need help rebuilding my blazer hatch latch

[coggonobrien]

hi folks my blazer is hatch does not latch any more and is missing one of the rod's. does anybody have a good walkthrough/pictorial of the process to replace the handle and reassemble the entire mechanism? also need a source to either buy or make a new rod from the handle to the outler latch.

Thank!
David

[coggonobrien]

bumpity

[pound41]

A GARAGE DOOR HANDLE from Home depot/Lowes can be used to replace the handle and the shaft. I don't have any pics. Hopefully someone will post. If not search old posts and you will find tons of pics. Its a pretty easy setup.

[coggonobrien]

do they typically have a spring on them? mine is broke

[pound41]

You cannot buy a new spring mechanism that is somewhat hard to find and people jump on them pretty quick. All it does is return the handle back to center. The spring on one of my blazers has been broke for 20 yrs. I turn it to open and then turn it back before I close it.

[coggonobrien]

have you ever had trouble with it opening itself? i will be driving through fields so that concerns me. also what is supposed to hold the hatch open as I don't have any mechanism for that. does people ever use hydraulic pistons (like for hoods) to open them? sorry for all the questions

[pound41]

They make metal slides that connect to the top and hatch just like the shock lifts. You lift the hatch the slides extend and they have a locking mech in them to keep it up then you lift the hatch up again and they release. No my hatch doesn't fly up. The lock in the handle stops you from turning the handle when locked but that is not what locks the hatch to the top. On each end of the hatch there is a left and right specific latch. It is connected to the 2 rods that travel into the hatch and connetct to the 2 holes on the flat round plate that is connected to the spring that slides over the handle shaft. The side latches are locked into place when the hatch handle returns to center. When you turn the handle it pulls and releases them. They are spring loaded and the will break. The latches look like a crabs claw/u. There are are clips that mount on the sides of the top that they latch to

[coggonobrien]

turns out after tearing everything apart everything is there and intact (including all 3 springs) the only thing missing is the clip that holds rods to the t handle. do they still make that or am I better of drilling the rods for cotter pins

[pound41]

you can get them in any auto parts help store. they are carb clips or i just replaced a tailgate handle on a 2000 chevy they used the same style clips except now they are plastic