FIXING A LIFTGATE THATS STUCK CLOSED (JEEP ZJ)

A quick video on how to open a liftgate thats stuck closed and fix it. This was done on a 1997 Jeep Grand Cherokee but the process is similar for all ZJ model Grand Cherokees from 1993-'98

[@eric426426]

Man, I’ve played with the handle for years, to the point that I’m the only one who knows the in’s and out’s of how to open my trunk. I had to do this once a few months ago when the handle just popped BUT I didn’t even notice that spring you’re referring to. Last night the handle popped yet again, so I’m gonna hope that my spring is rusted up too. Thank you for an actual in depth video, I don’t know why other’s tend to make a “How To” video, and then to proceed give you only half the information or not go in depth on the subject at all. Very good job!

[@UnSovereignedCitizen69]

Yo, I just want to take a minute to say thank you. You're one of the few people on youtube that specializes in Zj's and their stupid common problems. Bleepin jeep and most others only do wranglers and XJ's. Keep up the good work my friend! 👍

[@barricadegarage5361]

Thanks for the support

[@keithameerali9474]

I agree. His solutions are explicit and simple to follow.

[@stevecox8066]

Excellent video!! Nice to see everything before I try fiddling with this on my own. You stayed on track with the task rather than rambling on about about of other nonsense. I know that seems simple, but so many other videos I just quit watching because they went off of some other silliness. Very clear, good video, good audio, makes sense. Great useful tip of using phone to look inside that cutout area. SO HELPFUL - THANKS!!

[@jaykaye3020]

Have a 95 Laredo and found your video. I ended up doing just about everything you showed, right down to screwing on the license plate panel. Thanks for making that video, especially since you basically recreated it since the initial time you did it was without filming it. Thanks again!

[@ferociousneophyte]

Dude, you’re the best. Every time I need to fix something on my 95 ZJ you have a video and it’s always the best one or the only one. Thank you! Another trip to the mechanic avoided.

[@Eric-es4zs]

You are a live saver man! I saw that other video you are talking about and yes it didn't show how to pop that threaded rod off the clip. As soon as I saw you had a video for this I knew it would show everything and once again you did! Thanks again! They need to give you your own show on TV!!

[@barricadegarage5361]

Lol im just glad I could help out

[@samsavill8513]

Barricade Garage is my go-to for everything ZJ . The best information and the best videos, and no BS.

[@chadmathers9328]

I swear man, any time I have a problem arise, I come to your page first and hope you have the solution. You have helped me SO MUCH. Definitely helped me save about $1500-2k now in labor alone. Thank you

[@richardroggers5349]

Outstanding Job! I was pulling parts from a junkyard JGC and the rear hatch was locked. Many had tried to open the hatch and failed. I had it open in under five minutes. Thank you Sir!

[@onlybrownbeauty]

I used this video yesterday to fix the back hatch on my mother's jeep . Thank you!!

[@cucucrisp]

Here you go again solving every one of my ZJ problems. Much appreciated.

[@melvinrodgers4750]

Exactly what I needed to know to fix my 1996 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo. Now I can fix it knowing what is wrong. Thank you very much. Melvin

[@chadmathers9328]

Bro... I followed the instructions to a T, and friggin' made the damn threaded metal part just barely too far up so i have to SLAM the damn thing to get it to lock... DAMNIT... Always test it first before screwing it all back together... Damn... But still thank you! These videos help me not waste time and curse at only 10%. I appreciate it!

[@thebulgarianguy8461]

That back panel is actually designed to be removed. There are four 8mm bolts holding it to the tailgate. They are accessed from inside once the tailgate lining/cover is removed. Excellent video regardless. It helped me understand how things work and solve my issue.

[@scordova789]

This is the only video I came across that gets to the point. I still have yet to do this to my dad's Jeep. Thank you for posting this video ❤❤❤

[@JohnWhite-xo8ig]

Solid. Thanks for going through the fix again rather than just explaining. That's invaluable!

[@hillaryclinton2415]

Also note for a rarely used gate, the flats on the door and frame around the latch often weld shut. Need to apply a good swift kick to displace and open it...

[@vguitarman]

I wish all youtube automotive content was presented this clearly.

[@eddiecastillo327]

Hands down the best explanation for this screwed up situation appreciate you taking the time brother 👍🏼👍🏼

[@michelekokx4876]

I agree! I had this problem it absolutely helped me fix the issue!!

[@eusebiegherman8225]

​@@michelekokx4876same here

[@backside_productions]

You are a legend! I just randomly came across your channel and its gave me so much info about me jeep

[@zakimations]

I havent had this issue yet with my ZJ but thank you for the informative video. Now I know more about my rig!

