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2000 Ford Explorer Lift Gate Issues

6Zebra7

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Joined
June 28, 2014
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Year, Model & Trim Level
2000 Explorer
Help please!!!! I opened my lift gate on my 2000 Explorer the other day and I haven't been able to close it since. It seems to be seriously out of alignment. There is at least a one inch gap at the top of the lift gate and the roof of the car. I have tried adjusting the hinges with no luck. What do I need to do to fix this? Any help is appreciated.
 






can you post a link to some pics? it sounds like you either bent something or the hinges were really loose. is there more to this story you're not telling us?
 






2000 ford explorer liftgate

I had the same problem. My damage occurred when I tried to adjust / correct a rubbing the roof problem, while the lift struts were attached. Big mistake. First off, take the lift struts off! There's an inner and outer "skin" with a backing plate inbetween, around the hinge area, where it attaches to the liftgate. The backing plate is tack welded in four spots to the inner "skin". You can see these next to where the hinge mounts to the liftgate . On mine, the inner "skin" was pulled out and downward badly. The tack welds were loosening. I had to devise a way to press the inner "skin" and backing plate back in. (an area about 2 by 7 inches wide) I took the liftgate off, turned it upside down and had a friend hold it at the " right" angle on the concrete sidewalk with padding. I wanted to put weight on it and hit it at the same time, to press it back. I used a three foot piece of two by eight with a notch, eight inches from the bottom, and a five foot piece of two by ten screwed into the notch. (a ramp) I put it over the hinge mount area and I stood on the ramp; putting my 220lbs. on the bent area and carefully hit the top of the two by eight with 16 pound sledge hammer. Maybe not the best way, but it worked better than I thought. Anyway, good luck.
 






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