CouesWhitetail Report post Posted May 5, 2014 Got some work done on my jeep this weekend, including new rear leaf springs. WOW! what a difference they make in handling on and off road. I wore my old ones out to the point of not having any space between the wheel and wheel well when loaded down. Turns out that on bumpy roads the sway bar was hitting the frame and there are some significant dents in the frame from that. Anyway, at the advice of a local mechanic (Willhunt4coues' father) we ordered heavy duty leaf springs to replace the old ones. Now it rides a LOT taller....feels like I got a 3 inch lift! Check out all that space above the rear tire!! Handles like a dream too! Anyway, another problem with the jeep is the rear lift gate wouldn't open. So had to take interior panel off and figure out what was wrong. Turns out I need a new latch handle assembly. But in the meantime I have a lot of fieldwork and a hunt in Mexico to do, so I wanted to rig something up to make it so I could open the hatchback. The mechanics suggested a wire that I could pull that would open the latch. So here it is....I attached one end to the rod that will open the latch if you pull up on it and then ran the wire straight up and out the top of the hatchback and attached it to my roof rack so it would stay in place. Now, i can just lift up on the wire above my hatch and it will open the door. Now I just have to wait for the new handle assemble so that I can ditch the redneck latch opening mechanism See pics below. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Couestracker Report post Posted May 5, 2014 Hey, whatever it takes...long as it works for now. Good work-around! 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Pine Donkey Report post Posted May 5, 2014 Redneck ingenuity and a nice sticker too...hard to beat that! 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Snapshot Report post Posted May 5, 2014 MacGyverism Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tucson John Report post Posted May 6, 2014 Gotta love Hillbilly engineering! That's a complement! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Critter Report post Posted May 6, 2014 You don't need a new handle/latch... that is your new handle! It has character and is a one of a kind. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
nighthawk Report post Posted May 6, 2014 That is awesome!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
