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Author Topic: VW rabbit truck tailgate repair  (Read 5680 times)

August 10, 2021, 11:28:29 pm

Blue Haze

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    82 caddy w/AAZ 1.9 motor 5spd w/ A/C
VW rabbit truck tailgate repair
« on: August 10, 2021, 11:28:29 pm »
 On of the rods for the tail gate latch has broken the clip and the rod has fallen down in the tailgate.  Anyone had any experience  repairing this?.  I have tried a magnet externally and fishing with a wire but getting no where.  If I could trip the latch on that side I could take the tailgate apart but so far I have been unable to trip that latch



Reply #1August 10, 2021, 11:45:01 pm

ORCoaster

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Re: VW rabbit truck tailgate repair
« Reply #1 on: August 10, 2021, 11:45:01 pm »
Oh man do I know your pain.  I had one of the rods pop out of those plastic keepers and couldn't open the tailgate to figure out how to fix it.

I started out trying to fish the rod up to the latch area with a stiff wire.  I did remove the latch bolts first to get some working room. 

Here is what worked.  The latch rod is pretty stiff and is connected to the latch at the top of the tailgate.  So I put the wire up high in the upper left and felt it make contact and then slowly was able to draw my fish wire towards the open latch area.  Once I got the rod in view I used a pair of needle-nosed pliers to grab ahold of it.  I was able to pull both ends of the rods at the same time and had the tail gate open and off in just a few seconds.

Once I got to looking at my problem I had to make some sort of plastic piece that the rod would pass through and let me put that little clip that keeps the rod in place. I had some plastic squares that snap into a hole in a piece of metal and then you screw into it.  I filed the squares round and they were just the fix I needed. 

Good luck, It is a tight working area and I don't know if a hardware store would have some sort of round plastic keeper in those little drawers with all the weird screws and stuff or not. 


Reply #2August 20, 2021, 11:39:34 am

GypsyR

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Re: VW rabbit truck tailgate repair
« Reply #2 on: August 20, 2021, 11:39:34 am »
I cheated. I was able to pry the the latch open from inside the bed. Then I removed the tailgate and stood it on one end. Then the rod dangles down right there at the latch with no fishing required.
« Last Edit: August 20, 2021, 11:28:03 pm by ORCoaster »

Reply #3August 20, 2021, 11:29:29 pm

ORCoaster

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Re: VW rabbit truck tailgate repair
« Reply #3 on: August 20, 2021, 11:29:29 pm »
Glad you got it.  I tried prying the latches on mine but there was no room between the gate and bed.  Tried pushing the latch from the outside too but failed there as well.