Tailgate crank clutch fix / upgrade

So My tailgate window was not rolling up or down without me pushing on the window to help. I replaced all the parts on the crank including the problematic clutch. My new clutch lasted a total of 9 days! Then both tabs broke off. Piece of @*&%
Well the old clutch was still in tacked. Turnout not to be my problem. So before I reinstalled it I wanted to make it stronger / reinforce the tabs to stop this from happening again.
This tutorial is my fix. May not be the best but it appears to have worked for me. I guess time will tell.

First tools and materials needed:
Clutch (new / good one or broken one with tabs you can reattach)
Piece of pipe APPROX 1” long with an inside opening of APPROX 1 7/16" or 1 1/2". The outside diameter is APPROX 1 5/8". The clutch should fit inside as snug as possible. I lucked out and stopped by a local machine shop and got a piece of scrap aluminum pipe for free. You can use a dremel tool to open it up a little if needed. Snug is the key though.
JB Weld (I used quik weld, I’m not very patient)
Bench grinder
Hand file
Sawzall
Vise is helpful
Sharpie, maker, or pencil
Clean rag or two. (JB Weld is messy)
(these are the tools that I used but I’m sure you could figure out another way if needed)

Once you have these together you can read further. Just picking, please read on and let me know what you think.

1st

The clutch has a lip around the outer ring at the base of the tabs. Use the bench grinder to smooth this lip off. This will allow the pipe to slide down past this point where the lip is.

2nd

Place the clutch on the vise to hold it tabs up. Slide the pipe down around the clutch. Use a Sharpie or something to mark the inside of the pipe where the sides of the tabs are. Also, continue the line onto the top edge of the pipe. These lines will indicate where the JB Weld will go later and where to cut.

Also draw a line on the outside of the pipe and clutch. This line will help you place the pipe back on the clutch in the same place you have it on now. Just makes things a little easier down the road.

3rd

Remove the pipe from the clutch.

Mixed up some JB Weld. It will not take much, especially if you got a pipe that is a really snug fit.

Now apply the JB Weld to the inside of the pipe between the line you made earlier (where the tabs will go).

4th

Line the outside line on the pipe up with the outside line on the clutch and place the pipe onto clutch keeping these two lines lined up.

Now slide the pipe down over the clutch till the top edge of the pipe is flush with the top edge of the clutch tabs. The two items should be flush at the top.

My pipe was really sung so I used the vise the squeeze them together.

Once you have them where you want them use the clean rag to wipe off any excess JB Weld.

5th

Mix a little more JB Weld or if you had left over you are set.

Flip the assembly over so that the clutch tabs are down. Now you will see there is a gap between the pipe and part of the clutch.

Fill that gap with more JB Weld. This will help strengthen the clutch and bond the pipe to the clutch.

Again clean off any excess with a clean rag.

Let sit and cure.

6th

Ok we are back. Part has cured and time to do more work.

Place the clutch in a vise and secure it snug. The flat part inside the clutch should be higher than the top edge of the vise.

Use the saw zall two cut two cuts straight down through the pipe stopping at the flat part of the clutch. Use the marks you placed on the top edge of the pipe earlier to line up the saw zall blade. The marks will give you a guide to start the cuts and stay closes to the vertical edges of the tabs.

Now make a horizontal cut to remove the pipe between the tabs. Make it as close to the inside flat part of the clutch as you can. Try not to go below it. I went just a little above so that I would not cut into the clutch. You can remove any excess later. Now do the other side.

7th

Use a file to file down any excess pipe material around the tabs. This will allow you to fine tune the pipe to the clutch and smooth out your cuts. Once the tabs are done do the same to the base (horizontal cuts) of the pipe. You could use a grinder or something else if you like. I used a file so I would have more control and not file into the clutch. But, this one is yours so do it however you like.

8th and Last

Now reinstall your new reinforced clutch to the window crank and there you have it. So if my fix works the way I hope you will now have a more durable window crank assembly.

Like I said in the beginning, I just did mine so we will have to see how long it will last. Has to be longer than the 9 days of the new one I bought.

Hope this was helpful to somebody.

Great idea! I welded mine last time. Been holding my breath sense!!

Nice presentation. My window has a lot of play in it when cranked from up to down, almost half of a turn. Sounds like the tabs are about to go.
What is the clutch made of; cast aluminum, steel?

milradioman said:

Nice presentation. My window has a lot of play in it when cranked from up to down, almost half of a turn. Sounds like the tabs are about to go.
What is the clutch made of; cast aluminum, steel?

Click to expand...

Its cast. When mien started to go at first it had a lot of play too. I think one tab broke before the other. Then when it went I heard a pop and nothing but free spinning. The fix I came up with really doesn't take long and is pretty easy to do. The hard part is finding the correct size pipe. Since I stopped by a local machine shop first I never checked to see what Lowes had.

Do you know the pipe inside dimensions? Was it a stock pipe or did the machine shop turn it for you? Is the clutch hard to get to and remove? I have greased the mechanism before so I am somewhat familiar with the workings.

milradioman said:

Do you know the pipe inside dimensions? Was it a stock pipe or did the machine shop turn it for you? Is the clutch hard to get to and remove? I have greased the mechanism before so I am somewhat familiar with the workings.

Click to expand...

I am not sure the inside diameter. I will check when I get a chance. It was scrap they had lying around. I just lucked out. It was a snug fit and like I showed in the pictures I had to press it in. I also cut off a little piece of it to get the right length i wanted. I'll measure it later and let you know.

Taking it off was easy. Just pop off the little spring clip and it slides right off the crank.

Thanks

Ok, Thanks, this will be my next project, maybe fix the rust on the tailgate too.

milradioman said:

Ok, Thanks, this will be my next project, maybe fix the rust on the tailgate too.

Click to expand...

I bought Peel n Seel from Lowes and did the inside of the tailgate while I was in there. Now when you thump the tailgate is sounds more solid not hollow.

carter262 said:

I bought Peel n Seel from Lowes and did the inside of the tailgate while I was in there. Now when you thump the tailgate is sounds more solid not hollow.

Click to expand...

Found it online, as the closest Lowes is a few hundred miles from here. Good idea, I was contemplateing different materials to use for the tailgate rust repair.

Mine just broke this week, what is the OD of the pipe?

epitts said:

Mine just broke this week, what is the OD of the pipe?

Click to expand...

I just updated the first post with the OD of the pipe. (APPROX 1 5/8"; I had to use a tape measure didn't have a micrometer)

Hope it works out for you. Good luck

You sir deserve some kind of award for this thread