Tailgate squeaks, help!

[loblazer]

I have a 1980 2wd Blazer. Does anyone know how to adjust the tailgate to get squeaks out? Mine is fine on hwy but drives me nuts on rough streets.Worse with window down.
Does the bracket on the side need to be shimmed out more or shims removed?
Thanks for your help.
Doug

[monypit]

try adjusting the strickers in a little to tighten the door up a little while closed. Make sure you still get the latches to close all the way but that might do it for you. the reason it is worse with the window down is that with the window up it helps hold the gate tighter to the body and keeps it from shaking and the squeak is probably from the strikers to the latches..put a little white grease on the strickers too.. Good luck

[Jonboy]

you can also pull the strikers and put electrical tape around them. That will hold it tighter in the latch.

[loblazer]

Thanks Jon, that is what i did last week and it did help. Must be a better way though?

Doug

[loblazer]

Thanks Monypit.

Do you mean adjusting the strikers with shims in closer to the side of the door or to the side of the body? Or do you mean moving it in towards the dash so it pulls the door in tighter?

See my pics on TOM thread.

Thanks, Doug

[monypit]

you should be able to push them in towards the dash a little

[GARMCo]

I have a 73 Blazer and have spent many hours trying to eliminate squeaks. It seems like most of them happen in vicinity of the rear wheels on back, but unless someone else is driving while you are in back trying to ID them-- it's nearly impossible to diagnose the cause. Through lots of trial and error I have discovered a few sources of squeaks on my car. 1) remove the hatch cover on the inside of the tailgate and inspect all of the window and lock linkage. There's lots of small parts in there and many possibilities for noise. Grease everything, and you can also use small pieces or rubber such as small sections of hose, rubber washers, etc to make silencers for some of the linkage joints. 2) On my model year ('73) there's a square hole near each of the side latches on the jamb of the rear tailgate. A steel pin mounted on the tailgate door (one each side) slides into this hole to guide the door into the proper position while latching. On my car this pin rubbed the edges of the guide hole and made an awful squeak--sounded like a nail being pulled from a board--took me a long time to find that one-- grease fixed it. 3) Replace your tailgate weatherstrip and adjust your latches as discussed in the previous postings. Use Armor All of silicone on the rubber to eliminate sqeaks there. 4) The rear leaf spings on my truck squeak like crazy--just the noise casued by the leafs rubbing back & forth. Jack up the truck with the jack under the frame at the back, so the leaf springs hang apart--put some grease between the leaves. That's my 2 cents worth-- I intend to replace some body mountings in the back (rubber, not polyurethane) and I'll have done as much as I can in the squeak department.

[loblazer]

Thanks GARMCo I will try these. The gate was a mint 1990 and the rubbers look good. The springs do squeak a bit and I have a nearly new pair to install but I am positive the ones bugging me are from the gate.
As you, I will keep plugging away.
Thanks, Doug

[Gregsmx]

Doug, here's another little trick that may help alot. Replace the tailgate weatherstrip. That rubber part eventually collapses and that causes rattle in the strikers, as the tailgate fit loosens. Adjusting the strikers is helpful, but what you are doing is adjusting to compensate for the collapsed rubber. A fresh rubber seal will allow the door to snug shut against the strikers, and should allow you to maintain a good alignment between the fender and the door when shut.

LMC's rubber is real decent. Part no. 38-6973.

Good luck with it, Greg.

[loblazer]

Thanks Greg.