Tailgate Latch

I’ve been having a bit of an issue with my tailgate latch, but it hasn’t seemed like a big deal. I have to push the tailgate in to open.

I decided to add a backup camera. Twenty years of ownership and it just seemed time…

Anyway…I tested the latch and it didn’t work. So, I put the old one back in, and now it doesn’t work, either.

Ideas?

Thanks!

2000 Limited
258k miles

 

When was the last time you pulled it open and lubed it? It's something you need to be doing every couple years.

Instructions, and a list of things to check here: https://www.tundras.com/threads/how...gate-clip-repair-overhaul-beef-up-lube.94180/

Chances are one of those orange or purple clips is toast, either at the handle, or at the latch, or the latch isn't opening due to lack of lube.

 

Thanks for the link. The new latch came with new clips at the latch but not the other ones. I can start there with the old one. It can’t possibly hurt. I did replace the handle several years ago, but that’s it.

 

I should add that it just doesn’t move far enough. That’s why I can open it by moving the rods myself.

 

Check the clips, and not just the purple/orange ones.

If the intermediate white clips (these things) holding the rods are broken and not holding the rods in proper place, you can get enough play in the rod that it won't pull the latch. If you find those are intact, make sure the clips at the latch-end of the rod are good, and not allowing play also.

Old grease hardens into what effective looks/acts like rosin/sap/amber. That will gum up the works and kill range of motion inside the latch. Get a good penetrant like Triflow and blast it into the latches thoroughly soaking them, then give 2-3 dozen complete pulls on the rod to work the latch through, before following up with lube. This should be adequate to restore most of the range-of-motion (ROM) of the latch mechanism.

If all else fails, there is one other trick folks use on well-worn doors, especially on the access cab door rods for 1st gens. You can add a bend in the rod to "shorten" it, thus forcing it to engage the latch sooner but you need to be careful with this, it's a cheap hack. We used to do this at the audio shop on SPL cars when we needed the doors to seal extra-hard. But really ... if your observation is correct, that you need to push in on the latch to release, it's either that the tailgate is bent and applying pressure to the latch, or the latch has lost ROM due to being gummed up.

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Thanks for the extra reminder to lube. That is long overdue and it does sit outside.

The guides for the bars are intact.

 

All -

I tried lubing with no luck. I looked to see if they were bent, but they don't seem to be. I don't see any sort of adjustment. I like the "slight bend" idea but recognize this is touchy and am trying to avoid it. Called Toyota and they said they never sell parts other than the handle, but also recommended that I bring it in. I'd rather take it to some old guy in a shop that probably has seen this before. Doubt many techs at my local dealership have been around that many years.

I even tried pushing the arm farther on the latch handle, but that won't do it. The only way to open it is to pull each bar toward the center. Not sure why the latch handle won't travel that far.

Thanks again. If I find a solution, I'll post it.

 

Post up some pictures if you can. May help us help you.

 

Well, that would seem obvious. Thanks! I'll do that tomorrow morning.

 

Edited once I reread the OP: So the issue then has to be the arms? Worked before, then started having issues after 20 years, replaced the latch and had the same problem? Has to be the arms or something slow on the latches at the sides that the arms are turning.

 

Well said. The arm seems to be traveling fully. I can push the metal part of the arm down a little more by hand, but it doesn't make a difference. As you said, it ultimately does not pull the arms enough to unlatch the tailgate.

The handle did work if I pushed in on the top of the tailgate. I took it out to put in a handle with a camera. When I tested that handle, it didn't work. So, I put the old one back in and now it doesn't work, either.

I'll get some pictures up tomorrow.

 

I looked at my photos and I don’t have pics of the latches I’m referring to; here is a photo of my handle though before replacement in case you have something misaligned or installed incorrectly.

 

Maybe it's your side latches are getting ugly? See reply number 8 in this thread @shifty` started about how to do all this stuff. That guy took his side latches off and went to town on those, too.

 

I've been wondering about the sides. And the piece that rotates there. I didn't think about a complete mineral spirit clean up. I'll give that a try when it stops raining.

I'm starting to think the arms, but want to try cleaning up the latches on the end first. Thanks for the advice!

 

I've been wondering about the sides. And the piece that rotates there. I didn't think about a complete mineral spirit clean up. I'll give that a try when it stops raining.

 

People asked for pictures. Here goes.

1. Handle closed.



2. Handle open (doesn't open tailgate)



3. Arms pulled into position to open tailgate

 

Looks like you got a defective handle. When the handle pivots, one half of it isn't grabbing the other half. Let me show you, maybe you can figure out why it's happening.

Essentially when you pull the handle, the part I've outlined in red is activating, by way of the black arm at the tip of that red arrow pushing downward. That then pulls the piece where the pink arrow is pointing, which activates the lever/rod at the orange arrow.

Unfortunately, the piece with at the end of the yellow arrow isn't budging, and that's what you need to happen - your handle is only pulling one of the two rods...

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I'm wondering if pulling the handle is ALSO supposed to activate this black bumpout here, thereby pulling/pushing that rod at the end of the yellow arrow over? There's a latch at each side of the tailgate, and one rod to each; only one rod is moving fully, the other isn't. Go figure out why using logic/deduction. Take a close look at how everything moves when you pull the handle. See what moves when you pull that top rod. Try to figure out what on the handle or latch needs to move in order to pull that rod, and you have your mystery solved.

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I am not a mechanic at all, but just looking at the handle pulled and not pulled, neither of the rods are moving. That one piece is moving and compressing that spring, but neither rod is moving at all. That piece you are pointing to in this pic looks like a static part used as a stop/brace, but I could totally be wrong. Just seeing if I can get your mechanic brain spinning.

 

Oh snap, you're right. I've got older eyes, I missed this line, I guess that piece is separate. I thought it was a scissor. Guess it's 2 pieces. One is moving. The other two should be, but neither is. Huh.

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The real kicker is that even in the pic of the arms being pulled, the ends are not moving.

 

I'm almost wondering if it's something really stupid, like the latch is locked. But I'd have expected OP to be smart enough to check that first. Or if it's locked but the lock is what's broken, not the latch. Or the lock isn't working.

 

Stranger things have happened, but if the latch is locked the handle shouldn't move. It'd have to be broken, right?

 

I just checked my OEM one, and it lifts fully when locked. It just doesn't engage anything. (*grumble* *grumble*)

 

Ah, well that may be the ticket then. Now it's on you @rritch01 to confirm or deny if the handle is locked. I hope it's that simple.

 

Great observation! I actually don’t hear either side release until I do it by hand, but that’s a great point. If I have a bent rod, it’s surely on that side.

 

Shifty’ - here is the photo from your previous latch repair. Note the lock mechanism is in different position.

 

Yup. @rritch01's problem is the handle is locked. He just needs to unlock the handle. If it's still not working after unlocking the latch, I don't know what to tell the guy.

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It's always the simple things!

 

Yes! Something stupid. Compare the two pictures of the old latch to each other and same with the pictures of the new latch.





I decided to order all new hardware, just to eliminate something being bent or otherwise not working that I couldn’t see. $243. Got the new pieced installed and had the same problem. I was poking around the latch when my finger slipped and I felt something move. The mechanism. Yep, something stupid.

I may have been able to take the new hardware out and return it, but I decided to just keep it. It is working marginally better than the old one.

Thanks to everyone for the replies and advice!