FJ40 lift hatch assembly questions (1 Viewer)

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.

Curtice

SILVER Star
Joined
Jun 15, 2010
Threads
111
Messages
1,304
Location
Richmond, TX
When I purchased this lift hatch and all the parts for opening/closing etc, it was all disassembled. Now that I am ready to put together, not sure how a few things work.

Question 1:
I have an OEM handle and these shoulder bolts which I believe are also oem. But the shoulder part does not fit into the holes in the handle. See pic below. Is this not how this goes?
B61A0459-EC0D-4F93-A619-9A50816A7089.jpeg


Question 2:
How do these clips work to bolt the inner cover on? I know the clip fits over the hole, like I’m the pic below, but what kind of screw goes into it?
577AE758-9585-4865-AD17-68BD2399EBCA.jpeg


Question 3:
Anyone know what this part is? It was with all my lift gate hardware, but I can’t figure it out.
7A9544BF-7C06-4C5B-A052-21EB624F7140.jpeg
5832A8C9-165C-4571-9575-38476ACE84BA.jpeg


Thanks in advance for some help!
 
Answer to question 3: The upper pivot for the wing windows on the front doors. Mounts on the upper outside.

Ah, thanks. Since I am installing this on a later model, I don't have the older front doors. extra piece, but his solves one problem. Thank you!
 
Ok. So from your picture, looks like I am doing it correct (for my question 1). So why won’t that pin fit into the hole on the handle, like yours does:
9B13ABEA-91C6-4CC3-84D5-F8876711BD3E.jpeg


I feel like I must be missing something obvious…

Edit: Here is the exact same view on mine, but the pin won’t go in.
9AED6474-AC12-435D-93F5-5CE406B0FA79.jpeg
 
Just bumping this up as I’m trying to get this all figured out today. Still have my first two questions above, if anyone has experience assembling the lift gate internal mechanisms. Thanks.
 
Measure the hole then measure the pin, what is the difference? It also looks the pin may be deformed, could that be preventing it from going in the hole?
 
Thanks! I did measure, it’s about .3mm off…so just barely. Neither pin fits. I just wanted to make sure that that is where the pin is supposed to go. If it is, I am ok to slightly bore the hole bigger. Just didn’t want to do that if I had the assembly incorrect.

Edit: I mean I’m 99% sure that is where the pin goes, just wanted to be 100% 😀
 
Last edited:
Thanks! I did measure, it’s about .3mm off…so just barely. Neither pin fits. I just wanted to make sure that that is where the pin is supposed to go. If it is, I am ok to slightly bore the hole bigger. Just didn’t want to do that if I had the assembly incorrect.

Edit: I mean I’m 99% sure that is where the pin goes, just wanted to be 100% 😀
Do you have the old handle to compare the hole size? Or could someone else measure for you? I have a new one also, but that won’t help you and my original is still in the truck
 
Here is how it looked on my 71.
9891990B-1A24-4917-92F7-770D95F0634B.jpeg
0D3D82D9-0932-4126-B444-382D1A07F823.jpeg
 
Thanks all. I don’t know why it doesn’t fit, but I’ve seen enough pictures to know I am doing it right. I just drilled out the holes ever so slightly bigger and the pins fit perfect now, nice and snug.

So odd that it didn’t fit with oem part.
 
My guess is that you got the handle rechromed and now the clearance has shrunk.
 
Thanks. It was a new OEM handle (not a rechromed old one). I'm not sure what happened to my old one :)

One other person suggested maybe the pins were deformed a bit, I guess I could see that.
 
Can you just use a different sized bolt? I just had to pony up big $ for a new latch handle and Im planning on just using any old bolt that will fit the hole.
 
Thanks all. I don’t know why it doesn’t fit, but I’ve seen enough pictures to know I am doing it right. I just drilled out the holes ever so slightly bigger and the pins fit perfect now, nice and snug.

So odd that it didn’t fit with oem part.

Perhaps it is not the hole, it may be the bolt is not sized correct. The bolt you show certainly does not look new.
 
Can you just use a different sized bolt? I just had to pony up big $ for a new latch handle and Im planning on just using any old bolt that will fit the hole.

It can't just be any old bolt. It has to have the thicker shoulder pin, and a thinner threaded part. That thicker part inserts into the hold in the handle arm, and the thinner part inserts in to the hole of an inner bracket. You can see it in the pictures above. Unless I am misunderstanding you.
 
@Curtice

These are parts correct for my 1973 FJ40.

For reference, attached are pictures of the OEM hatch handle and OEM hatch pin with their respective dimensions. The pins and holes in the handle are identical for both sides. NOTE THAT my measurements could vary by +/- 0.02 depending on how hard I squeezed the caliper. You should get the idea on whether your pin or your handle is off dimensionally.

I don't know if earlier hatches had larger diameter pins, or if the handle you have might not be OEM,

I hope this helps.

Hatch parts.jpg


Hatch parts in place.jpg


Hatch Pin diameter.jpg



Hatch handle diameter.jpg
 
Awesome thanks. I’ll go measure today just to see.

Mind if I ask where you got the new pin? Everywhere I look says it’s disco, which is why I was using the old one.
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top Bottom