Tailgate latch sticking open

[Newscutter]

My tailgate latch has started sticking open. The release has to be pushed back into the engaged position-- and sometimes it takes a number of tries to get both stages of both latches to secure when closing the tailgate.

I think there is some kind of spring in the latch itself that must have broke? Anyone else have this problem-- and should I just replace the whole mechanism rather than try and rebuild the latch?

Thanks!

[YBajaSteve]

I had this happen to me last summer/fall, but I thought it was because I had messed with the tailgate when I added the Red LEDS to my tail lights. In the last month or so, Ive noticed its stopped sticking, and is working normally again. When mine did stick, all i had to do was move the latch back into it regular position and i could close the gate no problem. maybe some wd40 would do the trick?

[Hawk296]

I have recently noticed the same problem. I think it just needs some lube as it appears corrosion is taking it's toll on the latch mechanism.

[davecoon13]

Mine was sticking open after I hauled a half a ton of gravel in the bed last summer. I later discovered that a rock had gotten stuck in between where the teeth bite the tailgate on the latch to the sides and there were rocks also stuck in the bottom of the tailgate hinge. Once I got all the rocks out, the problem was solved.

[SCF]

Personally wouldn't use WD40 on the latch. Get a can of white lithium grease, with a long nozzle. Then look up into the mechanism on each side of the handle and you will see where to "squirt".

[jayshawaii]

My problem is just the opposite. The tailgate on my '03 Baja is stuck in the closed position. I took the plastic liner and the metal hatch off, from inside the bed, to take a look. It appears that the latch mechanism is a bit weak, or I have a very heavy, ham-hand. When the release handle, at the back of the gate, was engaged, to open the gate, the latches (inside the latches, on both sides of the tailgate) malfunctioned. The pawls that lift the latch mechanisms, came past the latch lifters. They are, now, just floating above the latch. Now there is no way to get them to go down past the lifters, within the mechanism, to be able to re-engage the latch.

Has anyone else had this problem? Or, does anyone know how to get the latches to disengage from the outside so that I can let the gate down to disassemble the latch mechanism to get the lifter pawls to re-engage the latch?

[MNBAJA]

I will have to try the lube trick. My 04 Baja is doing the same thing about 80% of the time. Has anyone confirmed that this is the fix for the problem?

[sfeather11]

This problem seems to be happening to quite a few Bajas now (including myself). The handle assembly pivot (not the latch assembly) needs to be cleaned & lubed every so often to keep it acting right. I took mine apart, it worked for about a year, but is starting to stick again...

[jaxed]

This problem seems to be happening to quite a few Bajas now (including myself). The handle assembly pivot (not the latch assembly) needs to be cleaned & lubed every so often to keep it acting right. I took mine apart, it worked for about a year, but is starting to stick again...

Pics might be useful, if you can?

[STI2NR]

I had the same issue. A nice coating of all metal moving parts with silicone teflon spray solved it. They sell it at lowes, dupont makes it.

[kidjoe]

Check out the link http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthr ... t=tailgate. Small write up with no pictures but I haven't had the sticking tailgate issue since.

[bajaguy]

It's actually pretty simple to dissassemble the tailgate. Don't try to take the whole tailgate off, just take the plastic off and then there is a large flat panel. Once you take those two off everything can be reached easily. Once inside, then decide whether lube or something like steel wool might be better to clean up a rough joint.

[Hawk296]

I have also had this problem for a few years now. I have just lived with it and it was almost habit to manually return the latch handle after opening the tailgate. Today I decided to fix it. As described I removed the tailgate bedliner plastic (torx screws) and the metal plate behind it (10 phillips screws).


I disconnected the pushrods from the center bellcrank thing and the removed the bellcrank thingy by removing the two 10mm nuts. Then the plastic panel above the lic. plate lights comes off with 3 8mm nuts and a phillips screw. Once that is out the actual latch handle can be removed by releasing the plastic clip from the back side.

This handle was my problem. The hinge pin was highly corroded. It was so rusted that it had actually expanded and was causing a lot of resistance on the handle, so much that the return spring could not return the latch to the closed position.



No amount of lube could really help so I cleaned it with brake clean, got a hammer and a drift and drove the pin out of the assembly. Once out I took the hinge pin to the bench grinder with wire wheel and cleaned it and the metal part of handle. It was then reassembled with anti-sieze and grease, and re-installed.

Wow, what a difference. Not only does the latch open like it was brand new, it also returns to the closed position on it's own. The entire process should take around 30 min.

I intended to photograph the clean parts lubed and getting re-installed, but work called me at the worst moment as I was in the middle of all of this and said I had to be at the airport in an hour for an immediate departure. So I had to scramble to reassemble as fast as possible and had no time for further documentation.

[Buck Rogers]

I did the same to my Baja last weekend, took the whole license plate assembly off (lots of rusty stuff back there, I also had a stubborn screw preventing me from changing a plate bulb) only good way to fix it was to remove it, clean it, and lube it. Works like new now. Rear brakes (parking also) will be next, just waiting for it to warm up and dry up a little.

[bajaman]

You lost me when you said to disconnect the rods from center bellcrank thing. How is this done? It looks like there are some small plastic ends to the rods where it connects & I don't want to damage them.

The plastic panel above the taillights, does that hold in the black handle? Is it directly below the bellcrank in the center?

How does handle hold itself in, does it connect to anything else?

I got as far as removing both panels from inside of tailgate exposing the bellcrank and pushrods. I lubed all this, but the handle is still sticking. THis is where i am not sure how to get handle out.