hey this freaking pull down system sucks iv had to replace it 5 times and im always working on it is there a way i can just keep it in place and not rely on the pull down motor and have it work as a regular trunk/hatch?

 

mine kept making noise one day so i just unplugged the wires to it. now i have to open it with key and shut it harder but oh well

 

yeah, I got frustrated one day with my rear hatch, so one day, I set the motor a little bit lower than half-closed, then unplugged it. I also drilled/bolted in place the track guides so I just shut the hatch like a normal trunk...

 

I suppose instead of offering all the parts to repair your pull-down unit I need to offer a "super deluxe" hatch repair kit for you guys that have given up on having a functional hatch pull-down unit. The kit would consist of a roll of baling wire, epoxy, pop-rivets, bubble gum & duct tape.

Lon Salgren
Top-Down Solutions

 

Hahahahaha

 

Can't see what the problem is in repairing the Hatch Pull down. I have done it with no problem, just replace the slides, gear and motor and follow the instuctions provided so clearly from Lonsal of TDS.

 

i have the thing so ghetto rigged, i just want it bolted in place, this is one of the only thing that GM really messed up on was making these things such a piece. what i need though if i do go to fix it is the bushings and the switch, everything else is fine

 

Yeah some idiot welded mine into a desired position. Ground off the welds, new rebuild kit and bingo. Nice new working hatch unit. No problems since.

 

does anyone have the wiring diagram for the rear hatch? I got a pull down unit from an 88 Irock and the wiringis different for my 88 sport coupe. Did they put a pull down unit in all camaros with the the trunk button?

 

Just one of the many reasons I swapped mine over to the 82-85 Manual "Slam" Latch assembly.

You will need the mounting bracket and latch assembly out of a 82-85 donar car, then drill out the power pull down bracket, I had a friend weld in the manual bracket into my Formula, then you need to line up the manual latch with the U clip on the hatch, and then tighten it into place.

All In all it took 25-30 Minutes to do mine. My buddy also swapped over his 86 T/A and 88 Firebird to Manual as well.

A power unit is going to fail, there is just no getting around it, I prefer the nice reliable manual latch. I did not replace mine due to failure, I replaced it BEFORE it failed, so I did not have to worry about it.

 

how can I get the hatch to come back up? Mine went down but didn't come up when I opened the lid and now I can't get the hatch to lock.

 

Answered on your other thread.

Lon

 

my Sport Coupe came to me with no latch on it at all. I scavenged one from a junkyard but it was missing the motor and such. No worries... got into the car, closed the hatch and lined up where I wanted the latch to be. Took it to school and welded to up and now, no more issues..

Except it leaks

 

I don't understand why everyone has trouble with these things. As far as I know, if you LIGHTLY close the hatch, it will never fail. I've never had one fail on me, but I also never slam the hatch closed (good strong hatch shocks make it easier to be careful).

 

i must admit i am one of those guys that just welded the tracks, for me less hassle in the long run but it would be just as easy to undo it if i changed my mind

 

Mine was broken when I got my car due to someone slamming the hatch shut. However, the replacement is great for years now. If you're not properly rebuilding them and/or using junkyard specials, you're likely to be replacing them monthly. Just LIGHTLY close the hatch. Push down till you hear a click and it's all good. Can't treat these like a regular car or a 70's Caddy and slam em down, or even use mild power to close the hatch. I'm CONSTANTLY telling shops that have my car to NOT slam the hatch. I saw one guy shut it hard, then when it wasn't immediately down, he tried to pull it open to shut it again. Getting ready to tell all shops to never open my trunk unless I do it.

 

i freak out on peaple when they go to close mine even before they get a chance to slam. i start right in on them like softly or easy with that it doesnt take much to close it. or i just start yelling ill get it dont mess with it. i havent ever had a problem with mine.