1994 XJ - Leaking Tailgate

My tailgate leaks whenever it rains heavily.

I have loosened the nader bolt and pushed as far forward as I can to try and tighten up the tailgate when closed.

I have also replaced the weather stripping.

Neither worked.

Is there any other adjustment on the tailgate that I am not aware of?

It appears that the gate when closed is further away from the body at the bottom than the top. Although a 'hose test' has shown that the leakage is from the top.

Should I RTV the weather strip in place? The OEM was not.

I am worried about the pooling water damaging my sheetmetal given that most of it is new and I am too lazy to mop up the water when it rains.

One thing to check is the window seal. My '90 XJ tailgate had drooped which caused the top of the window frame to bend upwards. This created a gap between the window seal and the top of the frame. Water would collect in the top of the window seal and eventually start dripping into the hatch area. The "solution" was to seal the area with some RTV.

HTH
Todd

Mine was leaking down through the bolt holes for the hatch hinge. I took them out one at a time and siliconed the bolt and hole. Worked for me. Also check where your wiring harness goes through.

RTV it.