Removing and securing tailgate taillight lens assembly (5 Viewers)

[Super77]

I’m trying to close this 5-6mm gap between the taillight assembly and the tailgate sheet metal

The outer edge of the taillight assembly is loose. I can push it closed but it pops back out. Anyone else experience this and have a fix?

I want to confirm my understanding of how to remove the assembly to troubleshoot:

Unscrew the 2 nuts circled in red (I confirmed these are not loose at the moment btw). I believe the pink and yellow plastic nubbins are snap connectors, and that once those two nuts are removed, I can pry the taillight assembly away from the tailgate? Nothing else to unfasten? Does the assembly just come away like the carpet panel does, with push-in snaps?

For this of you who have done this, what causes the loose fit and what’s the fix?

 

[Jonathan Case]

I’m trying to close this 5-6mm gap between the taillight assembly and the tailgate sheet metal

View attachment 3972041
The outer edge of the taillight assembly is loose. I can push it closed but it pops back out. Anyone else experience this and have a fix?

I want to confirm my understanding of how to remove the assembly to troubleshoot:

View attachment 3972042
Unscrew the 2 nuts circled in red (I confirmed these are not loose at the moment btw). I believe the pink and yellow plastic nubbins are snap connectors, and that once those two nuts are removed, I can pry the taillight assembly away from the tailgate? Nothing else to unfasten? Does the assembly just come away like the carpet panel does, with push-in snaps?

For this of you who have done this, what causes the loose fit and what’s the fix?

Did you ever solve this? I was thinking of supergluing inside my lens (when I was buying the rig the owner set the rear seats down against the bumper and when climbing in on the tailgate, I cracked the lens against the loose seat just slightly — d’oh!). I got the two nuts off, but hesitated to try to pry the lens out with those plastic clips in place… seemed likely to break.

Edit: whoah, I see you just posted this morning. What are the odds?

 

[Trunk Monkey]

Miracle of the FSM. I would get new body trim pins if yours aren't holding it in place.

 

[Jonathan Case]

Miracle of the FSM. I would get new body trim pins if yours aren't holding it in place.

View attachment 3972456

Thank you! I looked through the FSM but couldn’t find that section somehow.

 

[Super77]

Miracle of the FSM. I would get new body trim pins if yours aren't holding it in place.

View attachment 3972456

So the pins, which seem to be attached to the taillight assembly, are replaceable? Or are you talking about the yellow and pink “sockets” that I circled in my pic above? Those are where the pins fit into. Clearly something is loose between them.