How to: Replace WagonGear lid latch

[PabloVTA]

Here's how I replaced my broken Wagon Gear lid latches.

I love the product, and the support is great too. I should have listened to Kevin and went with the metal latches form the start...

While I was dunin' it at SNT this year I got a little over zealous on the skinny pedal and launched slighly over the top of a really tall bowl and sent everything in the rear of the truck on a 3 foot hop. At first I didn't think much of it. Happens all the time, no biggie.
Until I came across a high centered FJ cruiser already dug in axle deep and the skid pans were half buried.
My 3 year old son said "Let's go help them" so we did.....sorta.

When I got out to fetch my strap from the rear deck lid, only one latch was working. I was effectively locked out. We used the guys cheap strap from Harbor Freight, you know the ones, with the crappy hooks? yeah....gave him a tug and he wasn't going anywhere without a really good yank and I didn't trust that strap.

So I went back to get my real strap and see if I could get into the lid by shaking whatever was jammed up against the latch to jiggle free. No luck.
The stuck guy had no CB, no HAM, and no shovel....perfect. He did have a cell phone, but all his friends were still sleeping. Right about then, my 3 year old says the inevitable...."Daaddddyyyyy!" you know where I'm going with this right?
"I gotta go to the bathroom!"
The stuck guy heard it, and we parted ways. Back to camp in a flash, launching the rig all over the dunes so I don't have an accident inside the car seat for the rest of eternity.

We made it back in time. Phew.

So then I hit up Kevin and he sends me out some of the new Stainless latches:
He had all my info from when I got the lid a few years ago, and they showed up fast.

Here's what I did to replace the broken plastic one.

 

[PabloVTA]

lift up the old latch and on the inside edge, left side, there is a small slot to put a flat screwdriver in, rotate counter clockwise 90 degrees and the latch will clear the lip underneath and allow you to lift up the lid.
Then just remove the two philips head screws.

 

[PabloVTA]

place the flat O-ring on the body of the latch and then insert thru the hole.

Place backer plate on deck and line up holes, insert screws to 90% tight and test fit.

Then attach striker arm on shaft and the nuts.

I couldn't get the clearance tight with a nut underneath the striker, so I placed a thin washer on first and snugged the arm on top of that , then the two nuts were on top.

Works awesome.

Thanks again Kevin for the awesome customer service.

 

[kevinmrowland]

Now you'll be able to get in there whenever you need to for sure!

Great idea on just rotating the latch as well (why didn't I think of that....)
I've been dealing with the new versions that you would not be able to rotate for so long now that just spinning the latch didn't even occur to me.

If you take the pawls off the latches and put then in a vise you can bend them forward a little bit and then you will be able to put one nut on each side. (it will take a pretty heavy hit to get them to move so you will need the vise).
After you do that, I like to trim off the extra threaded stud flush with the top nut, wont poke your stuff all the time that way.

 

[PabloVTA]

yeah, thought about the vice action, but the 3 year old is napping...

I want to cut off the extra stud length too. I almost just pulled out the thread die and tried cutting it a little lower, but there's a shelf there and I figured the die wouldn't go far enough to really make it worth the effort.