Ok, so some %*&$^ slammed my hatch and broke things about a year ago. Finally got around to fixing it and bought the kit from TDS. Took my stuff apart and things were worse than I expected. The motor housing was broken into pieces and the guides were just crumbs.

Cleaned it all up and put it back together with a new motor, housing, gear nut and guides. Didn't sand the guides, but they did fit a little snug, but I could move things by hand even before lubricating it. Put it back together and now my hatch pulls a little too far down. It does shut off, but I can tell by the way it sounds right before it hits the reversing switch that it's too tight. Also when I release it, it's extra loud as it pops. I'm afraid it's going to break the new motor housing.

Before you say, it's already adjusted all the way up. I marked it before I took it apart and the factory already had it pretty much to the top. I'm thinking of shimming under the hook that's in the hatch to give it some slack. Anyone had this problem before? Is there another solution that I don't see?

I even loosened the bolts a bit and tried to let it adjust itself, but it's at the top and it's just a tad too tight.

 

Call Lon at TDS. He'd probably be the best person to talk to.

 

Thanks, turns out I'm an idiot. I discovered that if I loosened the mounting bolts just a bit more, then I could move it around allot. I just came back in from tinkering with it. My hatch is now centered better than ever and pulls down just the right amount. Should be fine now. I'm going to put the trim back in and plug in the lights and defogger juice and call it done.

I had quite a bit of the synthetic grease left over. I wish I'd packed more into the gear nut area. I'm sure I probably put plenty in, but you know.....

The blue factory stuff had dried in some spots to become almost like RTV. The thrust bearing was locked up solid from dried grease. I soaked it in lacquer thinner and that seemed to clean it all out.