By Kent · Lock Depot Staff Writer

What the XP adds to a 98

The Von Duprin XP98 is a 98 Series rim exit device with one change: a reinforced shield over the mechanism case. The listings call it Extra Protection and say it is built for high-abuse environments where a standard exit device takes damage. The catalog names schools, hospitals and correctional facilities. In the listing's own words, the shield resists hammering and prying attempts that would damage a standard 98.

It is still a Grade 1 device, ANSI/BHMA A156.3, with hex key dogging standard. The mount is rim, a horizontal latchbolt that strikes into the frame on the lock side. If you have read the standard 98 listings, you already know the device. The XP is that device in a tougher case.

Will it fit where a 98 fits?

Yes, on the listing's word. The cross-reference line says the XP98 has the same mounting prep, the same strike and the same trim compatibility as the standard 98, with the reinforced case as the difference. It lists compatibility with the 98 Series trim options L, K, NL, TP and DT. That makes it a swap on a door that has been beaten up, not a re-prep.

The listing does not give a thickness or weight for the shield, and I will not guess one. The rest you can read straight off the part number.

Reading an XP98 part number

Take XP98NL-US26D-3. XP98 is the Extra Protection 98. NL is the function. US26D is satin chrome (BHMA 626). The 3 at the end is a 3 foot door, and the catalog also lists a 4 foot version of each. The functions listed in the catalog:

• XP98EO-US26D-3: exit only, no outside trim, no cylinder required.
• XP98DT-US26D-3: dummy trim.
• XP98NL-US26D-3: night latch with the 990NL trim. Outside knob locks and unlocks by key, always free from inside. Ships less cylinder.
• XP98NL-OP-US26D-3: night latch with an optional pull. Same function as the NL, with a pull handle on the outside.
• XP98TP-US26D-3: thumbpiece trim, locked and unlocked by key, always free from inside. Ships less cylinder.
• XP98K-US26D-3: the K trim, one of the 98 Series trim options the XP98 lists.
• XP98L-US26D-3-LHR and XP98L-US26D-3-RHR: lever trim, left hand reverse or right hand reverse. Lever trim ships less cylinder.

The lever versions are handed, which is why you see LHR and RHR on the end. Stand outside the door, decide which way it swings, and read the hand before you order. The night latch and thumbpiece listings call the handing field reversible.

XP98 or a plain 98?

My rule is simple. Ask what is breaking the old device. If it is wear, a plain 98 does the job and you keep the cost down. If it is abuse, someone leaning on it, kicking it, or working at the case with a pry bar, the shield is what you are paying for. A school corridor, a locker room door, a stairwell that gets used as a shortcut: those are the places the XP earns it.

The night latch is the trim the catalog calls out for school applications. The listing's reasoning is that a teacher unlocks from outside with a key and students push the bar to exit, and the reinforced case stands up to daily abuse in a busy corridor. The thumbpiece is described as the old-school choice on government and institutional jobs, where the outside trim should not look like a lever. Either way, the trim sits on the outside and the XP shield sits on the inside. If you are working out trim, our guide to Von Duprin 990 series trim goes through NL, DT and EO.

Lever trim and the pull handle option

Two details from the lever and night latch listings are worth knowing before you pick trim. The lever listing says the L-06 is the most common lever on commercial projects, and the L-17 offers a more ergonomic pull angle for ADA compliance. The night latch with optional pull, the NL-OP, is described as the go-to where the closer is aggressive and you need something to grab on the outside. Neither changes the shield or the mechanism. They change what the person on the outside of the door has in their hand.

Dogging and the courthouse door

Hex key dogging is standard on these listings. It holds the latch retracted during business hours, so the door can sit unlatched in the daytime and lock up at night. The thumbpiece listing says the XP98 with a thumbpiece is popular in courthouses and federal buildings where vandal resistance matters. That tells you who writes the spec for this device: the buyer who has already replaced a standard exit device once and does not intend to do it again.

Cylinders and keying

Night latch, thumbpiece and lever versions ship less cylinder. Order a mortise cylinder separately to match the keyway you already run. The exit only version needs none. One install note from the lever listing: check that the tailpiece guide is horizontal before you tighten, because a slightly rotated guide is named there as the number one cause of stiff key operation. If your building runs on a specific keyway, tell us at the order and we will point you to the right cylinder.

Common questions

What does XP stand for on a Von Duprin?

Extra Protection. The listings describe a reinforced shield over the mechanism case for high-abuse doors.

Does the XP98 use the same strike as a standard 98?

The listing says the same mounting prep, strike and trim compatibility as the standard 98.

Does the XP98 come with a cylinder?

No cylinder is needed on the exit only version. Night latch, thumbpiece and lever versions ship less cylinder.

Which XP98 trims are handed?

The lever trim is handed, LHR or RHR. The listings call the others field reversible.

The full range is on our Von Duprin page. Tell us the door and what has been damaging the old device, and we will point you to the right one.