nevermind, i was able to figure it out. you just need the necessary torx head socket to remove the latch from the side of the tailgate and the tailgate handle. luckly the rod just slipped out of the plastic clip that connects the rod to the handle, and the clip wasn't broken. it was a little tricky to guide the rod from the side and grab it through the handle hole. but once i got it, it was easy to reconnect to the handle. so i lucked out. wasn't too bad.
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nevermind, i was able to figure it out. you just need the necessary torx head socket to remove the latch from the side of the tailgate and the tailgate handle. luckly the rod just slipped out of the plastic clip that connects the rod to the handle, and the clip wasn't broken. it was a little tricky to guide the rod from the side and grab it through the handle hole. but once i got it, it was easy to reconnect to the handle. so i lucked out. wasn't too bad.