kwikset handle thumb latch repair

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• published: 18 Feb 2015
• views: 27301

The pin you need is around 1/8 x 5/8 Hey everyone, my thumb latch on this kwikset front door handle came out. It is an easy repair and takes about 20 minutes. I have had nothing but problems with this door handle to be honest. It has got loose over and over from the day it was installed and now the thumb button comes off. This is actually pretty dangerous because if you live where it is cold it could be -30 outside and you have no way to get back in the house. I am not sure of the exact model of this handle but I believe it is a "dakota". You can skip through the video if you find it boring. It is a long video but you could probably do this in 15 minutes. I will say the only reason this latch button fell out was because the screws came loose inside. I am not sure if kwikset recommends using loctite during installation, but seeing how many times the screws come loose on this handle, I am going to try it and would recommend you too. I used Loctite "blue" or 242. You should be able to find it at any automotive store or home depot. It just takes a little on the screws and they should remain in place without coming loose. The pin for the latch is from what I measured 1/8 wide by 5/8 long. I happen to have a pin like this , I am not sure if Kwikset sells this pin? or they may have one similar at the hardware store. But it should cost no more than $1. One of the comments below suggested using a nail cut to size that will would work too! You don't have to grease the mechanism like I did but I did find it really made it much smoother.