Here I am with what seems to be a standard complaint.The rear door on my '90 4.0L ext is stuck shut.It has had problems before,as my previous 3.0L did.Usually it would be a link rod that had popped out,and once everything was torn apart and lubed up nicely all was fine again.
This time,however,the very last linkage rod that attaches to the mechanism for the doorpost itself has fallen off completely!
I can see no way whatsoever of getting the door open now.I found this out when I went to put the rear bench back in for the winter(makes for good ballast)I ended up having to take out the middle captain's chairs and wrestle the bench in through the side door.On a good day I'm 145lbs and somehow did it without help or a hernia.
Question is - Is there any way at all to pop open that rear door?
There is no way that I can see how to get at it and of course no inside release.
I guess when it comes down to it I can live with it stuck closed but with the seats out the aerostar can put some pickups to shame with their cargo(dump run) capacity.
I would like to get the thing working again but I am perilously close to grabbing the welder and sealing the deal.

 

If you can tell that the last link has fallen of, can you possibly use a piece of coat hanger bent with a hook on it to fish down to catch the latching mechanism to release it? It will be hard and you'll kind of be fishing in the dark, but if you came at it from the passenger's side of the mechanism it might work.

The only other thing is to remove the trim panel and totally remove the liftgate latch release control assembly (4 bolts) so you can get to the latch to lift it. LOL

Ron