rear hatch handles

[cheyenne10]

I see posts that say the rear blazer liftgate hatch handles are the same as a hardware Store garage door handles. Is this the way GM made them with small gas cap type key? I was assuming the stock lock used the ignition key like a burb. Is it worth getting original rekeyed if key is lost or just buy a new handle with new keys for easy R/R?

"A sign of a mans freedom is his lack of keys". I need my pocket space for other things!

[72BLAZERDUDE]

That is right. I have always had a seperate key for the rear hatch. If you building a perfect restoration get it rekeyed. The hardware store ones look pretty close but not identical. You will have to shorten the post. Cloe enough for anything Im building.

[Dan72cst]

My ignition key works in mine.

[1970blazin]

Originally there was a lock key, ignition key, and hatch key! Whew lots of keys to get if you lost your only set!!

[cheyenne10]

I always assume blazers were like pickups with door and iginition matching. My burb even has boths doors, ignition and rear liftgate still matching. A bonus I guess. I learn something new everyday. Bottom line is manufacturer could mix and match as they had parts available and even mid-year changes. This is probably why we see so many combos out there today.

[k5hart]

I have one key that fits all of the locks, including the hatch handle, and the ignition on my '72. I am almost positive this is original as the whole truck is very original.

[MAC67]

hey blazerdude ,, could you post the larger version of youre avatar , is that youres ?!!!!! and what is that paint code/ thats the color ive been looking for

[Gee_Emm]

If your ignition key opens your hatch lock its time to get a new lock, probably anyone with a key could open it. The garage door ones are the only way to go, very close to the original. I am happy with it and I am VERY picky about things like that.

[red71cheyenne]

I don't believe that our trucks came original with the ignition and door locks on the same key. Both of my trucks were nearly original and I had different keys for ignition and door locks. I didn't even know you could get them the same until you replaced one or both of the ignition and door locks. Jeff.

[cheyenne10]

I am almost certain that the majority of 67-72 Chevy c10-c30 series trucks (cars may have been diffetrent, I'm not as well versed in them) came stock with 1 common key for ignition and door. There again may have been some trial thing where manufacturer did something other than the standard. I'm certain that in 73 with the newer models they seperated the keys but remember that then you could lock your doors by pushing down the buttom and shutting the door (can't tremember if we needed to hold in the button). Not many of us can lock our keys in the ignition if we need them outside the truck to lock the doors.

With the new cars the remote locks are real handy, I would like to add that conversion to one of my trucks some day.

[k5hart]

I still have the old original looking GM key that opens every lock on the truck. I never had a second key for anything. Both of my previous truck have been the same way. Maybe the original owner rekeyed everything, but I would be surprised. As for the hatch handle, believe me no other key will open it. I have tried. Cheyenne 10 may be right in saying maybe GM did it a couple of different ways. They have been known to do that on occassion.

[red71cheyenne]

Thats funny, I just always assumed that my two different keys were the original thing. I was really impressed with my '95 suburban single key thing. Guess my blazer lock set will be truly original seeming with only one key. Thanks for setting me straight. Except for the hatch key that is. Jeff.

[pound41]

I have a 70 and a 71 blazer both work off of one key, that s the way they came

[k5hart]

Hey, I found this looking for the jack installation instructions today in the books with my blazer.



Its from the 1972 owner manual. Still didnt say specifically if the hatch handle was the same. Just thought it was interesting.

[cheyenne10]

Well back to solving my rear hatch lock problem. My ignition/door lock key fit well into rear hatch handle but didn't turn lock. I took lock assembly down to good locksmith today and he swore it was after market garage door type lock handle and it was a sealed unit that he couldn't open up to rekey to match my ignition. Having a lot of the history on this truck and it having low miles I was suprised to hear it had been changed out. He tried to sell me a couple of replacemnt handles none of which had the right mounting screw spacing and then suggested I needed to redrill mounting holes. NO WAY I told him. Then he finally said he could make a key to fit it but it wouldn't match. He told me if I could hit junkyards and get an "original" he could rekey that one to match. Well I left him the lock and he made a couple of "gas cap" or garage door style keys for it and charged me $9. I went home and reinstalled handle and was trying keys. The new ones didn't work real smooth but did the job. On a wild hair I matched the new key up to my ignition key and it wasn't too far off. I stuck in GM ignition key that fit like a glove before and WAH-LAH now it works. The lock must have been dirty.

Lesson learned. I am very happy now with one key and probably original locks all in good condition. This is the way it was intended. All these little things add up. NowI think I wil be yanking glove box insert and replacing high speed fan relay.

[k5hart]

Cheyenne10 - glad to hear you got the handle lock squared away. I went through the exact same steps you did. Key would go in but not turn the lock, went to the old locksmith in town, he told me the same story you got. I went home and started soaking the lock with WD40 and low and behold its worked ever since. Sorry I didnt tell you this story earlier, it may have kept you from some headaches. Anyhow, congrats on a job completed!

[pound41]

most people don't know what a real blazer handle looks like nothing like the real thing. If you have had the little key cover off you need to make sure you get oil on the back side I have actually seen a bunch of them rust/potmetal come apart from inside out. there is no repo part for that little cover

[cheyenne10]

pound41;
Do you have a pciture to show piece you mention? Were you able to take apart lock? I will also try to post a picture of my stock handle. I agree the after market ones I have seen are a little different.

[PICKMUP]

Original on the left with part of the top still attached...broken off in roll over!!!

[cheyenne10]

Franks picture show pretty well the stock handle I have on left. From aftermarket handles I saw the mounting holes had a different center to center spacing.

[pound41]

The little circle with the with the slot cut for the key. That is what I am talking about. That is what was partly froze on your lock. There is space between it and the handle itself because it turns. The slot for the key also catches water. A locksmith will have that out to fix the tumblers. I was just saying I have seen some handles in yards where those were damaged. I had to replace mine because of it rotting from the inside out. I don't think when you spray wd-40 in it it actually hits the flat part of the back.

[Gee_Emm]

Just a side note, you should never use wd-40 on any type of lock. It tends to gum up the pins or wafers. If you are having problems with your key I would recommend using a little graphite to free it up. Powder kind is prefered over the spray kind.