- First Name
- Tina
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- Location
- San Diego, CA
- Vehicle(s)
- 2022 Ford Bronco 2-Door
- Your Bronco Model
- Black Diamond
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- #1
I made this release handle out of paracord so that I can get out from the inside of my Bronco rear swing gate.
Recommended Tools & Supplies
Follow these steps:
1. Use the pry tools to remove the tailgate trim panel.
Start on the left side, the left side has the clips, and the right side just slips out once the clips are popped out.
2. Remove the inside release lever cover.
3. Using the small needle-nose pliers, find the release lever (just so you know where it is. It's very hard to see).
4. Fashion your wire into a flexible needle with a small loop at one end.
5. Poke the other end through the end of your inner paracord, and squeeze it closed to secure.
6. Feed the loop end of the wire through the hole in the release lever.
This is the tricky part, but I swear there is a hole in there!
7. Once you get the wire through, use the loop turner or hook to grab the loop end and pull the paracord through. It helps to push lightly from the paracord end while pulling it through from the other end.
Success! At this point, I closed the tailgate to check that it worked, with the window open, of course!
Now that you have your paracord through the hole, you need to determine the size of your loop. Pull enough paracord through until you have two strands, equal length and long enough to form a simple loop plus a couple of inches. I used about 60 inches total but 30 inches as it is doubled on itself.
8. Tie a regular āol knot just at the end of the lever ātunnelā to keep it all tidy.
9. Feed the loose ends through the tailgate trim panel.
10. Replace the trim panel by sliding the right side into place and pressing the left side clips into the swing gate.
11. Fashion the cord into a loop handle as you please. I used a cobra knot, but this was my first time using paracord, so not sure I could explain it as well as the zillions of videos on youtube. I liked Bored? Paracord! and Paracord Planet videos.
UPDATE: Be sure the loop is thin enough to tuck back into the trim panel to avoid accidental or nefarious openings!
12. Once you are done, just pull the handle along the tailgate, as shown below.
Donāt pull straight away from the tailgate. It wonāt work and may damage the lever.
This is what is happening when you pull the cord:
Recommended Tools & Supplies
- Plastic pry tools
- Four (4) inches of wire, or anything you can fashion into a flexible sorta needle, I used 22 gauge craft wire.
- Small needle-nose pliers
- Something skinny with a small hook on the end, I used a loop turner for sewing. You could probably use a hook and pick tool set too.
- Twenty (20) feet of paracord, I used PARACORD PLANET 275 LB Tensile Strength Paracord Rope for the inner cord and PARACORD PLANET 425 LB Tensile Strength for the outer cord. (You may not need this much.)
- Lighter
- Paracord FID or something metal to push ends through when done and smooth out singed ends. I used a pair of large pair of tweezers (again from my sewing kit!)
Follow these steps:
1. Use the pry tools to remove the tailgate trim panel.
Start on the left side, the left side has the clips, and the right side just slips out once the clips are popped out.
2. Remove the inside release lever cover.
3. Using the small needle-nose pliers, find the release lever (just so you know where it is. It's very hard to see).
4. Fashion your wire into a flexible needle with a small loop at one end.
5. Poke the other end through the end of your inner paracord, and squeeze it closed to secure.
This is the tricky part, but I swear there is a hole in there!
7. Once you get the wire through, use the loop turner or hook to grab the loop end and pull the paracord through. It helps to push lightly from the paracord end while pulling it through from the other end.
Success! At this point, I closed the tailgate to check that it worked, with the window open, of course!
Now that you have your paracord through the hole, you need to determine the size of your loop. Pull enough paracord through until you have two strands, equal length and long enough to form a simple loop plus a couple of inches. I used about 60 inches total but 30 inches as it is doubled on itself.
8. Tie a regular āol knot just at the end of the lever ātunnelā to keep it all tidy.
9. Feed the loose ends through the tailgate trim panel.
10. Replace the trim panel by sliding the right side into place and pressing the left side clips into the swing gate.
11. Fashion the cord into a loop handle as you please. I used a cobra knot, but this was my first time using paracord, so not sure I could explain it as well as the zillions of videos on youtube. I liked Bored? Paracord! and Paracord Planet videos.
UPDATE: Be sure the loop is thin enough to tuck back into the trim panel to avoid accidental or nefarious openings!
12. Once you are done, just pull the handle along the tailgate, as shown below.
Donāt pull straight away from the tailgate. It wonāt work and may damage the lever.
This is what is happening when you pull the cord:
Sponsored
Last edited: