How To Replace Ranger Tailgate Latches. | Ford Explorer Forums - Serious Explorations

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How To Replace Ranger Tailgate Latches.

Car-Dog

Well-Known Member
Joined
July 23, 2008
Messages
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City, State
Fresno, California
Year, Model & Trim Level
1998 Ford Ranger 4X4
Well one of my tailgate latches broke so I decided to go ahead and replace both of them. I noticed that several people have had ?s about the process so I took a couple of pics. It is really Pretty simple and should only take about 30 mins for both sides.

All you really need is: Torx bits I believe the big one was a t45 and the small one was like a t35 and a sharpie
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And of course new latches:
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The first step is to remove the tailgate piece of the bed liner (If you have one) this is what the smaller torx bit is for there should be 6 screws unless your missing a few like I was:
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Once the liner is off this metal plate should be uncovered and loose:
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Once the metal plate is off you should be able to see inside of the tailgate like this:
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The next step is to disconnect the limit cable(or whatever you want to this thing) all you have to do is take the weight of off the tailgate pull up on the little tab and slide the hole forward:
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If you only do one side at a time the other cable is plenty strong enough to hold up the tailgate while you work on it

next you want to loosen the rods that go to the handle, all you have to do is flip the yellow latch open and pop the rod out, this where I used the sharpie. I made a match mark on the yellow clip and the rod so I knew exactly where to snap it back in:
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Next take the t45 torx ( at least I think it was a 45) and remove the two screws that hold the latch on:
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You should now be able to slide the latch out of the tailgate and take it off of the rod like this:
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Those little lock washers can be a pain to get off I just put the old latch in a vice and pounded the bolts out of the old latch, miraculously the lock washers were undamaged and i was able to reuse them. the reassembled latch should look like this ( this is the one for the drivers side):
truck5049.jpg


to put it all back together read the directions upside down:D:D

Sorry some of the pics are so fuzzy I took all of them with my cell phone:rolleyes:

Hope this helps someone:salute:
 



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Nice writeup! Where did you get the new latches? And why did the old ones need replacing?
 






Better yet, why are the 02' piece of **** plastic handles replaced with metal? I figure we all know the answer to that LOL.

I found out right before I had my rhino lining done. The plastic handle broke, so before I had it rhino lined, i had to replace it. The replacement handle assembly was made of metal.
 






Nice writeup! Where did you get the new latches? And why did the old ones need replacing?

Thanks! I got them from parts train I believe they were 6$ each. I had to replace them because there is a little plastic piece around the claw part that was smashed on one of my old ones so i decided id just go ahead and do them both. And the springs on the old ones were worn out. everything is nice and tight now with no rattles.
 






Better yet, why are the 02' piece of **** plastic handles replaced with metal? I figure we all know the answer to that LOL.

I found out right before I had my rhino lining done. The plastic handle broke, so before I had it rhino lined, i had to replace it. The replacement handle assembly was made of metal.

I hate plastic.:splat:
 






...Cool...Always nice to have more Ranger information here...:biggthump
 






Great, great info - thanks!
One of the plastic clips that secures the latch arm to the handle is broken. I checked Parts Train and they don't have it listed.
Any idea where I could find it? I hope I can buy just the clips and not an assembly.
cheerio - Gary
 












Better yet, why are the 02' piece of **** plastic handles replaced with metal? I figure we all know the answer to that LOL.

I found out right before I had my rhino lining done. The plastic handle broke, so before I had it rhino lined, i had to replace it. The replacement handle assembly was made of metal.

Have to agree about the plastic handle. I recently broke the handle on my '98 Ranger, but in my case, I have a trifold tonneau cover. I couldn't get to the back of the tailgate to replace the handle assembly without folding back the cover. And I couldn't fold back the cover unless the tailgate was opened.

My solution was to cut off the rest of the plastic handle to expose the two vertical slots that the handle arms go through. Then I kept probing through the slots with a screwdriver until I made contact with each of the two lower arms of the scissors mechanism where the latch rods connect. (at the yellow plastic clips) I pushed first rod connection to the center until the connected latch retracted. I was able to pull that end of the tailgate open enough to hold the retracted latch. Then I pushed the second connection to the center until the second latch retracted, and the tailgate opened. I leave it to the several existing videos to explain how to replace the latch. BTW, no sheet metal scratches.

Now all I have to do is find a metal latch handle for my 98 Ranger, since all I could find was the dreaded plastic one.
 






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