98 hatch rattle WHOA IS ME

[rabies]

yea i know there 8978 threads on it. but no1 comes to a conclusion, just a ghetto fix or jimmy rigging it.
i have a 98. and its driving me freeaking nuts
the hatch/lock/etc is dif on the pre 97 supposedly.
some guys have this problem and they go to the length of welding on a dif striker catch...:flameon:

i have loosend and moved the striker forward as far as it will go.
the bumpers are all the way out.
the lock mech is supposed to click 2x.
mine only clicks 1x.

if i slam it it shuts tight..until i hit a bump, then rattle rattle rattle.
i have no plastic on the inside of the tailgate.
no loose pieces,

(for sure is the hatch. after a trip. get out and grab hatch it wiggles around not latched all the way. the bumpstop things are in good shape. i can see a big gap and see light from the inside out around the hatch.)
very dirty. sprayed with wd40. still same.

buy new handle/latch/lock?
anyone elese have this problem and youv taken apart the lock/catch mechanism and found the problem? prolly some dumb broken spring or somethign small.
id rather fix mine but theres alot of little pieces in the latchy lock thing
(also need proper name if i was to buy part online)

[93xj97347]

My wife and I both have 93's and they both rattle. On mine I put a piece of rubber between the hatch and body on the bottom. It doesn't seal anyway so I'm fine with it. Im still trying to fix my wife's. I've replaced the latch with a jy part and it still rattles.

[cpttuna]

do you have a friend near you that would let you look at his XJ hatch? Maybe you could spot something that could be causing the problem?

[rabies]

no. no friends actualy at all .. :/ sad life i know.
theres a 99 in the JY i might go take it this saturday. otherwise i might get stupid and ratchet strap it from inside

[NW99XJ]

i DID have this exact same problem on my 1999....
The fix? ...NEW bumpers.
http://lgcdn.jeep4x4center.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/5/5/55254847___image_thumbnail_4053.jpg

The rubber degrades over time, and they loose their rigidity... and of course their ability to provide proper positive pressure on the hatch to keep it engaged properly with the latch mechanism.
They're relatively cheap... i think i payed less than $20 for mine from the dealership, and i know they're even less online. (i'd personally go with a true MOPAR Part though, just for peace of mind.
MOPAR P/N: 55254847

TRUST ME... its got nothing to do with the latch, and even though those bump stops are moved all the way out... they are beyond the point of doing what they're designed to do. They may even look just fine, but trust me... a new set will cure your woes.
Just make sure you adjust the posts back in a little once you swap them out.

Good luck, hope this helps.

[rabies]

even when they are somewhat new and firm? the latch is clicking all the way like it should

[abebehrmann]

Sounds like mine was different than yours but maybe it will help you or others down the road who find this thread. I noticed that my hatch appeared to be sticking out a little farther than other XJs I saw on the road and it was rattling a bit and driving me NUTS. I finally fixed it by adjusting the striker plate ~1/4'' towards the front of the Jeep to get the hatch sucked back into the body, this ended up solving the rattling problem but then made it difficult to unlatch the hatch. I then adjusted the mechanism just like Josh did here: http://www.xjtalk.com/showthread.php?t=11349

Now my gap between the hatch and the body looks the same as other XJs, no more rattles, and I can actually open the hatch. All in all, took about an hour to adjust everything and zip it back up.

[editedforsafety]

i DID have this exact same problem on my 1999....
The fix? ...NEW bumpers.
http://lgcdn.jeep4x4center.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/5/5/55254847___image_thumbnail_4053.jpg

The rubber degrades over time, and they loose their rigidity... and of course their ability to provide proper positive pressure on the hatch to keep it engaged properly with the latch mechanism.
They're relatively cheap... i think i payed less than $20 for mine from the dealership, and i know they're even less online. (i'd personally go with a true MOPAR Part though, just for peace of mind.
MOPAR P/N: 55254847

TRUST ME... its got nothing to do with the latch, and even though those bump stops are moved all the way out... they are beyond the point of doing what they're designed to do. They may even look just fine, but trust me... a new set will cure your woes.
Just make sure you adjust the posts back in a little once you swap them out.

Good luck, hope this helps.

One of mine was shredded and the other was pretty dry rotted, and my hatch would rattle on occasion. Been meaning to replace them for a year. After reading this, I put in an order from Advance auto for a new set for something like $3.50 for a pair. I also ordered a set of rear bumpstops because one of mine fell off when I was swapping out my shocks. Threw in a new pair of gloves I needed for work, and used a $20 off order of $50 or more coupon code, and picked the gloves and the liftgate bumpers from a local store. Gotta wait for the bumpstops for the suspension to come in the mail because they were not in stock anywhere around here.

I slapped them on in the parking lot, and it is completely noise free. The Dorman brand seems fine, and for the price I can't complain. I can't see how Mopar would be that much better. If the original ones lasted almost 15 years, I would have to think that even if the rubber sucks in these ones they will still last a few years.