Inside Liftgate Release


This thread at Element Owners Club inspired me to install an interior liftgate release lever. Unable to find a suitable stranded sheathed cable, I started with the base and sheath from a solid-wire choke cable, Dorman/Motormite (Help) p/n 55101. I reversed the threaded collar so the nut can be installed from the top (details). A hood release cable kit, Dorman p/n 03323 (Figure 1), has a stranded cable but requires that most of the square end be ground down (Figure 2) to fit into the choke cable end shaft.


Figure 1
  
Figure 2

The rest was simply a matter of fabricating a bracket to hold the end of the cable sheath (bracket made from junk box parts in Figure 3; later version here) and mounting that assembly to the existing mechanism (Figure 4). The base is bolted to the liftgate frame (Figure 5) under the plastic garnish (Figure 6).



Figure 3
  
Figure 4


Figure 5
  
Figure 6


Photo gallery of subsequent installation here.




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