Skip to main content
Topic: 88 door lock actuators (Read 1669 times) previous topic - next topic

88 door lock actuators

For the 88 birds,, even having slight differences in the evtm with respect to wiring......................


the question is..............

Are the 1988 door lock actuators compatible with 83-88 Fox's  being a bird or coug?

for some reason i seem to believe ethat these actuators were used from as far back as 1980 across many breeds of cars like broncos ect ect.....


88 door lock actuators

Reply #2
thanks,, was just curious about the phyical design of the 88 door actuators compared to 87 and down,, for some reason i thought there was a little difference.

88 door lock actuators

Reply #3
In many cases, the actuator itself may be the same, but the length of the rod attached to it may be different (due to different distance between the latch arm and the mounting rivet of the actuator).  I don't mean the rods in the door, but the hook that's a part of the actuator itself.

88 door lock actuators

Reply #4
I think it's possible to change out the rods on the actuator but I haven't tried it. This way you could run an actuator from any Ford and just swap the arm out. I've got a dead one from the driver's side on my Mark I might experiment with over the winter.
88 Thunderbird LX: 306, Edelbrock Performer heads, Comp 266HR cam, Edelbrock Performer RPM intake, bunch of other stuff.

88 door lock actuators

Reply #5
Yes, it is possible...I've done before. It sucks to have to disassemble a new actuator to change out the rod, but at least it can be done. A metal catch, a few ball bearings...all there really is to it.

88 door lock actuators

Reply #6
I've had nothing but bad luck with fox body door actuators..... Hence my thread in the Parts wanted section.  Some of the aftermarket kits come with an assortment of rods to change out.
-- 05 Mustang GT-Whipplecharged !!
--87 5.0 Trick Flow Heads & Intake - Custom Cam - Many other goodies...3100Lbs...Low12's!

88 door lock actuators

Reply #7
i am baffeled by why these are not just solenoids,, instead of motors memicking the actions of a solenoid.


88 door lock actuators

Reply #9
i have to, they spin around in circles,, the internals that is and that manipulated the spiral rod up and down.

the internals of our actuators dont "pop" up and down like a real traditionally accepted solenoid should.

besides,, ours also have burshes .... take another looksee
if you bench test the unit off the car and put 12v on it,, the rod will spin around in circles and not stop.