By Kent · Lock Depot Staff Writer

The 4000-2 and the 4000-4 are not the same plate

Don-Jo lists four wrap-around plates for Kaba/Simplex locks by series: the 4000-2-CW, the 4000-4-CW, the 5000-CW and the E2000-CW. All four are 5 x 15 in. and all four are cut for a 1-3/4 in. door. Only one thing separates the two 4000 numbers, and it is the one thing you cannot see from across the room: the backset.

A wrap-around plate covers the old holes on a door when a lock is replaced and gives the new lock steel to bolt to. If you have not used one, the wrap-around plate lock swap piece covers the basics. This one sorts the Kaba/Simplex numbers.

The four plates

Plate	Listed for	Backset	Finishes listed
4000-2-CW	Kaba/Simplex 4000 Series	2-3/8 in.	S, PB
4000-4-CW	Kaba/Simplex 4000 Series	2-3/4 in.	S, PB
5000-CW	Kaba/Simplex 5000 Series	2-3/4 in.	S, PB, 10B
E2000-CW	Kaba/Simplex E2000 Series	2-3/4 in.	S, PB

The shared specs on the listings: 5 x 15 in., 22 gauge (.032), four #8 x 3/4 in. Phillips truss head trim screws and two #8-32 x 1/4 in. flat head latch screws per latch. Each carries a one-year limited warranty.

4000-2 versus 4000-4: measure the backset

Both are listed for the Simplex 4000 Series. The 4000-2 is a 2-3/8 in. backset and the 4000-4 is 2-3/4 in. Those are the two standard cylindrical backsets, and a plate cut for the wrong one will not line up with the bore.

How to know which you have: run a tape from the door edge to the center of the big bore. 2-3/8 in. is the 4000-2. 2-3/4 in. is the 4000-4. If the number reads something in between, the door was bored by hand or has been modified, so call us before you order.

The catalog does not say what the -2 and the -4 stand for in the part number. They line up with the two backsets, and the listings confirm that, but we are not claiming a rule beyond the listings.

5000-CW: the series with the third finish

The 5000-CW is the plate for the 5000 Series and is the only one of the four listed in three finishes: stainless steel, polished brass and oil rubbed bronze, as the 5000-10B-CW shows. If you are working on a door with a Simplex 5000 pushbutton lock and the hardware is dark, this is the plate that has a dark finish. Backset is 2-3/4 in. The locks themselves are covered in the 5021, 5022 and 5025 piece.

E2000-CW

The E2000-CW fits the E2000 Series, with a 2-3/4 in. backset. It comes in stainless steel or polished brass. The catalog gives no differences between it and the 5000 plate beyond the series name and the finish list, and we do not make any up. They are the same size and the same backset. Order by the series printed on the lock.

Finish codes

The finish letters sit in the part number, just before -CW. Going by the product names on the site:

• S: stainless steel
• PB: polished brass
• 10B: oil rubbed bronze (5000 series only)

Examples: 4000-4-PB-CW, 4000-2-PB-CW, 5000-PB-CW and 5000-10B-CW.

What the plate does not tell you

A plate matched to a Simplex series is still a plate. It does not know your door. If the lock bore has been enlarged past standard, or there are holes that run past the 15 in. length, or the door skin is crushed at the latch, no plate will fix it. Check the door edge where the latch seats before you choose. The plate gives the screws something to hold, and the door has to be sound underneath.

Doing several doors at once

On a building with a row of Simplex-locked doors, measure every door before you build the order. It is common to find a mix of backsets on an older building, especially where doors were replaced one at a time over the years. Write down, for each door: the series printed on the lock, the backset, and the finish of the neighboring hardware. A short sheet like that turns an order into five lines instead of five phone calls, and it keeps a 4000-2 from showing up where a 4000-4 was needed.

If a door has already had a plate on it from a past repair, take it off before you measure. A plate that was added over a plate hides the real bore and the real backset, and the numbers you read from it can be wrong.

Finding the series on the lock

The series is the number on the lock itself. On a pushbutton lock it is usually on the model line of the lock body or on the original box, and the exit side often shows it when the trim is off. If it is not readable, a photo of the lock with the trim removed is enough for us to match it to a listing. Choose the plate by the series number, not by how the lock looks.

Before you order

1. Read the series off the Simplex lock: 4000, 5000 or E2000.
2. For the 4000, measure the backset. 2-3/8 in. is the -2. 2-3/4 in. is the -4.
3. Confirm the door is 1-3/4 in. thick.
4. Pick the finish last, and note that only the 5000 comes in oil rubbed bronze.

More of the maker's line is on the Don-Jo page.

Common questions

What is the difference between the 4000-2-CW and the 4000-4-CW?

The backset. The -2 is 2-3/8 in. and the -4 is 2-3/4 in. Both are 5 x 15 in.

Which Kaba/Simplex plate comes in oil rubbed bronze?

The 5000-CW, as the 5000-10B-CW. The other three are listed in stainless and polished brass.

What size are these plates?

All four are 5 x 15 in. and 22 gauge.

What door thickness do they fit?

1-3/4 in.

Is the E2000-CW different from the 5000-CW?

Not in size or backset. They are listed for different series. The catalog gives no other difference.