How To: Fix Your Overhead Cabinet Latches (Wrong Hardware)

[John E Davies]

I started finding stray hardware in my overhead cabinets, I took a closer look and found this:

 

 

 

The holes are sized for a number 8 screw. The installed hardware is a number 4 FINE thread screw with a number 6 COARSE thead plain nut run down it. Whoever did this had his head in a very strange place indeed. The plain nuts rattle loose and the screws fall out. Then your expensive door can bang open and break out the hinge screws or worse.

 

Simply unbelieveable!

 

Here are the 8-32 x 3/4 stainless panhead screws and nylock (self locking) nuts that I installed. The washers are optional:

 

 

 

 

For most of the latch plates I was able to get them to adjust back far enough to eliminate play. Some ran out of adjustment (probably the reason the too-small screws were installed) so for those I ground part of the head off the screws and also filed the slots in the brackets a little longer, so I could get more travel back..

 

I also checked and tightened as needed all the hinge screws.

 

Please check your hardware, let us know here if you find the wrong size installed.

 

Thanks,

 

John Davies

 

Spokane WA

[KarenLukens]

Yup, we had that on the door over the microwave also... I just replaced them with #8 x 1/2" and nylocks also a couple months back. Now they don't move either :)

[Raspy]

The problem I had with the overhead door latches was that the flange was set too high and the catch doesn't get a good hold on it.  Consequently, the doors open while driving.  So I spaced the flanges down with a piece of plastic sheet that I cut to fit that was about 1/8" thick.  It required new screws and nuts. I chose nylock nuts too.

 

You can easily check the adjustment by carefully pulling on the release and seeing how far it moves before the door opens.  If you just barely move it before opening it should be adjusted.  If you move the handle about 1/2 way before it releases, it's fine.

 

The spacers can be washers, or a piece of plastic sheet, or whatever.   I used a left over plastic venetian blind slat from a house project and simply cut out the required pieces at about 1"x 1/2" and drilled the screw holes in it.  I bought screws that were about 1/4" longer and nylock nuts.  I think they are 6-32 screws.

 

This is an easy fix and works well.

[MAX Burner]

On 8/31/2017 at 3:31 AM, KarenLukens said:

I just replaced them with #8 x 1/2" and nylocks also a couple months back. Now they don't move either 🙂

Did the same thing after finding the hardware in the aft compartment - all hasp mounting hardware replaced with #8 stainless panheads and Nylocks... piece of mind.