liftgate will not open help

[flamelilly]

I have a 95 ford explorer . The lift gate handle just spins i cannot figure out how to get it open . and it must open as i need to get to my brake lites to replace them before i get in trouble with the police .
i looked inside and i see no release anywhere is there a way to get this back door open without the handle or breaking the door ?
i stopped at the ford dealership and he wanted to charge me 25.00 to tell me that the handle was broken .
any help here would be much aperciated
Tracy

 

[IZwack]

the 2nd generation lift gates were changed in 98 so I for one don't have any details.. but if i can remember correctly, isnt there a plastic cover piece at the center of the liftgate (if ur inside the vehicle)... try removing that and see whats in there...

here's my pathetic ASCII drawing

  ______________________________
 /                               \
|                                |
|        glass                   |
|                                |
|--------------------------------|
|            '------'            |
|               ^--- cover       |
|                    plastic     |
 \______________________________/

 

[95 2dough]

same thing happened to me.from the inside cut the plastic in the groved area about half way down on the driver side.cut out a box about 4 inches down and 14 across.there will be a bar in there that is wrapped in a cloth-pull it to either side and the hatch will open.also the release for the glass is in there and is easy to see.

 

[BuffaloXplorer]

Once you get it open (when it happened to me i just got inside and kicked the sht out of the gate until it opened) check out this thread - he's got what you need and for about 1/4 the price.

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=142438