This on my 01.
Somewhere along the way, the original back hatch just crumbled, damn particleboard crap.
So I cut out a replacement out of real plywood as a replacement, I just have to rout out the edges where the carpet folds under and it can go in.
My question has to do with the latch. In order to get it in the new plywood hatch, I it needs to snap apart.
I did go to the junkyard and got another hatch from a junker as a template. Which gave me a 2nd latch.
Well I ruined that one, the pins that lock in to each other busted off. Is there a trick to get the latch apart without breaking it, and/or can I get that latch new by itself, from Dodge any more/ or is there a substitute available elsewhere that will fit the original size hole provided for the latch?
i already have the hole cut out of the new plywood replacement for that latch.

 

So nobody knows if the rear hatch latch is available separate, whether from Dodge or maybe somewhere else?

 

man its been 2 days, it takes time for people to see your post and respond. most of us dont camp out on here waiting for posts, we check in when we have some free time.

my suggestion would be to go to the parts manual for your year (found in the FAQ thread at the top of the section) and lookup the part number for it. Then go to google and see what comes up.

 

Well gee, golly, thanks. That wasn't the usually helpful type of reply that usually happens here. I didn't think I would need to say this but I was just really hoping that someone who .had worked on this aspect of their Durango would respond with something helpful, that one sure wasn't.

 

Part numbers 5gk82dx9ab and 5gk83dx9ab. (sold in halves). Discontinued, occasionally found on eBay for about $60 each. Some sites list the part as a lid, but it's just the latch halves.

 

wow that's expensive for what they are.... was hoping I could find something that would work and fill the hole, at a hardware store level.... something like a foot locker latch or something along that line...
I broke the original one trying to pop it apart, have 1 more here to attempt to pop apart without the same issue happening to "it"
My hatch (itself) kind of disintegrated... it seems they used a combo of heavy cardboard/OSB/particleboard to make the original hatch door from the factory.... I cut a replacement out of real 1/2" PLYWOOD, and had my cabinetmaker buddy take it to work and rout out as the original was, for the hinge pockets, around the latch opening, and ~1-1/4" around the 3 edges on the under side just like the old one was, except tor the back edge where the hinges connect.....
painted one side, with Rustoleum Satin Black, waiting for it to dry, so I can do the other side.... then will glue the original carpet to its top side, and wrap around the sides and back edge just like it originally was, and fire up the Milwaukee air powered stapler to fasten the carpet to the hatch board (still gotta pick out the old staples from the carpet.... they bite)

 

I AM NOT paying $120-ish for a new latch ($60/ea, top and bottom half) I went junking, got 3-4 of them... busted them out of the floor hatch. Any idea how to separate them without breaking them (rendering them useless) so I can get at least 1 good top half and 1 good bottom half?

 

How are they held together??

 

snap together.

 

Well, I guess I must be the only person to ever mess with these parts? nobody seems to be chiming in