bjt
Very Helpful Member
Like many others, I have to use two hands to open the Spyders trunk. One hand on the key to unlatch the trunk and the other to lift the trunk lid.
I had adjusted the trunk latch pin so the trunk weatherstripping was compressed a bit and helped pop the trunk lid up if I opened it with the key. That worked good for about two months. I could pop the trunk with one hand and then release the key and the trunk would stay unlatched. However, it is now back to the two hand operation. I believe the weatherstripping has permanently compressed a bit and isn't pushing up on the trunk lid like it used to. Instead of adjusting the latch pin again to put a bit more pressure on the weatherstrip, I decided to try a mod I had seen someone else do quite a while back.
They put a small spring and a bushing over the trunk latch pin so when they turned the key to open the trunk, the spring would push the trunk up just a bit so the latch pin cleared the latch. I had a small spring or two laying around the garage but it was much larger than the spring that person had used. I contemplated buying the same stuff that he used but I decided to try and do 'zero cost' mod for a change and use the spring I already had. After just a little tweaking, I got my setup to work good. Time will tell if this will hold up to the elements and vibrations of thousands of miles on the road.
On to the details. I cut a flat spot on a fender washer to give a larger solid surface for the latch pin and spring. I cut a similar flat spot on a smaller brass washer. The second washer is a bit larger than the diameter of the spring to retain the spring in position over the latch pin. I then removed the latch pin and installed the brass washer between the two jam nuts on the pin, leaving everything loose. I put the fender washer in position on the trunk lid and screwed the latch pin back on the trunk. Next, I adjusted the latch pin to the proper position and height and tightened the first nut on the pin to hold it in position. (Tip - It is easy to adjust the latch if you remove the fuse cover. That exposes the latch mechanism so you can see how the pin is fitting in relationship to the latch.) Then I threaded / screwed the spring over the brass washer about two complete turns, enough to get the flat end of the spring completely under the washer. I tightened the second nut on top of the brass washer to hold everything tight. I tested the trunk operation and it works exactly how I thought it should. :doorag: Here are a few pics of the completed assembly.
I had adjusted the trunk latch pin so the trunk weatherstripping was compressed a bit and helped pop the trunk lid up if I opened it with the key. That worked good for about two months. I could pop the trunk with one hand and then release the key and the trunk would stay unlatched. However, it is now back to the two hand operation. I believe the weatherstripping has permanently compressed a bit and isn't pushing up on the trunk lid like it used to. Instead of adjusting the latch pin again to put a bit more pressure on the weatherstrip, I decided to try a mod I had seen someone else do quite a while back.
They put a small spring and a bushing over the trunk latch pin so when they turned the key to open the trunk, the spring would push the trunk up just a bit so the latch pin cleared the latch. I had a small spring or two laying around the garage but it was much larger than the spring that person had used. I contemplated buying the same stuff that he used but I decided to try and do 'zero cost' mod for a change and use the spring I already had. After just a little tweaking, I got my setup to work good. Time will tell if this will hold up to the elements and vibrations of thousands of miles on the road.
On to the details. I cut a flat spot on a fender washer to give a larger solid surface for the latch pin and spring. I cut a similar flat spot on a smaller brass washer. The second washer is a bit larger than the diameter of the spring to retain the spring in position over the latch pin. I then removed the latch pin and installed the brass washer between the two jam nuts on the pin, leaving everything loose. I put the fender washer in position on the trunk lid and screwed the latch pin back on the trunk. Next, I adjusted the latch pin to the proper position and height and tightened the first nut on the pin to hold it in position. (Tip - It is easy to adjust the latch if you remove the fuse cover. That exposes the latch mechanism so you can see how the pin is fitting in relationship to the latch.) Then I threaded / screwed the spring over the brass washer about two complete turns, enough to get the flat end of the spring completely under the washer. I tightened the second nut on top of the brass washer to hold everything tight. I tested the trunk operation and it works exactly how I thought it should. :doorag: Here are a few pics of the completed assembly.
These springs come off of Unistrut spring nuts in case anyone is wondering about size or where / how to get them.
