range rover classic tailgate still feckin opening!

tried everything!!new catches etc..adjusting it one way then the other etc..

it was fine,then it was not..seems to coincide with s/c being installed!..

have even fitted extra electric catches,but it pops them!!

tailgate is ali,perfect nick,and it was fine,never once poped open,now every 5 miles!!gonna nail it shut soon!


looking for "nice" extra set of locks etc to secure...nothing visablefrom outside hopefully..(so no bonnet catches!!)

help!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

had that problem on my 91...it turned out to be the leaver where the plunger makes contact wasnt moveing back up into right position...slightest bump and it would open,,,i used wd40 and knocked some rust out....to fix..

I assume you have got a hair trigger top tailgate. It sounds like you have adjusted the operating rods and the latches themselves are free. There are two options, first, the lower tailgate may need slight adjustment - try adjusting the lower striker plates so that the lower tailgate is pulled in tighter - that should enable the top tailgate to engage the upper strikers better.

The other option is to adjust the upper strikers - there isn't much room to adjust these, but I have found it doesn't need much. Loosen the striker and move it rearward as much as you can which isn't much at all. Hope that helps ya, I had a similar problem and it drove me nuts too.

On the classic that i had 1990,When closing the top tail get it often opened a bit.Then i found every time i opened the glass tailgate i flicked the gold colored catch up with my finger then it closed and locked proper,,Did that for years,

Silly question possibly but are you pressing on each of the the bottom corners 'till they click shut or just closing the tailgate with the handle?

As has been said, how is the bottom tailgate sitting? Have a drive with the bottom open and top shut and see if it still pops. Mine shuts 100% with the bottom tailgate open but is liable to popping open when they're both shut.

I've adjusted as much as I can but think its a hangover from welding the lower tailgate hinge about 2mm too high on the rear crossmember. A bungie around the strut keeps it shut for now and will hopefully sort a permanent solution when the warmer weather arrives.

Try a steel one for a while, those ally one do bend easy

have tried all suggestions....buyt to no availe...looking for a good steel one now...


thing is it was perfect....it even pops the auxillary electric catches i have added for now..

oh it stays shut with lower gate open,but there is no more adjustment on either top or bottom gate.

Resurrecting this one...I have the hair-trigger top tailgate on my 87 RRC since did major chassis welding.
The lower gate is way off closing on one side now...Im thinking that the hinge fixing point is rotted away (lots of rust shale falling out) as no adjustments help.
Oh well, bungees are cheap. Doing all this metal work will, Im guessing, anger the head gasket gods ,leading to more spanner worship.

Still getting nowhere, and have MOT soon so the birmingham spanner will have to come into play.
Every time I think I will get some running maintenance done...

I used to own a classic that did the same thing, the guy I used to buy my parts from said they flex when you shut them and dont catch properly on both sides and advised me to shut it by holding the bottom right hand corner only. never had a problem after. Hope it works for you

Opposite for me, I close the top down gently and then lean on the L/H corner to get it to click into place. Common enough problem, had exactly the same with a classic I had years ago.

Ever thought of making it a pick-up? They always were a bastard, I had a new top fitted and you had to slam both sides to get it to lock, thought the glass would break.

Thanks guys. Its beyond the "shutting by corners" routine now - the lower gate will not close on the O/S, so the upper does not reach its pins. I think the body may have a twist in it, that sprung when I repaired the chassis without jigging.
As the proverbial "they" say...bugger

And yes, pickup has come to mind..did a volvo 240 estate many years ago, so I know it can be done! Also just acquired new (to me) big MIG, so tempting me is not difficult