Rav 4 = Check Strap Bolt Popped Out - Help!

[caggle]

Hi

Cleaning our 2005 RAV 4 today - opened the tailgate to an awful crunch noise and the 10mm bolt that holds the check strap in place floating loose. Is it simply a case of getting it back in place or have we lost a nut somewhere? Thought about taking the check strap off completely - but having read the posts on changing the check strap not sure that's a good idea. Is that right?

No idea what we are looking at needing to do in order to repair this - help!

Caggle

[dave.m]

Hi mate, and welcome to TOC now first of all take a deep breath and dont panic ;)

Ok, when you say you might have lost a nut some where how do you know ? have you tried re-tightening the

bolt ? as I remember they dont have nuts, the bolts go into a tapped hole in the actual check strap itself. It it does not

re-tighten then maybe something has sheared. I'm assuming that you have allready read Anchormans tutorial

on this subject which is pinned above in the technical help thread. If not heres the link. -

http://toyotaownersclub.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=71227

Good luck. ;)

[anchorman]

The bolt must have been loose for some time. Like Dave says, try !Removed! it back in (there is a captive nut behind the frame) and you will need a 10mm spanner or socket. If the thread is stripped try a new bolt. It is an ordinary 6mm metric bolt available at any hardware shop, builders or engineers supplies so buy one about 25mm long with a nut. If the bolt does not catch on the thread, take the panel off and put the nut on the back where it comes through the frame and the stripped captive nut (you might be able to get at it by putting your hand through the panel for the tail light bulb). In other words the bolt will go right through the captive nut and you can put the nut that came with the bolt at the back of that.

Oh and welcome to the club!!!

[dave.m]

The bolt must have been loose for some time. Like Dave says, try screwing it back in (there is a captive nut behind the frame) and you will need a 10mm spanner or socket. If the thread is stripped try a new bolt. It is an ordinary 6mm metric bolt available at any hardware shop, builders or engineers supplies so buy one about 25mm long with a nut. If the bolt does not catch on the thread, take the panel off and put the nut on the back where it comes through the frame and the stripped captive nut (you might be able to get at it by putting your hand through the panel for the tail light bulb). In other words the bolt will go right through the captive nut and you can put the nut that came with the bolt at the back of that.

Oh and welcome to the club!!!

Just thinking about this again, dont know if he means the 2 nuts on the door end ? But dont know how they could break

or come loose as I remember they only hold the damper end to the door. The pressure is on the damper inside the door

and the pin at the other side is making the damper pull against the door.

[caggle]

The bolt must have been loose for some time. Like Dave says, try !Removed! it back in (there is a captive nut behind the frame) and you will need a 10mm spanner or socket. If the thread is stripped try a new bolt. It is an ordinary 6mm metric bolt available at any hardware shop, builders or engineers supplies so buy one about 25mm long with a nut. If the bolt does not catch on the thread, take the panel off and put the nut on the back where it comes through the frame and the stripped captive nut (you might be able to get at it by putting your hand through the panel for the tail light bulb). In other words the bolt will go right through the captive nut and you can put the nut that came with the bolt at the back of that.

Oh and welcome to the club!!!

Thank you for the welcome and just as importantly - thank you for the advice!

Apologies to both you and Dave, I'm a girly girl and not explaining myself that clearly so hopefully this will help. I've had a look your tutorial (I quite fancy modifying the door now!) and looking at the 8th picture down - the one showing the check strap - the bit that has popped out on my RAv4 is the pin shown on the left hand side of the photo. The pin looks all intact. All the connections for the check strap on the door and on the body are fine, this pin just seems to have worked itself loose - and as a result the check strap wasn't connected at the left hand side end (referring to your picture again!).

I'm not sure if I 'just' need to bring the check strap back over and line it up with the body-side connection and hammer the pin home again in the corresponding hole, or if there should be something more complicated I need to do. When I say I need to do, I mean biting the bullet and going to my local Toyota garage!

[anchorman]

I presume its the bolt on the frame as it is in tension.

He'll let us know no doubt

[dave.m]

I presume its the bolt on the frame as it is in tension.

He'll let us know no doubt

Looks like you both replied at the same time :) Caggle, line the holes up and knock the pin back in with a hammer

[caggle]

I presume its the bolt on the frame as it is in tension.

He'll let us know no doubt

Looks like you both replied at the same time :) Caggle, line the holes up and knock the pin back in with a hammer

I will give it my best shot! Caggle -

[caggle]

I presume its the bolt on the frame as it is in tension.

He'll let us know no doubt

Looks like you both replied at the same time :) Caggle, line the holes up and knock the pin back in with a hammer

I will give it my best shot! Caggle -

It worked! Thank you for your help :P

[dave.m]

Glad we could help

Remember to add some photos of your Rav to the pictures thread. If you dont know how to do it, have a look here -

http://toyotaownersclub.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=71238