Is there any adjustment on a 93 rear hatch other than at the hinges? I really have to slam mine to latch it all the way, and even then it doesn't really sit flush with the edges of the taillights. It needs to close about another 1/8" or so to sit flush. I looked at the latches but couldn't really see any adjustment.
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Rear hatch adjustment?
- Thread starter danlong
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danlong
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Would you mind sharing with me how you adjust them? I finally got around to looking at them a little closer today, and I can't find any adjustment. The striker bolt just screws into a hole in the side of the body that has no adjustability to it, and the latch itself is held onto the hatch with three bolts that also have no adjustability.
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I'd mark where the striker was before you start for a refference.
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First you need to find out what is doing what.
I am assuming 93 is a dual latch ( left and right )
Set the lift gate down but do not latch it.
Press gently on one side or the other like you are trying to push it shut.
You should feel no major drag or resistance.
Usually, but not always, one side will feel better than another.
Obviously, just deal with the good side.
A careful eye can observe if it is draging down or up.
Loosen the striker bolts slightly and tap accordingly with a medium to light hammer.
Once you get smooth operation, your up and down is good, your in and out may need to be adjusted. Remember these latches are two stage. Meaning two clicks to full latch. Again lightly by hand, one side at a time, click once, click twice. It should require not much of a push to get two clicks. If you can not get two clicks, you need to move the striker out a bit. Do all these adjustments in small incraments.
When you get to two clicks, crawl inside with the door shut and make sure the deck lid is pressing on the seal about 1/4 inch ( give or take ) If you have that, you are golden. If you have more than that your lift gate will be tough to shut, and POP when opening. Less than that and you might get air and water leaks.
It will take some tweaking and fine tuning. It is not a quick easy task as much as slow and tedious.
Take your time. Do slow adjustments one side at a time.
having nicley lubed latches also will make a diferance.
I am assuming 93 is a dual latch ( left and right )
Set the lift gate down but do not latch it.
Press gently on one side or the other like you are trying to push it shut.
You should feel no major drag or resistance.
Usually, but not always, one side will feel better than another.
Obviously, just deal with the good side.
A careful eye can observe if it is draging down or up.
Loosen the striker bolts slightly and tap accordingly with a medium to light hammer.
Once you get smooth operation, your up and down is good, your in and out may need to be adjusted. Remember these latches are two stage. Meaning two clicks to full latch. Again lightly by hand, one side at a time, click once, click twice. It should require not much of a push to get two clicks. If you can not get two clicks, you need to move the striker out a bit. Do all these adjustments in small incraments.
When you get to two clicks, crawl inside with the door shut and make sure the deck lid is pressing on the seal about 1/4 inch ( give or take ) If you have that, you are golden. If you have more than that your lift gate will be tough to shut, and POP when opening. Less than that and you might get air and water leaks.
It will take some tweaking and fine tuning. It is not a quick easy task as much as slow and tedious.
Take your time. Do slow adjustments one side at a time.
having nicley lubed latches also will make a diferance.
danlong
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Thanks, I realized part of the problem when doing as you said. One of the washers between the striker bolt and the body on each side had stuck very tightly to the body, so that when I took the striker completely out, it looked like the washer was a reinforcement for the striker to screw in to. After a few taps with the hammer, it popped loose and I now see there's a square hole with a floating nut behind it so it has plenty of adjustment.
Jason94sport
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I had to replace both strikers to get mine adjusted right. They were broken,
Dolphan
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One of the teflon(?) pieces over the latch bar broke on mine. I replaced it with some hard rubber tubing but it will not last. Does anyone know what or where to get these pieces to replace them. Has anyone tried there own pieces for this, what was the material and how did it work?
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