how to get the hatch open 1995 Grand Cherokee

[tomcat27]

I have the inside panel off; the silver rod doing down into the latch does not move. I presume it is rusted. I have sprayed the inside of the latch with PB Blaster. no avail. how do I get the hatch open to replace the latch - or how do I fix this?

 

[old1]

More penetrating oil and bigger hammer lol

 

[Run]

Hard to tell from the picture how the mechanism turns. Have you tried locking pliers on those moving parts?

 

[eljefino]

I think the "main rod" that slides left and right is the lock. The white plastic u-clip is a spring for detents. Slide the rod back and forth to see if it's locking stuff. Then pop the circlip for the lower right rod; something in the lock mechanism could be messing it up. Push/ pull that rod with vise grips etc.

 

[JC1]

That rod that is at the 9 o'clock position of that red plastic piece might be the rod that will open it. Use a needle nose pliers to giggle that rod to the left or right to see if the hatch opens

 

[Warstud]

The silver rod appears to have slipped out of the lever. Grab the rod and pull toward you to seperate it from the lever. Then raise the rod straight up and re-attach it.

 

[tomcat27]

the "left to right" part moves fine. I disconnected the silver rod on purpose. the actual latch is at the bottom behind the black metal. the silver rode moves up and down (well, at least it is supposed to...) I've tried locking pliers on it; and plenty of PB blaster. I will wait until tomorrow for the blaster to work - if it still does not move, I will start cutting metal.

 

[javacontour]

Is there tension on the liftgate? Maybe if someone on the outside pushed or pulled on it to relieve some tension allowing the latch to more easily release from the striker? Just guessing here, but it's worth a shot.

 

[IndyIan]

Originally Posted By: tomcat27

the "left to right" part moves fine. I disconnected the silver rod on purpose. the actual latch is at the bottom behind the black metal. the silver rode moves up and down (well, at least it is supposed to...) I've tried locking pliers on it; and plenty of PB blaster. I will wait until tomorrow for the blaster to work - if it still does not move, I will start cutting metal.

I got into this with my old Tracker and I just cut the door off, kept the lock cylinder and got a new door from the wreckers. I never ended up swapping the lock cylinder anyways... A matching door was $100 and I figured a new latch would be near that or more.

 

[tomcat27]

success! (if anyone cares to know) on a GC the nuts holding the striker are accessible from under the car. removed those; with a crowbar I was able to pry everything up to clear 1.5" of bolts. once the hatch was open I could properly and easily access the latch mechanism and lubricate it. now everything works fine with no cost and no cutting of metal. I will say, this Jeep is a real piece - and it belongs to Negan!

 

[gomes512]

Glad to see you got it open. I suggest spraying with a thick spray lube, like LPS 3 or Krown T40. The mechanism can be easily sprayed from the exterior. I open the hatch, get it mostly facing skyward, lift the handle with one hand and spray lubricant in the two openings that reveal themselves when the handle is lifted. Spray in the keyhole for good measure also. Then just let it sit for a few minutes with the hatch open.