Residential & Commercial Security - Locks, Keys & Dead Bolts - floppy thumblatch

the thumb portion of my front door thumblatch is 'floppy' i.e. very loose. I have to depress the thumb really low and oftentimes won't work. I've taken it apart and nothing appears broken, but the thumb remains really loose. I'd like to tighten it up a bit as opposed to buying a whole new set (inluding the deadbolt - there's nothing wrong with my existing deadbolt).
Any suggestion ?

Thanks - last time I called on the forum for help it came very quickly and was a simple fix, hope this one will be also

I am familiar mostly with commercial models but if you post a manufacturer of your hardware, perhaps someone has actual experience with that brand.
Some general comments regarding problems I have seen which may or may not be applicable depending on the construction of your lock.

A lot depends on the construction, you should look for wear at any pivot or friction points. For example, if the thumblatch rides on a pin, the hole may wear larger, affecting the operation. Most of the ones I am familiar with have a finger or tab that operates the lock mechanism. Sometimes this piece may bend.

Also check the lock itself. The are where the thumblatch engages may be worn or sticky. Can you operate it with a screwdriver instead of the thumblatch? Sometimes lubricating these critical areas can make the difference.

if there was some way to attach a picture of the mechanism it would make things easier.

I don't see a manufacturers name (probably a generic knock off) on the handle. I took it apart and decreased and lubricated it - makes it smoother but still remains floopy i.e. it engages very low when you press the thumblatch. There's a 'U' shaped spring that goes up 1 side of the inside across the top and part way down the other side. Both ends hook onto what appears to be the mechanism that actually turns the the square hole the shaft goes trhough thereby pulling the latch in.

Was hoping to be able to replace a spring or tighten something up which would make the thumblatch engage higher up as opposed to the bottom of the action.

Thanks for your reply and suggestions.

That is one of the probems with knock-offs. How are you going to get parts if something fails? Although, some name manufacturer's low end stuff is not so great either when it comes to that.

Picture posting is not enabled on this forum due to past problems. You could open a free photobucket account or something similar and put the picture on there and provide a link for us if you'd like.

Do you think the spring you mentioned is contributing to the problem? Is it getting weak with age?

Without a name your next option would be to take it to the hardware store and try to match if not too unique. Some companies specialize in springs and can make what you need if you provide a sample.