nylon latch posts?

[BerniniCaCO3]

Hi--

The door, or in my particular case, wagon tailgate, has a pretty typical latch, which grabs around a post. The steel post has a plastic ring, presumably for low friction, low noise.

This plastic ring cracked on me months and months ago, and my fix at the time was to glue the pieces back onto the steel
The glue has now failed, the plastic has cracked again, and I'm missing too much of the plastic to trust glue as a permanent fix a second time.
I need a new plastic ring.

It's nighttime now, but I remember from the last time that this plastic ring can't easily come off, it's trapped by the steel and was non serviceable...?
I also looked at the dorman help isle at the auto parts store, and while they had replacement latch posts, what I remember --and again, this was months ago when I looked at this-- was that i rejected those as being unsuitable for some reason or another. Probably just the wrong geometry/ didn't know how they'd install and work.

Anyone know where i can find a new oem post, or one that will work like oem without too much frankenstein kludging?

[86VickyLX]

Help rack. If it's the style that the striker can separate from the bracket, you can replace the bushings.

[BerniniCaCO3]

for what it's worth, the help rack did not have quite the right size of bushing, though I found one that is just a little too loose, and too big, which sorta works.

I just got another colony park wagon, and noted that on the driver door and on the tailgate the bushings are clean missing, although, they both seem to latch firm and not rattle... are they going to pop open on me one day if I don't get bushings?
Is maybe autozone or advance auto better than salvos, or do they all have exactly the same bushings? Napa could not help me.

[marquisman]

the plastic around the latch striker, is kinda important. reason being, is that the two latches have to pretty much be in-sync, in the lock position. if not, the tailgate will prolly stay closed(sometimes the tail gait pops open, by its self) but, you will not be able to lock it. the bottom striker is pretty much the same as the other door strikers. but, the top one is the issue, since its have the length of the others. not a big deal. if you get the new plastic, you just will have to cut them to size. the striker is very easy to remove on a wagon, since you have access to the threading plate from the spare tire compartment. use tape/paint to mark the stricker location(it can move around for adjustment) and use a t-50 torx socket to remove. if i need the plastic and/or strikers, i usally go to the yard and take em of newer panthers.

[BerniniCaCO3]

oh, good idea. Same plastic as a non-wagon?
Yeah, I did the plastic bushing on the striker on my wagon, and it was very easy to take off (and a clean circle marked where to put it back on), but nothing in the help section fit quite right. It took some sawing and filing and i'm still unhappy with the result, so I was looking for some other source for the right size bushing.

So the plastic bushing from the trunk of a newer (-97?) sedan might work?

[1987cp]

Trunk? Dunno - at least on boxes, the trunk uses a different style of latch with a big steel loop instead of the door-style striker post.

the plastic around the latch striker, is kinda important. reason being, is that the two latches have to pretty much be in-sync, in the lock position. if not, the tailgate will prolly stay closed(sometimes the tail gait pops open, by its self) but, you will not be able to lock it.

Eek. It's really annoying when a tailgate comes open on its own. I had to retrieve my gas can off the street multiple times when I first got the '79, before I gave up and removed the trim panel so I could hold it closed with a ratchet strap.

[jpc]

There's supposed to be plastic on those posts? Huh, fancy.

I recently applied some white lithium grease to my tailgate hinges and latches because the gate didn't want to lock or fold down. A LOT of dirt came out of the lower tailgate latch. Now it works OK again.

[marquisman]

Trunk? Dunno - at least on boxes, the trunk uses a different style of latch with a big steel loop instead of the door-style striker post.





Eek. It's really annoying when a tailgate comes open on its own. I had to retrieve my gas can off the street multiple times when I first got the '79, before I gave up and removed the trim panel so I could hold it closed with a ratchet strap.

lol, been there, done that. for the longest time, i could not figure the latches out.

and no, not a sedan trunk latch. im talking about one of the strikers for one of the 4 doors. if you look at a door striker and the tailgate striker, you will see the similarities.

[1987cp]

Mm hmm, tailgate strikers are pretty similar to door strikers. Still wish Ford had made a sensible manual clamshell arrangement like they do on Suburbans, if not a liftgate. Heavy + high maintenance can't have done anything positive for the survival of Ford wagons.

[pantera77]

Bah the tailgate on my 91 hangs an 1/2" lower on the pass side it's so worn out.

[BerniniCaCO3]

hah-- I had my tailgate open leaving teh school shop last week, and the camshaft I had in the back rolled right out! Needless to say, it was not recoverable.
It was an excellent condition used HO camshaft; but those are like $20 so I didn't cry too hard.

I forgot to save mine; my plastic cracked, so I glued it on, then the glue failed, so I kludged a not-quite-right bushing from the help section but am still unhappy with it.

Does someone else still have the original?
If so, could you please measure the diameter for me? Particularly, if you have calipers, measure it at the ends where it's least worn/ closest to original spec.

What i'm going to do is check mcmastercarr, they are usually very good about having any size tubing in whatever material you like. Then I'll overpay for a 6" length of nylon rod with just the right inner and outer diameters (unless, is there better than nylon? teflon might be smoother?), and saw off a length.
If they don't have the right size, might even go to the length of finding someone with a metal lathe, and drilling and machining the right diameters.

Did 89 and 90 have the same tailgates? I know the dash was wholly redesigned, and consequently at least some of the instruments with it (fuel gauge and fuel sender completely different I only recently learned), and apparently the power antenna is different too... was anything else changed though?

I do really like the magic tailgate, and I love the window that rolls down. Much less obstructive than having a clamshell over your head. But yeah, they are a little high maintenance.

[marquisman]

for temp solution to compliment your kludging, use electrical tape to put your plastic back on. or, do what i have done. wrap the stricker in electrical tap, till proper thickness is achieved lol

[1987cp]

Pretty sure '79 though '91 tailgates were the same except for maybe some minor details (like third brake lights and something with the window guides).

[mitymerc]

Has anyone figured out how to seperate the washer from the stud on the 90-91s ?Rewrapping the tape has gotten old.....

[sly]

replace with the one on the help rack at AZ and then replace the bushings as needed.