CK5
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Tailgate

hammermachine

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My 1989 K5's tailgate is motorized and not fully rising. It goes up and stops at least 3 inches from the top. I opened it, and greased the gears but I don't know why its coming up short.
 
There's a little switch inside the tailgate. It tells the window motor when the tail gate is closed and allows the window to do all the way up. I'd just jump the wire. IIRC its on the drivers side. 2 wires going to it.
 
If the window is moving at all, that switch likely fine....unless the window is bumping it somehow on the way up, probably not the case tho.

I pulled mine out and hard wired the wires together...so no safety switch.

Can you unhook the motor and crank it with a drill? Or does it bind?
 
Window

Its always binded alittle since I had it. I used to slightly push the window as i closed it and it would go all the way up. Now that trick doesn't work.
 
Check to make sure the guide rails are clean and free of obstruction, also make sure the tail gate is closed all the way and is even on both sides ie. the gap between the gate and the side of the truck.
 
So is it possible to extend the window with the gate open and down? I thought there was a safety that prevented this?

Yes, just flip the latch on the driver's side so the safety switch thinks the gate is closed.
I forget, but you might have to flip the passenger side too in order to operate to handle to get the latches in their 'open' position.
 
Today I worked on it. Like I was told, I bypassed the safeties and was able to operate the window while the gate was down. The window would full open while the gate was down, but continues to stop just more than 3/4 the way up. I might have to replace the track the glass sits in (rusted) and anything else. But money is really tight, so I have to plan carefully.
 
You sure the top is all the way forward? Someone may have not bolted it tight enough to the cab.
 
Gate

You sure the top is all the way forward? Someone may have not bolted it tight enough to the cab.

Yeah its all the way forward, all the bolts lined up. Its secure. I think either there is something rusted and fouled or the something is internally off. I don't know.
 
I'll bet it's a regulator or track issue. Mine has a spot where it traditionally binds up. If the weather is warm the motor generally powers past it, but you can hear the clunk. If the motor's feeling lazy you have to help it past the rough spot by hand. It seems to be about 8-10 inches from the top. Of course, the weatherstripping is so old it may just not be keeping the window aligned properly.
 
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