Trouble with rear door actuator, has anyone replaced these?

[98EXPY 5-0]

Has anyone replaced the door lock actuator in the rear doors of a Gen 1? My driver door actuator was a bit lethargic. It would lock, but when trying to unlock, the pull would just twitch and not really move. I removed the one from my parts vehicle and drilled out the rivets. I used a 1/4" bolt and installed the actuator. The rear passenger side door lock is the same way. But when I pulled the inner door off, I saw that the space is so cramped and unfriendly to access, I just left it as is.

Whats the trick? Has anyone done this?

 

[98EXPY 5-0]

Nobody?

 

[GAINMOB]

prob not...g/l

 

[Tuner710]

Rear passenger

Yes, when I bought my 98 the rear passenger lock didnt work. I took the panel off and felt around in there and found the actuating rod laying in the bottom of the door. Turns out the plastic connector has 2 ears on it that were broken off. No response from Dorman on a replacement connector, and its one of those obscure small parts you cannot find locally. I ended up using a rod cap retainer to hold the rod in place and so far so good. Installed the rod to the actuator and then connected the rod to door lock. If I remember right I taped the bolt head to hold it in place when installing actuator.
From your post it sounds like there is more working room on the drivers side?

 

[98EXPY 5-0]

There is better access in the front doors. The rear door, the linkages all meet way back in from the opening. I can barely see the hook on the actuator. I need to remove the actuator and put another on in, but I can hardly see it, much less get a hold of it. In order to get the driver's door one in, I had to slighlty open the bend on the hook to get it in, then I tried to bend it back once it was in. There just isn't enough room to swing the actuator around to get the hook out.

 

[gator]

I had to replace the actuator on my '01. it wasn't that bad once i got the door panel off. it is an awkward angle to replace the bolt that holds the bracket to the door but wasn't anything too difficult. if you take the actuator out of the bracket and pop it in once you have the bolt threaded but still loose it should make it easier.

 

[98EXPY 5-0]

I'm not as concerned with the actuator as I am with the linkage. I'll just drill out the rivet to get the actuator out and put a 1/4 bolt back in. It's the little hook on the end of the rod that I can barely see and don't really have enough room to engage or disengage it.

 

[1997SCEBFEX]

I distinctively remember using one of those mirrors on an extentable handle and two sets of super long curved needled-nosed vise grips when I did my L rear driver's door in 2001. Extra set of hands are also a must.