98 V70 tailgate rattles and latch failing

Post by **98v70dad** » 04 Aug 2015, 17:50

My V70 tailgate rattles. It annoys me and I'm tired of it so I decided to do a systematic one at a time approach. It installed the upgrade kit for the tailgate "interior side cover" with the little metal reinforcing plates and installed 4 screws along the bottom. The screws were my idea because the plastic clips that came with the kit are pretty wimpy for the task. This worked well. Anyhow after a few years the rattles returned. I removed the lower interior trim panel and noticed that the upper interior trim panel doesn't have much holding it down so I need to come up with some supplemental hold down for that location (both sides)...thinking about another screw. Anyhow, since I was being complete I inspected the rubber bumpers and they are all dried out and cracked and shrunk so 'll probably replace .

Next I inspected the latch and here is where I got my big surprise. The moving mechanism inside the the latch is PLASTIC and shattered with many cracks splits in it however it is currently still functional. I bet that it lets the door bounce around when I hit a bump, adding to the problem.

So, can anyone tell me how hard that part is to replace and how you go about it. Its only a matter of time before it stops working altogether?

As a design engineer I can't believe they used plastic in that application (its a safety and durability issue), but they did. Some of the details found on this car amaze me. The latch assembly is held in place with three large torx bolts and the case of the latch is metal but the part between your child or dog or a load of cargo falling out of the tailgate is PLASTIC.

Post by **98v70dad** » 04 Aug 2015, 19:14

I did some searching here and found a little bit that covered this topic learned that the part is expensive and someone had posted a picture of the part. It looks like a fairly simple remove and replace, but you never know....that's why i asked. I retract my comment on the plastic used in the latch since it appears that the latch hook is plastic coated, probably done to keep it from rattling.

Post by **98v70dad** » 05 Aug 2015, 04:53

No help? I was hoping for comments on what might be the source of my rattles. I've now taken off all the trim and the door still rattles badly so my guess is that its the failing latch, but if there is something else I should consider I'd like to know about it.

obayha · Post by **obayha** » 05 Aug 2015, 08:29

Not that it should make a huge difference, but how strong are your struts? I will be replacing mine this weekend and attacking the rattling of the tailgate also. I had screwed the top and bottom of my '98 years ago, and it put the noise to rest. Had purchase the $30.00 fix kit from Volvo and it lasted no time at all.
I ended up using some "L" brackets in the top to put the screws in and that seemed to do it. The bottom had plenty of places to screw into. My '99 has a broken bumper and plan to replace it with one from the '98 and maybe add some padding to it.
I'll take some pictures of the brackets for show and tell. Maybe it will help with others.
Shane

Post by **cn90** » 05 Aug 2015, 08:38

I didn't find the rattle kit helpful, so I discarded it.
Instead, I used some drywall screws, it worked great.
I posted some photos in the past, forgot where.

cvtech · Post by **cvtech** » 05 Aug 2015, 08:39

I just posted on this exact topic: https://www.matthewsvolvosite.com/forums ... =1&t=71117

Post by **cn90** » 05 Aug 2015, 08:42

Found the link. In that link we talked about:

1. Silicone Caulking at the edges.

2. Drywall screws.

http://volvospeed.com/vs_forum/topic/13 ... -silicone/

Post by **98v70dad** » 05 Aug 2015, 18:16

I i nstalled the rattle kit a few years ago. i was not really impressed but since I had already payed for it I went ahead and put it in. I installed 4 screws with "dress up" washers across the bottom into automotive plastic inserts which I shoved into the slots that already existed. The screws worked great. I have been thinking about carefully drilling some holes across the top and using the plastic inserts again. i think that a short piece of small pipe cut to the right length and slipped over the screw would help keep the plastic panel from getting over tightened or distorted.

Anyhow, I've removed all of the tailgate trim and the tailgate is still rattling. I think the source of my rattles is the broken latch (I bought a new latch on the drive home today), but since I have all the trim off its a good opportunity to button this up good when I put the panels back on.

obayha · Post by **obayha** » 06 Aug 2015, 12:04

I do remember finding the latch attached to the frame loose at one point. Good idea to remove all the trim and take for a test drive and see if it still makes noise.
I would probably be removing a lot of parts until they all stopped rattling.

Post by **98v70dad** » 08 Aug 2015, 20:22

I replaced the latch a day ago and it significantly reduced the rattling but didn't eliminate it. I ordered new bump stops at the dealership today hoping that new ones will give a tighter fit when the tail gate is down.

So with ALL THE TRIM REMOVED and a new latch installed the tailgate still rattles a bit.

Any ideas about what to do next? I could adjust the latch brace for a tighter fit but I'm a little afraid to mess with that because it will be hard to adjust.