Re: rear hatch on Jeep Cherokee won't open
Neil,<br />I have a '98 too (its a classic instead of a sport but I think it should be the same). Just went out and looked at mine, and it appears you can do this from the inside with the door still closed, removing the cosmetic panel to get to the latch.<br />There's 8 total phillips head screws holding the panel on, all of which can be accessed from the inside with the hatch still closed. The first four screws are easy and are along the top of the hatch.<br />The other four screws consist of two on each side. I would start by folding down the rear seat and removing the spare tire from the inside and getting it out of the way. Now, look/feel along each side for the two screws on that side. The topmost screw on the side is the hardest to get too, because it is behind the gas strut. You will need to move the gas struts out of the way by removing the two bolts on their top mounts. Be careful, because these struts are under pressure! I don't know how much pressure, so be careful so you don't get hurt. Once you move the top of the gas strut out of the way you should be able to get to the top screw on the side. Its too tight to get a regular screwdriver in there, but I'm thinking that using a phillips head bit (like used in power screwdrivers) stick it in there and then put a wrench that fits on the hex end of the bit so you can turn it. I don't know if the screw is too long to back out all the way. If you want to go this route, let me know and I'll go back out one of the screws and let you know if its too long or not(my hatch opens
). THe bottom screw on each side is pretty accessible.<br />Anyhow, those 8 screws are all that holds that panel on, there are no screws underneath. You should be able to remove those 8 screws and pull off the panel from the inside to get at the latch.<br />Let me know how it goes in case the same happens to me!
