Ever done something and realized you just made a huge mistake

[Kaiserjeeps]

What a bone head! I pushed my disassembled wag further back in my shop to do some other work. I finished my work and went to push the wag back into place. Well, I gently shut the tailgate beforehand. when I pushed the wag back into place I latched my tailgate pushing on it.. Problem is I TOOK OUT THE LATCH RELEASE MECHANISM!!! The window is down preventing me from releasing the latches manually. Am I totally screwed or what? I will be willing to cut access holes since I am using another gate. Does anybody have an idea? Man, I have not pulled one like this in awhile. I bet I'm the only one on this entire list that has pulled this one. HELP!!..................Kaiserjeeps....(Al)...

[BK]

Why did you take the latch off anyways? :D

[timmirvin]

Nope, not screwed.....totally....when I got Sherman the tailgate would not open at all.

I used a flashlite and a long screwdriver to acuate each release. Now Sherman's tailgate was a tad "bent" so when I hit the latch with the screwdriver the gate popped back toward me, but I figure you may have to pull on it to keep it unlatched........

my 2 cents...

[Lister]

Not sure I understand the prob completely but here's my 2 cents.

My latch handle only releases one side. With a coat hanger, I was able to snag the catch for the other side and open up the tailgate. Fish the coathanger down between the glass and the inside face of the tailgate and look for a small latch down about 3-4". I can try and take a pic for you when I get home tonight.

[timmirvin]

OH, and to answer the question you posed in the title........why of course, I don't know how many times I have tried to fabricate, change, "improve", or whatever.....and in the end I spent more time fixin' what I messed up than if I had just done it right the first time.......but then again, quite o few of my hair-brained, beer-induced ideas have been working for many years now smile.gif smile.gif smile.gif

[Manhattan]

Sure - we've all done bone head things! I did one related to that:

I loaded my GW from floor to ceiling (cargo area) to the point that when I closed the gate I had to really jam it against the contents to get it to shut.

The problem came when it was time to open it - the contents were so jammed in that the release latch was totally inaccessable! I couldn't get a hand in to open the gate!

[tuckers89GW]

I used a coat hanger and a flashlight to unlatch mine before. if you get your light right, you can see how it works.

[gsmikie]

Ever done something and realized you just made a huge mistake .......yep that would be the second wife.....

[Tad]

Ya Mikie, would have been my first wife, freaking nutburger.

Al, if you can get the window up you can reach the latch from the inside, little awkward and contorted but i've had a hand inside mine so much I guess I just know where to reach.

EDIT: WHOA TAD, YOU HAVE TO HAVE SOMEONE HOLDING PRESURE ON THE TAILGATE, DON'T LET IT OPEN WHILE THE GLASS IS UP!!!

BTW: The latch and handle mech is even more fun to reinstall smile.gif

[ July 23, 2003, 03:17 PM: Message edited by: tadsal ]

[Kaiserjeeps]

Wow, lot of responses guys..Thanks!! I took the latch and handle mechanism out to give to a fellow member who's is broken. His wag is over at my house getting some repair work. Manhattan, that was a funny story..LOL... I'll try the coat hanger trick. And I guess since the gate is rusty and I have another from the same vintage and color even, I can cut holes and get to the latches that way if the coat hanger does not work for me. Thanks for the solution guys. I was wondering on this one...Al T.

[BANJOPICKER]

that electric fence thing is not funny my country cousings talked me into doing that once but you only get tricked into doing that once

[bigun]

ya but i don't want to talk about ittill the statute of limitations run out

[dustinwagoner]

Open the front access panel on your gate from inside. You will see where two wires are coming from the window motor. Unplug them and with two wires and a 9volt battery you can get the window up enough to get your hand in there to unlatch the gate. Just remember to lower the window back down when you are finished.

[joe]

SUBJECT HEADER:
"Ever done something and realized you just made a huge mistake"

Yup, but I'm a little slow on the uptake so it took a year and a half for the smoke to clear but been divorced now for near 28 years. :D

[Rande]

Nope, don't make mistakes and never wil.

[DerekTJeep]

Let's see...where should I start? I made mistake of not saving some extra full size tires from other junked FSJ that I had. I would have used one of them when I went to Arkansas and got a flat tire.

Derek

[AJ Johnson]

yuppers.... first marriage... lasted 6 months and that was 6 months too long..