Help confirm my thoughts on rear hatch lock - please

[SPUDLEYDORIGHt]

I just acquired a 1988 B2 EB edition. The rear hatch has a wiper and defrost w/ the fixed glass. There is no lock cylinder in the hatch and there is no provision for locking the hatch. From what I can gather, 1984 B2s had a hatch release that was keyed and no lock cylinder. All other years had a lock cylinder. I'm guess that my hatch was replaced with a 1984 hatch which leaves me with no way to lock the hatch. Am I right? The paint is a close match, but is clearly not the same although I know paint will age differently on different surfaces (metal vs fiberglass). All that said, is my only option to get another hatch w/ a keyed cylinder?

 

[franklin2]

I have a 1984, the black handle for the hatch has a slot right in the middle. I have to put the key in the middle of the handle, and then turn the whole thing to open the hatch. It's rather a pain, I normally do not lock my Bronco. But there is no way to open the hatch without the key inserted. I got the bright idea to just leave the key in place, but it started to rust so I had to re-think that. I now leave the key in the console lock, and anytime I want to open the rear hatch I have to get it and insert it in the hatch.

Certainly there is something better that you could come up with than that. I guess if you live in the big city it needs to be locked at all times?

So you think you have a early hatch and someone put a later handle in it? On my handle the key sticks right up in the middle of it, there is no separate cylinder inside the handle. I guess the handle is the cylinder.

 

[4x4prepper]

> All other years had a lock cylinder.

My 1985 has no locking handle or cylinder. Just a handle to open the glass or gate.

 

[SPUDLEYDORIGHt]

> All other years had a lock cylinder.

My 1985 has no locking handle or cylinder. Just a handle to open the glass or gate.

So how do you lock the vehicle?

 

[4x4prepper]

Chain looped back through wheel holes with both ends attached to long shackle lock attached to hole in the piece on the lift gate.

 

[SPUDLEYDORIGHt]

Chain looped back through wheel holes with both ends attached to long shackle lock attached to hole in the piece on the lift gate.

That's one way to do it!

I've got a line on a hatch that has the lock cylinder as well as the movable glass. I'll have to see how that pans out.

 

[fastpakr]

> All other years had a lock cylinder.

My 1985 has no locking handle or cylinder. Just a handle to open the glass or gate.

It should have had the ability to lock it when new. I don't remember the details, but my '84 could definitely be locked from the factory.

 

[2 bronco 11s]

Got an 84 parts truck , it has a lock cylinder just like the 88 . It also has the glass that opens.

 

[SPUDLEYDORIGHt]

All very interesting. Hard to figure out what year/models had lock cylinders and what didn't! I'm going to just have to replace my hatch since the chances of finding a keyed latch handle are probably very remote! Here's a shot of my lift-gate w/ no way to lock it! Now that I adjusted the latches it opens like it's brand new so it won't be hard for some ne'er-do-weller to take my stuff.

 

[4x4prepper]

I think if they had anything to lock versions like ours, it was probably a cable that went from the striker to over a wheel lug, that secured the tire so it could not be taken along with preventing the hatch from opening.

BUT, I have never seen that gizmo that is on your striker facing up, SO, I think it might have been used to hold a rod, that went though the tire, and secured with this Ford lock which I found in a Bronco II or FSB (I forget) which uses a Ford key. I am using a picture from a crazy E-bay seller

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expecting $500 plus S&H for a rusty FSB tire carrier, that illustrates the rod. It looks like the oval goes over a wheel lug and under the key cylinder it attaches to something. I am thinking there is a second piece missing which snaps into the back of the lock cyl shaped like a pine cone - wedge.

 

[SPUDLEYDORIGHt]

I think if they had anything to lock versions like ours, it was probably a cable that went from the striker to over a wheel lug, that secured the tire so it could not be taken along with preventing the hatch from opening.

BUT, I have never seen that gizmo that is on your striker facing up, SO, I think it might have been used to hold a rod, that went though the tire, and secured with this Ford lock which I found in a Bronco II or FSB (I forget) which uses a Ford key. I am using a picture from a crazy E-bay seller

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expecting $500 plus S&H for a rusty FSB tire carrier, that illustrates the rod. It looks like the oval goes over a wheel lug and under the key cylinder it attaches to something. I am thinking there is a second piece missing which snaps into the back of the lock cyl shaped like a pine cone - wedge.

That is a crazy price!

The doo-dad on my carrier is an antenna mount - the PO was a HAM radio guy.

I'm in the process of resolving my problem. I got a hatch from FB Marketplace that has the lock cylinder (that I need to replace). It also has the glass hatch that I would prefer over the stationary glass even though there is no defroster for it. My new hatch has the lock cylinder but also a power lock actuator. My current hatch doesn't have that, but if it did it would negate the need for a key.

I was at the local pick-a-part today and they had an 84 b2 that had a hatch w/ window hatch and two-way handle. The handle had a slot in the middle for a key as the hatch had no lock cylinder like mine. The handle was thrashe and didn't work, so I didn't bother taking it. I did take the window-hatch seal as it looked perfect! On a side note, I did get a nearly flawless full dash pad that only has a small <1/2" crack. I'll have to paint it, but it's light-years better than what I have and will be better than a snap-on overlay.

 

[4x4prepper]

> The doo-dad on my carrier is an antenna mount - the PO was a HAM radio guy.

OIC - Maybe that is where I will mount my CB antenna since this B2 mirrors are not really cut out for dual whips.

> I did get a nearly flawless full dash pad that only has a small <1/2" crack.

Easy enough to fill and fix. I lucked out on my 89 F-150, near perfect interior including the dash pad.

What I have done in previous B2s is use the tray over the glove box as a place for the alarm system, cut a hole in the back for the wire entry, then place a piece of well painted thin steel plate over the opening behind the dash pad so it looks stock (same color as dash) and that there never was a tray there. Unless you know B2s, you would never know. Living in GA I would probably place a 12V fan in there to provide cool air circulation, but, my alarm system did just fine there when in MA,NH, ME, and that location allows you to use the speaker locations for a sensor and antenna. Though today I suppose you could run a camera lens in the middle of the dash with a well placed hole, though I would go for a speaker grill since you can't un-drill a hole.

I have always wondered if I could get a Ranger sliding window to work in there, it looks close.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

I would have to check mine. I want to say that if there’s no key cylinder in the hatch, it had power locks including one in the hatch usually. Which when it didn’t work had me climbing back there to pop it…

 

[RobbieD]

Not completely positive, but your B2 may have an earlier hatch with a later handle.

I think that the earlier years had a key cylinder in the release handle, and the later years had a separate key cylinder and latch handle, like here on my '90:

The hatch release handles break rather easy, and good junkyard spares have really long dried up.

I think it's possible that a past handle repair on yours may have used a replacement from a newer B2. It wouldn't make sense to have locking in the front doors but not the hatch.

 

[ElectraRider]

I don't remember how I did it but I used one from a explorer with a few minor adjustments.