Dumb question time....88 Suburban tailgate

[8888]

Thanks for the replies. I'll climb in there tomorrow hopefully, if not, it will be a few months to get it opened from the inside. It's already at our new house, I'll in the process of moving on top of everything else, we have open houses etc scheduled for the weekend.

 

[Snoots]

Um, no? I don't want to argue, but I'm fairly positive you are thinking of K5 tailgates.

Not arguing. My K5 has the gear type. I thought the cable drive was the 'later' years.

 

[yevgenievich]

Not arguing. My K5 has the gear type. I thought the cable drive was the 'later' years.

K5 had combination of gear and cable, I thought the height of the tail gate was not enough for a full sweep of the gears like the suburban tail gate.

 

[yevgenievich]

The only thing I saw stopping the tailgate from opening with window up was the window being in the upper channel. It should open just fine if window is gone unless something is really broken jamming the rods

I agree about having to climb in to remove the panel to actuate the rods in this case. But as for TG opening regardless of window position (glass missing or not missing) is this true? I can't argue - even my single safety switch is missing such that I can roll my window "up" even when TG in horizontal position - but I thought there was supposed to be a safety switch that prevented TG from opening unless regulator was all the way down? Would the glass missing make a difference?

And I agree that clockwise on the key is down and CCW is up.

 

[yevgenievich]

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[Blue Ox]

It's been a while, but I seem to remember an interlock that kept the tailgate from opening unless the glass was down. IIRC there was a little plastic wheel that rolled on the glass that unblocked it, so if the glass is broken the interlock will never release.

 

[Blue Ox]

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I think that's it in the lower left corner of the pic. My memory could be faulty, it's been a long time since I had mine apart.

 

[yevgenievich]

Possible that mine is missing it. I figured physical limitation was enough for safety reason. I thought the wheel in the picture serves as a guide to keep the glass straight on mine. If the glass is gone, but the piece that holds the glass should still engage that wheel. Can verify by trying various positions to catch it

 

[bucket]

It's been a while, but I seem to remember an interlock that kept the tailgate from opening unless the glass was down. IIRC there was a little plastic wheel that rolled on the glass that unblocked it, so if the glass is broken the interlock will never release.

My memory agrees with this. But the bits are also flimsy and can rust in place, defeating the safety interlock.


And it's never a good idea to close the tailgate if the window is not fully down. Ask me how I know.

 

[yevgenievich]

That just makes mine special then. Thanks for correcting.

My memory agrees with this. But the bits are also flimsy and can rust in place, defeating the safety interlock.


And it's never a good idea to close the tailgate if the window is not fully down. Ask me how I know.

 

[bucket]

Iirc, when the roller flips out, it blocks a tab on the handle/rod junction mechanism that prevents it from moving.

K5's have a similar setup too, but it's a rod that moves down and out of the way when the glass goes all the way down.

 

[8888]

Thanks for the responses. When I get it apart and figure it out, I'll post photos.

 

[Daveo91Burb]

Iirc, when the roller flips out, it blocks a tab on the handle/rod junction mechanism that prevents it from moving.

K5's have a similar setup too, but it's a rod that moves down and out of the way when the glass goes all the way down.

This matches my recollection of when I did my TG conversion. Definitely remember that roller serving as some sort of safety mechanism.

 

[Rusty Nail]

WOOHOOO Oklahoma truck!!

 

[PrairieDrifter]

You guys are remembering right. They do have a safety that won’t let you open the tailgate until the glass is all the way down.

There is also another safety switch in the passenger side latch mechanism in the tailgate that once undepressed(tailgate open)it doesn’t allow the window to roll up or down.