I just bought an extended cab '01 2500 Extended cab with the suicide rear doors. Once I got it home, I realized that neither of the back doors would open. The top latches will release, but the bottom latches will not. I've pulled the handle and looked inside, and even pulled up the lower rod with vice grips, but the latch still did not release. I can't seem to get any look at the lower mechanism with the doors closed to figure out what the next step is to get them to open.
Additionally, the latch to lift up the back seat doesn't release. The release handles move and feel like they are doing something but the seat never releases. Once again, I can't get a look at all at what is happening with the seat locked in the down position.
Can anyone help with how these mechanisms work? (The lower rear door latch and the seat release to lift the rear seats.) Has anyone had similar issues and know a fix? If anyone can post pictures of a working lower latch and/or a working seat latch I'd be greatly thankful.
I've found a few references of people fixing the rear door latches by whacking them with a hammer to get them to open, but never could tell where and how they were hitting. I don't mind trying some brute force IF I know that there is an actual direction where the brute force has a chance to be beneficial -- last thing I want is to mess it up worse. If someone has successfully done this, could you let me know where you whacked it and in which direction? Similarly, I've seen references to people spraying it with WD40, etc, but no references as to where they were actually spraying it.
Additionally, the latch to lift up the back seat doesn't release. The release handles move and feel like they are doing something but the seat never releases. Once again, I can't get a look at all at what is happening with the seat locked in the down position.
Can anyone help with how these mechanisms work? (The lower rear door latch and the seat release to lift the rear seats.) Has anyone had similar issues and know a fix? If anyone can post pictures of a working lower latch and/or a working seat latch I'd be greatly thankful.
I've found a few references of people fixing the rear door latches by whacking them with a hammer to get them to open, but never could tell where and how they were hitting. I don't mind trying some brute force IF I know that there is an actual direction where the brute force has a chance to be beneficial -- last thing I want is to mess it up worse. If someone has successfully done this, could you let me know where you whacked it and in which direction? Similarly, I've seen references to people spraying it with WD40, etc, but no references as to where they were actually spraying it.