Tail Gate Lock Freezing

DRP06 · February 28, 2009

My tail gate lock has frozen for the 4th time this winter. I spray lock deicer into the lock after every wash but the damn thing freezes up. The last time this happened it feels as if there dirt (salt?) in the mechanism.

What do you guys use and/or do when this happens to you?

Bmart · February 28, 2009

that happened to me this winter. i think it was jammed full with salt. i put my key in just a bit to make some space to fit an air compressor nozzle into the gap. blowed the heck out of it, then lubed it up with some good lube. worked like a charm..

lvlagnum · February 28, 2009

DRP06.

I'm sure everyone has their favorite lock de-icer or lubricant that they swear by and think is better than all the others but I use a product called "Rem Oil". It is marketed by Remington for use on firearms but the label says that it is good for most outdoor and marine equipment applications as well. You should be able to find it in most gun, sports, hardware, and deparment stores.

Rem Oil supposedly has a Teflon lubricant in it and it works MUCH better than WD-40 or anything else that I've tried. I've used it on seized gas cap locks, seized door locks and even to free-up seized electric motors. I sprayed a few drops on the bearings of a refridgerator freezer fan motor that an appliance repair serviceman assured me would cost $80.00 for a new motor and another $80.00 in labour to fix and it's been spinning like a top ever since.

Just make sure you unplug or disconnect whatever electric motor you are working on before you go trying to lubricate it. I imagine the results could be VERY spectacular and stimulating if you didn't. A caution from the label is to use it sparingly and whipe any overspray or drips off of plastics and paint. I don't know if it would damage automotive paint or plastics but I would be careful non-the-less.

Whatever you do try and if you find something that works well, please let the rest of us know.

Cheers, lvlagnum.