Rod clip for safety latch release on the hood

[Crunch]

The door rod clip that holds the safety latch in place on the hood latch assembly degraded and fell off today. Is this a common part that can be obtained from an auto parts store, or something unique to the application that requires an exact part #? I was driving along and heard a rattle so I pulled over and tried to lift the hood, but to my surprise, I couldn't find the safety release mechanism. After feeling around I discovered that it had dropped down and I had to use a long ratchet extension to pop the latch. Ended up using several winds of electrical tape to hold it in place till I got back into town. I'm almost tempted to remove the entire latch assembly and drill two small holes on either side of the rod so I can use wire to hold it in place. But if the plastic clip is something common--and cheap I will go that route. Thanks.

 

[mwilson]

Bad news and good news...

Bad News...it comes with the safety latch from Mopar.....


Mopar..

 

[mwilson]

Good News....

I have them here, used on Freightliner trucks to hold the door lock rods into the door latch...

Plus any parts store that supplies a body shop should have some...if you have a Freightliner or Western Star dealer nearby tell them you want an "AVA 27801"...should sell for under a buck...

There are left hand and right hand variants so make sure you have room to swing the body over the rod from either side...

Mine is opposite from the Mopar one for example....

 

[DavidC]

I threaded that rod and double nutted with loctite. No more plastic worry for me. Been done for 5+ years now.

 

[BigPapa]

They should be available in the Dorman Help Section at most auto parts stores. You may have to get an assortment to get the one you need.

 

[Crunch]

Well, I stopped by an auto parts store and checked with one Freightliner shop. The auto parts store had an assortment pack that looked like only one had a chance of fitting. The Freightliner shop wanted the last 4 digits of my VIN...for my Freightliner truck. I told him it was for a Dodge pickup and asked if the part number I had (from the above post) would work, and he said it wouldn't. There is a Western Star place a couple of miles from my house, so I'll actually drive in tomorrow to see what they can do. Interestingly, I talked to a friend who also has a truck of the same year, which prompted him to check the clip on his hood. He said it looked like it was fairly degraded, so when he was out running errands he stopped by a Dodge dealer, and after talking to the parts guy for a while they were able to find a part number, and eventually the clip, which was listed for a different year truck. He bought it for about $4 from them. Funny how a cheap, plastic part can be so integral, yet no one seems to have the part, and wants to sell you the $20+ striker that comes with the little clip. I did see the exact clip advertised on the Internet for only .58, but I'll be danged if I'm going to use a credit card to buy it and then spend however much more for shipping when it would travel just fine in an envelope with a simple stamp. I may thread the rod myself and go that route if I have trouble wrangling it from the Western Star shop. This is one of those parts where it would have made far more sense to secure it with a metal bracket and screw, but of course that would have taken the truck assembler 45 seconds to attach it, vs. the 5 seconds it takes with the plastic clip, which would add up over time and add another $500 to the cost of the truck. I suppose I should just be glad that the entire rod didn't fall out on the highway somewhere. At least the electrical tape should last until I find the clip. Thanks for all the info.

 

[mwilson]

Are you kidding me??

I’ll take the high road and give you a few visual aids for your next visit to a dealer....I am shaking my head I must admit..

 

[BigPapa]

You should’ve just bought the assortment and been done.

These clips are used everywhere on all vehicles. I bought the assortment for one clip I needed, threw the rest in the glove box. The next week my father’s tailgate wouldn’t open. I took it it apart and found the clips on the rod broken and a rod had fallen out. I had what we needed to fix it in my glovebox.

 

[mwilson]

Visual Aid # 1

Show him the part number in the Paragon DTNA system...DTNA has 3,695 available as you can see...

 

[mwilson]

Visual Aid # 2

If he still insists on a VIN use “989118”

BOM 655-C00230. Latch, door....

First line under Ref # 16

 

[mwilson]

Or just buy the assortment....but I think it would be far more entertaining to have you armed with everything and go back in....

 

[Crunch]

You should’ve just bought the assortment and been done.

Or just buy the assortment....but I think it would be far more entertaining to have you armed with everything and go back in....

Well, it was definitely a mixed bag today. Because I was born with a trouble making bone I took the numbers provided by @mwilson in to the Freightliner parts department and they were able to find the clips. But while the part that wraps around the rod fit, the nub that gets inserted into the striker was too small. So then I moved on to the assortment pack from the auto parts store. Of the six various style clips in the assortment, only one fit into the striker. Unfortunately, the part that wraps around the rod was square and loose, and sure enough the rod slipped out within the hour. So for now I am using the assortment pack clip because fitting the striker is the critical fit. To adjust for the loose fit on the rod I wrapped some electrical tape around it after attaching it to the rod, before inserting it into the striker. The rest from the assortment pack and the Freightliner part are now in the glove box, waiting for their appropriate use or for comparison should I find clips that look like a better fit. Threading that rod is looking like a more viable option now, too. I've got the tools and several trays of nuts so it would make a good rainy day project to kill time and avoid spending time in the rain. Thanks for all the help everyone.

 

[mwilson]

Sorry it did not fit...but I’m glad you made them dig out the part..

 

[mwilson]

Mine is still in storage so working from memory. I may dig it out this weekend so I will eyeball it.
Is there enough room to thread it as you suggest and use a ball / socket style end I wonder??

 

[DavidC]

Think I threaded it to 10/32. Maybe an hour or so, put some blue loctite on and tightened the back to back nuts. It's not going anywhere and after the frustration going through the grill with a gas welding rod it was time well spent.

 

[mwilson]

Heim style in a 3/16” male / female maybe??

 

[BigPapa]

What’s the diameter on the hole and the rod? I have several at the shop I’d be glad to mail you if I have the right size.

 

[Crunch]

Sorry it did not fit...but I’m glad you made them dig out the part..

What’s the diameter on the hole and the rod? I have several at the shop I’d be glad to mail you if I have the right size.

Yeah, I get a perverse thrill when I thwart the efforts of petty functionaries coasting through their job.

Truth be told, as aggravating as these little things can be I actually kind of dig the challenges they present. It's almost like a quest to beat the Reaper or something. Don't worry about sending me one, @BigPapa. I've got a couple of angles I'm working on, plus a backup. I can thread the rod and use a couple of nuts, like @DavidC did. Or I can also try using a small, hex head self tapping screw on the back of the Freightliner clip. That should have the effect of bulging out the nub so it won't slip out of the hole, or at least the hex head would be too large to go through the hole. As a backup I can always get the one my friend got from the dealer after he checked his truck, or at least get the numbers off the paperwork he has. There is something in me that makes me want to improve on the shortcomings of stuff designed by people who don't work on them. I'm one of those guys who overbuilds things like work benches and makes things better and stronger than they have to be, just because it's fun and interesting to try out crazy ideas. But I would also bet that there are a lot of people here who do the exact same thing, which is why the bean counters detest people like us.

 

[BigPapa]

Whatever you want. I don’t know that I’d call it a “shortcoming”. It worked great for 18 years on your truck and even longer on others.

 

[Crunch]

Whatever you want. I don’t know that I’d call it a “shortcoming”. It worked great for 18 years on your truck and even longer on others.

Yeah, that was a poor choice of words on my part. I just think they could have come up with a more elegant way to attach it, such as a metal clip. I guess I've got a bug up my butt about all the plastic used on vehicles these days. Even on "luxury" vehicles the interior comes off as very cheap. I once had a '69 Mercury Marquis Brougham that had an awesome interior. The bench seats were more plush and comfortable than your average sofa.