *our passenger side* messed up

 

Did these trucks come in a right-hand drive flavor?