Tailgate latch issue

i bought this truck without a uninstalled tailgate…strikers/hooks that bolt on the bed that hold the gate were broken. replaced and also a new handle…didnt go oem.

when i try to push into the bed in the hooks wont latch. i messed with the latches and sprayed them down with wd40 and no avail. i also noticed pulling the handle wont pull the latche mechanism on either side. like the new handle mechanism doesnt have enough force even tho theyre on there. the only way i can make the latches move is by manually pulling the rods. i also have to say one side of the latches has a broken rod holder and keeps popping out. need some guidance. even with both rods connected properly the handle mechanism is like not strong enough to move the rods, tho pulling the rods does move the latch arms but doesnt move the actual latches that click into the hooks.

 

Can you add a photo to the back of the latch

 

will fine a way to link the videos

 

Is it possible the latch is in the lock position ?

 

how so if lock isnt installed?

 

Flip the lever/ nipple in the opposite direction

 

The rods going into the ends of the tailgate don't look like they're in the right spot. Did you replace the latch parts in the tailgate? Maybe they're on the wrong sides?

 

Almost looks upside down from when I replaced mine 1 week ago. But I know you wouldn’t have been able to put it in if it was. It definitely looks off

 

This has been an issue in the past for another member or two. Ended up just being locked.

 

i didnt. only replaced the handle

 

will def look into this thanks!!!

 

I replaced mine with one off rockauto. I have to pull the handle all the way up, then jerk it up a tad to get it to open. Could be the same with yours if the lock thing doesn't work.

 

Yeah, those grooves about 2" away from the rods are where they're supposed to ride. Maybe they're installed upside down/backwards/switched (i.e., driver side needs to go to passenger, etc.)?

 

Ah yes, it's this problem again: https://www.tundras.com/threads/tailgate-latch.128605/#post-3283798

 

I knew it was locked hahahaha

 

Fix any rod holder that's broken and if the cover panel is dented in, smash it flat with a mallet. It sounds crazy, but it worked for me. Also, adjust your strikers all the way back (away from the cab).

 

You should check out @shifty` thread if you haven't already.

https://www.tundras.com/threads/how...gate-clip-repair-overhaul-beef-up-lube.94180/

Sounds like yours is just locked, but lotta good tips in his thread.

Mine was missing the mid bar stabilizer clips below. Replacing those alone made mine so much easier to open, and it stopped a lot of rattling

 

@vercetti you gotta update us on this, did you shift the lock lever into the unlocked position so it'd latch properly?

 

will be updating soon.

 

so yeah that did work, but my main issue still persists and i probably made it worse. i put the tailgate back on and it still would not latch on. now the issue is that i used force to push it in and one side somehow went in and the other halfway but no fully. but now my tailgate wont open at all. not even in full force. didnt even get to strap on the wire handle things because i wasn’t expecting for it to get stuck.

https://streamable.com/i25cs2

https://streamable.com/idcsuc

https://streamable.com/feyqbk

https://streamable.com/xrxtrt


https://streamable.com/ph0pn3

https://streamable.com/e016vj

sorry about the format guys. this is the best way i found to post videos.

 

First off, on the latch. Did you go with OEM or the cheapest shit you could find on scAmazon? It makes a difference. Cheap shit is cheap for a reason. Many of the guys on here who bought cheap latches on scAmazon had them fail within a few months or year or two, only to buy another latch, and repeat 3-4 times until they've spent more than they would buying OEM.

Second, it looks like the latches are frozen and could probably use some PB blaster, repeated soaks, just to free them up. On the latch that won't catch (passenger side?) what happens if you unhook the rod at the handle (purple clip), and manually pull the rod towards the driver side tail light? Does it unlatch? If so, the new tailgate handle is your problem. If should be doing a "twist" sort of movement where it pulls the driver side latch's bar toward passenger side, and the passenger side latch's bar toward the driver's side, which is what lets the latch loose.

 

so all i bought was the handle new from ebay, cheap one. the little lock thing you mentioned worked perfectly for it. i never bought new latches. the tailgate has the original latches and yeah they looked like they had better days. i also bought the hooks that go on the bed where the latches go. i could tell from the old ones that they had rusted off broken because all i found was 2 spikes on each side where there was supposed to be hooks.

i sprayed pb blaster but no joy. now im hoping it doesnt open while im driving as i couldnt even connect the retention wires. im guessing im gonna have to get on it and kick off the latches off the hooks?

 

forgot to mention that the latches (the hooks on both far ends of the bedrhat attach to the bed hooks) did not move when pulling the new handle locked or unlocked. only the rods and the inside latch mechanism where the rods latch on would move, the latches that lock in to the hooks would not move.

 

I'd remove the tailgate if you're worried about it flying off. You may just want to get some cheapo latches off fleabay, and rehab the whole thing with aftermarket parts at this point. Any idea what the cost is on aftermarket latches?

 

Yeah, saw that in the video, and it's why I said it appears the tailgate latches are frozen solid. Not the catch inside the latch, that does move as it should it seems, but the mechanism of the latch itself that's supposed to trigger the catch, it doesn't appear to be moving. Frozen tight.

 

thats my conclusion at this point. tho pushing it in did make the latches move to the point where one locked and the other didnt. now the mission is how to open the latch.

oem latches are like 100+…but what isnt these days right?

 

If you've gone non-OEM on the tailgate handle, might as well pair it up with non-OEM latches too

Seriously, the tailgate is pretty worn anyway at this point based on the videos. It'd be pretty silly to throw brand new OEM. If I were staring down the barrel of having to buy two new OEM latches, I'd seriously just hit www.car-part.com and find a matching tailgate. But given you've already got money invested in nearly every other part, I'd stay that course.

 

I will argue on this point that my Amazon handle has been on mine for 3 years so far and still feels great. When I got my truck the handle was already broken and the seller included an Amazon handle. Of course after installing new it became pretty apparent that there was a reason the old was broken and that was because it hadn't been lubricated any time recently.

Probably wouldn't hurt to put your clip and guide upgrade on my list of things to do though.

 

My words come from a place of scAmazon handles often being plastic in places where the OEM is plastic. Like you observed, having a properly lubed and maintained tailgate is crucial to having the aftermarket cheapie hold up. I'd feel confident buying anything Dorman puts out - at least with their stuff, there's a legitimate, reputable company behind the part to manage the warranty, which is better than the RANDOM WORD ALL CAPS NAMED COMPANY flooding scAmazon, which will stay alive just long enough to sell for 6-18 months, then fold, by the time your part dies.

We've seen too many people on here get their driver/passenger doors stuck closed with aftermarket latches. It's not as crucial for the tailgate, so I'd probably install aftermarket there. I would absolute NOT use aftermarket latches in the cab doors.

 

I agree on that last one. I would never cheap out on a door handle. My Amazon handle was free so I'll reassess if the time comes.