My rear lift gate (i guess that's what it's called AKA: my rear window) handle doesn't turn and allow me to latch it closed and lock it. Where can I get these kinds of replacement parts??

Also someone said once before you take your top off of your scout inpect your body mounts/bushings...what's the deal is there a lot of strucural rigidity lost when the top is off???

Originally posted by Cliffhanger:
<STRONG>My rear lift gate (i guess that's what it's called AKA: my rear window) handle doesn't turn and allow me to latch it closed and lock it. Where can I get these kinds of replacement parts??</STRONG>

Call a Scout vendor, there not cheap as they are becoming rare these days. Anything Scout had a couple of prototype new units for sale. Also Josh C, riged up a garage door handle to work in place of the T-handle. But if the handle is still in one piece, try to disassemble it and lube and check everything.

Originally posted by Cliffhanger:
<STRONG>Also someone said once before you take your top off of your scout inpect your body mounts/bushings...what's the deal is there a lot of strucural rigidity lost when the top is off???</STRONG>

Yes the roof does help support the body, if the front cab mounts are in bad shape, when you pull the roof the bulk head could tilt forward, if it is the middle mounts, the body could sag in the middle, both cause problems with closing the doors.

Joe <IMG SRC="smilies/smokin.gif" border="0">

Actually I did take it off and lube it up and it twists good now when it's off but when I put it back on it won't wist again. I also took the rods out and the end latch's twist w/o the rods connected to them but don't when the rods are in.

So I'm narrowing it down but can't quite decide what's causing it'

Thanks for the info on taking the top off. Does this also hold true if the body MOUNTS are bad but the floor is a little rusty???

Does anyone offer new body mounts or would I be better fabbing up my own if mine are bad (I haven't even checked yet.)

What ever you do don't remove your top if you floor and body mounts are bad, you will never get the top to fit right agian, its like taking a uni-body car cutting the top of and it staying square, it doesn't work. Fix the mounts first and then you can remove the top. Any one of the scout places like SSS and AT scouts has the cab mounts the front ones are $110.00 for the pair and since your there replace the body bushings. The body mounts are a pain to replace the first set i replaced took about 6 hours since then i have done about 4 sets and know they take about 3-4 hours to replace. Invest in eye protection when you tear into them. A set of safty class's and a sheld are cheaper than a trip to the eye doctor, i know from experence

I remember hearing way back when I first got my Scout that some of the Stanley garage door handles actually work for some of the Scout stuff. Take it off and go to Ace to see if you can find a replacement <IMG SRC="smilies/biggrin.gif" border="0">