[@clydebarnes2427]

I love your no problems just solutions mentality! Awesome videos!

[@EskimoJo907]

Thx, about to get this going tonight. No problems, just solutions.

[@barricadegarage5361]

You know it!

[@markarnold5898]

Gave me all the inside shots I needed to fix mine. Thank you! I went the cut a hole in the interior route.

[@An_Hell-666]

A very useful video, I really needed it. All the things I do to my ZJ 95 Ltd. is watch your channel. Thank you.

[@simonvanegten7444]

Thanks , just fixed my tailgate today

[@leewaddell8561]

Your the Man...thanks again. Worked perfectly and use some chain saw pull cord and tied to end of rod and drilled hole in the plastic cover, just pull from inside and opens in emergency, did it to 2 of my cherokees.

[@jacobbeane5523]

Very professional and straight to the point.

[@JoseHernandez-v3w4o]

Thank you bro my Dad passed away and he left his 1993 Jeep grand Chrokee limted and me and my brother are fixing the car thx

[@r.weaver3769]

I have run into this twice, but my problem was the power lock actuator, I found if I pressed lock then unlock I could open lift gate. I will add after market actuator (already have from previous install) along with original to give extra help, but I will take note of concerns you found as well.

[@LordLancifer]

I have the same issue. I have to lock it, then unlock it (sometimes a few times) before it will open.

[@barricadegarage5361]

+Lance Hamilton my advice would be to get in there while you still can and either lubricate that spring or adjust the clip on the threaded rod.. My Jeep was doing the same thing and I let it go like that for about 7 months before my wife called me and said its not opening at all no more, which led to the making of this video.

[@jbaj007]

Once again. A concise, helpful video. Great filmmaking, editing.

[@aer8nadam]

I hope my 1994 Grand Cherokee limited is the same way thank you for the video please keep on the excellent job showing us how to fix it ourselves

[@3847395]

Dude you the man. This is was easier that the tiny hand method. THANKS.

Virginia - Cheers fellow countryman

[@barricadegarage5361]

Josh Rick Cheers!

[@jaygeorge5877]

Right on man, I've been trying to open my back hatch for a while now. Finally I gave up. But you have solved it for me much thanks 👍

[@lormonde5697]

Thank you kindly for your helpful and well made video, may you be well out there!

[@andream7445]

I found this video incredibly helpful, thanks

[@barricadegarage5361]

Thank you

[@OldsVistaCruiser]

I always opened the flipper glass, and undid enough screws to go down behind the plastic cover (I've had to do this 3× so far). I'm 6'2", and have long arms. Once I pop the gate, I then take the inside cover off and reattach the threaded rod. Lube EVERYTHING while you're in there!

[@barricadegarage5361]

OldsVistaCruiser thats great but wont work for someone that doesnt have a liftgate flipper window like my '96. I tried that method on the '97 with the flipper glass like the video I saw removing the top panel screws but still couldnt get my arm down in there.. Im just not built like that. lol

[@OldsVistaCruiser]

@@barricadegarage5361 - I didn't realize that your '96 didn't have an opening flipper glass. I know that they were optional on most '96s, but they were standard on my '96 Orvis.

[@barricadegarage5361]

OldsVistaCruiser I dont get it because I have a '96 limited edition without the flipper, but the '97 is a laredo with the 5.2 V8 and it came with the flipper..

[@OldsVistaCruiser]

@@barricadegarage5361 - I believe that it may have been optional on the Limited, but standard on the Orvis. I believe the Orvis is where the opening flipper glass started.

[@Vet-7174]

Most informative channel on Jeeps!!

[@raybregenzer1440]

Man you made my day in helping get my Jeep working. Thanks for the excellent video.🏡😁

[@quickpitrc]

Amazing content as always, and still the best channel for everyday Jeep ZJ issues on KZbin. Subscribed on both of my accounts. Thanks for posting!

[@jedaltonbrown]

great video man! Awesome explanation! Much respect and a subscription to Barricade Garage! probably the best "how to fix" video I've ever seen!

[@amc75matador]

Nice! Very clever on the license plate panel

Good man! Oh hey fyi: those yellow jeep panels clips are cheap on ebay I got 200 for $10 shipped

[@tiffanygarcia9918]

Thank you so much!! I've been trying to fix mine for over a year...thanks

[@dondihle6356]

Well done thank you

[@exhaustfumes927]

Hey man thanks for the video saved me a lot of Guess work

[@alletsorodsb2197]

You just made my day! Thank you so much for sharing your excellent info. Really do appreciate you 💯%

[@keithameerali9474]

There may also be a problem with the glass when you using the remote. I found the problem to be the limit switch as this helps to reverse the current for the solenoid. You will not get OEM. So you will need to improvise. Solution! Try a company called Mouser Electronics. They sell limit switches. I did and fixed the liftgate glass problem because you will need the remote to open it.

