Rear hatch glass hinges

[Mario81587]

Mine broke after the recall had already been performed which resulted in the glass shattering. Ford refused to pay for the repairs. I was told that there was nothing that they could do because the recall had already been performed. I had to go through the insurance company. That was the first and the last time I ever opened the glass part of the lift gate.

On a side note, the applique panel on the lift gate has never cracked because I never open it. I think this is one of the reasons that they crack... repeated use of the glass being opened and closed, causing it to flex slightly. I have two friends that own 02-05 Explorers. One of them never opens the glass part of the lift gate and his applique panel has never cracked. The other friend opens his all the time and the panel is cracked in two places.

- Mario

 

[NJExplorerFan]

Is this why my hinges recently started leaking water on the inside? It always happens when I go through the car wash. I never knew about this.

 

[BigRondo]

Is this why my hinges recently started leaking water on the inside? It always happens when I go through the car wash. I never knew about this.

If you go to https://owner.ford.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=Owner/Page/OwnerRegistrationPage&ord=27997749, you can register as an owner. Once you have entered you VIN, it will alert you if there are any open recalls on your vehicle. I bought my '02 in 2010 and had 2 recalls done since I got the alert from the owners' website.

Here's how to find the recall information:

• Log on to the Ford Owners Website.
• Click on your vehicle on the left side.
• Scroll down to the bottom of the page.
• Look under additional documentation.
• Click on the link for Vehicle Recall Notices.

This will list any open recalls on you vehicle.

Hope this helps out.

 

[jstorm001]

When my recall was done on my 02 explorer few years ago the dealer told me they take there time with those hinges because if not done right will cause the glass to shatter & also can shatter on them also fixing the hinges. After the fix my rear glass door closes correctly befor I would have to slam it shut so it would latch also it would pop open on its own for no reason but since the recall fix was done doesn't do it anymore.

 

[andypinto]

Hi everyone:
The hinges of my Explorer 2002 back glass have been broken twice. This piss me off a lot and I decide to stop this annoying thing forever.
So I go to a lathe technician and the guy custom made ​​for me two carriage bolts, with the appropiated diameter and lengh .
Then I remove (with the help of a friend of mine) the rear window, remove the hinges and drill a hole through the female thread of the hinge to install the new carriage bolts.
Now, the hinges are installed on the glass with a thru bolts and never will be loose again. Of course, the torque to the bolts must be very carefully applied. I can use the same plastic washer that come with the hinges to absorb the pressure of the inner bolt.
Now the hinges works like a charm, and I use the rear window often.
The solution is very good IMHO, because the round shape of the bolts head mix well with the slightly round hinge's design. A small amount of black epoxy paint on the hinges, bolts, washers and nuts will do the trick. The new thru bolt are almost unnoticeable unless you pay attention to the hinge.
I hope it will help, especially to those who, like me, do the recall at the dealer just to get a broken hinge again.
This is a design flaw that Ford never really had the intention to solve.:thumbdwn:
Cheers

 

[Skynard]

Since my right rear glass hinge pin is broken, I decided to replaced my rear glass hinges. I did one side at a time by myself by lifting up the rear glass and supporting the end with a ladder. I removed the lower portion of the strut and then removed the hinge. I installed the new hinge (finger tight) put the strut back on then carefully closed the glass hatch. After confirming that the alignment was good I tighten down on the nut and then hand tighten the lower hinge bolt. I repeated the procedure for the other hinge.

The rubber portion of the washer on the nut was slightly torn so I put a little sealant on it. The lower hinge bolt has a gold colored locktite on it where the bolt on the upper portion of the hinge has blue locktite. Another poster mentioned that there was no locktite on the lower hinge bolt. Could be that Ford recently decided to add locktite to the lower bolt.

My guess is that since Ford applied the locktite to the upper hinge bolt, they didn't feel it necessary to supply a new nut.

Thanks to this forum I was successful at replacing my rear glass hinges.

 

[jrford]

Mince where about ready to go, angle of the hinge was way off. Its easy just take your time. What i did was open the glass and carefully remove the gas struts. Shut the window ensuring it latches well and the window is aligned. Remove the plastic, it just pulls off, held in by spring clips. Remove one hinge at a time, the plastic washers can be reused, i bought new ones. Each hinge is held by two bolts, one on the window and the hatch frame. When done, have someone hold the window up as you put the struts back on. Everything should line up when done.
$60 for the kit from the dealer (in stock no less), i also needed the rubber stops and i figure id throw in the plastic washers (which had to be ordered).

 

[rocco123]

Mine just broke while on vacation in Ocean city. Drilled thru the hinge half and installed bolts to get it home. Ford dealer & Ford national both said my xplorer does not have the recall on their list. It's an 02 limited.

 

[num5golden]

thank You For All The Info On Here. Just A Strange Note To Add. The 4 Door And 2 Door Sport Use The Same Latch Yet The Sport Isn't Covered. I Feel Jewed!!!!

 

[toddious]

I realize this is an old thread, but I had this issue happen to me on my 2004 Explorer a few days ago. I popped the rear glass (as I do frequently) and one of the bolts going through the glass popped off and released the glass, causing it to nearly fall off. It was hanging from only the right side hinge.

I found that the bolt threading seemed very short, and perhaps the hinge component was stripped - because I couldn't get the bolt to stay threaded. I removed the piston from the window to release the pressure, and used another bolt I had with some rubber washers to temporary hold the glass in place.

I called the local dealership and they had the replacement "kit" which includes both hinges and bolts for $90 in stock. They offered $145 installed, so I just went with that so I could drop it off while I went to work. About 90 minutes later they called to say it was finished.

It seems I probably could have fixed this myself, but unfortunately I needed to get to work, and had to use my truck later that night, so I opted to pay the $50. Just wanted to share my experience in case this helps anyone else. Cheers,