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Sweden, Stockholm
1 Level
687 Review
71 Karma

Review on πŸ”’ Pop and Lock PL5050C Tailgate Lock Upgrade for Toyota Hilux by Nathan Tank

Revainrating 1 out of 5

Misassembled and plastic

Bought to latch our 1991 Toyota pickup as our hard trunk lid can only be opened when the tailgate is open. The new pen arrived in a box, the contents of which had come loose from the zip ties that were supposed to hold it, leaving the plastic with a few scratches. Nevertheless, I proceeded with the installation. I removed the existing metal latch from the tailgate and when I installed the PL5050C I found that the pivot leg was installed on the wrong side of the crank arm. I've tried various ways to fix this, but it's not possible without completely removing the rotating metal part. I have sent this directly to Pop and Lock with pictures but have not received a response. Also, a note to buyers that the entire handle and locking mechanism is made of plastic, not metal. While it would be nice to have a lock, I don't know how long it will last, especially if the tailgate latches are tight. UPDATE: I received a replacement that had EXACTLY the same issue: the latch was on the wrong side of the mechanism. Instead of returning it and getting another misassembled block, I decided to fix it myself. The handle is attached to a long central pin that acts as an axis. This pen has a nail-like head on one end. The surface under the head is slightly thicker than the rest of the pen and is grooved to allow for friction to keep it in place. I used a small hammer to lightly tap the other end of the pin until the thicker part came out of the hole. I then pushed/pulled the pin, removed the locking mechanism, adjusted the position of the metal rocker, reinserted the locking mechanism, and then reinserted the pin. Then I tapped the head until it was flush with the edge. Now it works as it should.

Pros
  • cool product
Cons
  • poorly thought out