[@trevorbarnes3615]

You broke the shit out of the license plate, panel, and so did I thanks to you.

[@marcoakarico305]

Bro, you've helped me get my zj right. I watch all your videos. I live in md shout out if we can meet up.

[@rossmclaren2522]

Thank you for the video, sir, much appreciated!

[@dcurry5708]

Having this issue right now...... thanks for the solution.....nice video

[@josemar7272]

wow great job bro

[@LtRevan0117]

Good stuff thanks for insight

[@plgplgplg]

Was happy to see Barricade Garage when searching this fix. Efficient grocery getter LOL

[@agguilarmetalwork4494]

Can this be done making a hole inside and spray Dw40 to the spring ?

[@mattcero1]

Grocery Gitter!? I freakin' love it. Thanks for posting this as mine doesn't work. "We have only solutions not problems"! Great video man. Quick question. My latch is grabbing and pulling but just not enough. It has 366k miles. I hope you don't get pulled over by some cop who doesn't like the looks of that license plate holder. Thanks for posting man.

[@wblake22]

Mines sometimes will pop open while I'm driving. Do you have any idea what's going on with it. Sometimes the part I lift up to open it be pulled up a little bit

[@barricadegarage5361]

wblake22 ive never dealt with that issue before. your best bet would be to look back there for yourself and check things out

[@wblake22]

@@barricadegarage5361 Yeah me either. I'm thinking like the spring on the truck in the video something is rusty. I'll spray things down with some WD-40 hopefully that's all it needs.

[@ciscobriones5904]

@@barricadegarage5361 i hope you answer me, but my brothers jeep rear hatch was hit next to the licence plate panel and now has a dent by it, well now the hatch wont open... hr is saying its compromised and even if we forced it open it wont close back up. Is this true...? I have to fix my fuck up pls hit me back...

[@barricadegarage5361]

@@ciscobriones5904 im not sure but it should close back up unless the alignment is off

[@sandroamerico2960]

Olá boa noite, me chamo Sandro Américo, sou brasileiro, e tenho uma jeep (ZJ), V8... Que eu apelidei de HULK🚙, hoje ela deu esse mesmo problema, que você solucionou, tentei achar aqui no Brasil, vídeos sobre...mas nenhum foi tão objetivo igual ao seu, quero te parabenizar pelo teu trabalho em divulgar algo tão valioso que é a informação, e só nós amantes dessas raridade sabe valorizar, grato🙌🙏

[@cespool]

If you have that happen again press your thumb hard on the keyhole and lift the handle with your other hand. I had 3 of these jeeps do the same thing. Some reason it seems to work.

[@estevannegrete2891]

Thanks for this tip! I couldn't get the cover off like he showed, I was afraid it was going to snap. I actually put a screwdriver through the key hole until it popped because applying pressure with my thumb didn't work. I'm hitting the entire mechanism with Liquid Wrench, then I'll test and lubricate the lock. Thanks again for the suggestion.

[@GRODON7]

If I were to recommend only one thing. Let people know that the glue holding the license plate panel on initially is quite strong. And don't be scared. Use brake cleaner or some sort of solvent to help break it apart so it's not so difficult

[@billwegert385]

Awesome vid!! Great explanations. Thank you, Barricade Garage!!

[@jamielynn2585]

Just helped me fix mine. Thank you! 🙌

[@wesbullock1233]

Thanks so much buddy. I’m going to do this to both of my Jeep’s.👍

[@bojanglez4855]

THANK YOU!! INEEDED THIS SOOOO BAD. WAS MOVING AND IT GOT STUCK CLOSED WHILE THE GATE WAS ON😭🥴

[@StariYTube1]

Really good video .. spot on at yhe right timé

[@TehPrestoArts]

yo bro i been watching your videos on zjs for about two years now your shit helps so much! changed a serpentine belt on the side of a highway cause of you lmfao. DIY here was pretty good and saw that video with the small armed guy lmfao. got my gf to do it for me. love your vids though!

[@Usmanthemecano]

Ingenious!

[@firebrand7681]

Once again, Brother, thank you for the concise, informative and very helpful video. You have been my video 'wingman' while getting my '96 ZJ Limited back in tip-top shape this last month. But... are we supposed to believe there were ANY screws remaining in your liftgate to remove in the first place? 😎 Kudos from Westminster, CO

[@sydneyjeong4260]

Your awesome thanks. Extremely detailed...

