[rockyrivermark]

I'm not sure i follow you correctly. Here's my best guess.
Last month I installed new latches and re assembled the handle and latch rods.
So the angled part of the latch hits the bedside strike short point of the angle first. If one side is not that way then it was installed backward.
If I remember right the rods are not right or left handed and can be used on either side.
On one side the rod goes in the bottom of the latch first and on the other it goes on the top of the latch first, does that make sense?
Kind hard to explain without pics which I don't have unfortunately. I can take some tomorrow if someone doesn't follow up with some first.
Feel free to Pm
On a side note. My tailgate was original but my bedsides were repop. My tailgate was loose in the hinges with right to left lateral movement. So if I wasnt careful the tailgate would hit edge of bedside.
I used stainless steel fender washers inside the hinge cup on the bedside part to eliminate that play on each side. Worked really well
Mark