[@Niko_Niko_Niko_]

After u pull off the license plate cover it breaks the plastic clips and the cover won’t be able to securely stay on

[@equals-kl9hm]

Thank you Sir, I appreciate it.

[@DaveTurnerBassGuitar]

If you end up prying off your license plate piece without loosening the 2 attaching screws first, you will break them off and have to find another way to secure the license plate piece when you put it back on. Double-sided sticky tape is probably the easiest way to do it.

[@tysamuels]

Just noticed your comment. Where are these 2 screws?? I’ve basically ruined my paint and my back piece refuses to come off. There has got to be something else holding it in place

[@DaveTurnerBassGuitar]

@@tysamuels you can only see the two screws if you take off the interior hatch trim. They thread into that license plate piece. It’s pretty hard to remove that trim with the hatch closed so it’s a bit of a catch 22

[@tysamuels]

@@DaveTurnerBassGuitar Thank you so much. Sad to report this turned out to be a big disaster for me. Removing the license plate piece destroyed the paint all around it -- I tried to be careful but it was impossible. It looks terrible now. Worse, I got your message too late and broke the clips. However, in my case, the clips didn't all break - one of them stayed intact and the plate broke instead, so now I have not just a useless license place holder tray but a useless tray with a hole in it. After ALL that, it turned out the problem was not even repairable from the outside, so I still had to pry off the inside trim. I highly recommend avoiding the posted method and just going in through the inside. It's a pain but it's the WAY better option, especially if your paint is in good shape. I am now checking junkyards to see if I can replace the entire liftgate. Go at it from the INSIDE, trust me. Live and learn, sadly...

[@Dafnessific]

There's four posts molded into the back of the tray from the factory, with captive bolts. The bolts are held on from the inside with nuts. If you snap them off, gently remove the nuts to free the snapped off posts and re-attach them to the tray with JB plastic bonder. The problem is that the studs can crack the tray itself near the corners before they break off.

[@michaelangelos5117]

Awesome video. Thanks.

[@fromanabe8639]

There is no Lic panel to pull out on my 99' Cherokee. It can only be gotten at from the inside.

[@marcom8107]

Informative video, thanks

[@CarlosGonzalez-zj2kl]

Before I found this video I had the same problem lol, I just sprayed wd 40 all through the latch part and every where else and it works now lol. Next time I’ll know what to do if it happens again and it doesn’t work how I did it. Thanks dude! Btw, u do side jobs?

[@barricadegarage5361]

No I dont do side Jobs

[@CarlosGonzalez-zj2kl]

BARRICADE GARAGE bet, had to ask lol.

[@patrickkillilea5225]

Good job! Thank you Sir!

[@fernandopaz3852]

The best video

[@Jeri_Batsford]

Man I’m trying to get mine open today. Did everything you showed but I can pull on the rod all day and it still wont open. Idk what to do

[@Jeri_Batsford]

I got the dirty bastard finally

[@rongriggs4430]

What can I do about the Flip glass I can't get it open???

[@barricadegarage5361]

Im not sure about that

[@Dafnessific]

Manipulate the arm connected to the solenoid that releases the glass. Release the arm from the solenoid if its frozen. It's held closed by a latch against the tension of its arms. That's why the button just completes a circuit rather than having any mechanical connections. The access could be better.

[@TennGrizz]

now going to fix mine tommorow. 😂

[@akahamlet]

Thank you!

[@papawhelp]

I love the line, but we don't have problems, only solutions...

[@jarosawsiekierski2566]

GOLD!

[@johnbosco9476]

I would not pry the license plate panel as shown. The four clips tend to break off in an older Jeep and you’ll be left with a new plastic tray to put junk in, including your license plate. The proper way to access is actually through the hatch. You must remove all including the upper screws by the struts and then work one end of the panel out.

[@ShelledReptiles]

This might be random...are you the guy from reptiles un-caged?

[@barricadegarage5361]

Thats extremely random and no im not. Why would you think that?

[@jameslevell5869]

You don't need vise grips. All you need to do is grab the rod and pull it up and pull out on the hatch. It's pretty easy to do really

[@jessekeel228]

💪🏿💪🏿💪🏿💪🏿💪🏿💪🏿 same issues..

[@booneautomotive4174]

Only Solutions

[@TheBossFamilyvids]

Never knew it was that easy to get in to a zj.

[@barricadegarage5361]

+Joe Boss Then youll be surprised at how easy it is to get into most vehichles!

[@r.weaver3769]

@@barricadegarage5361 Word

[@eusebiegherman8225]

Excellent vid...worked like a charm