Rear door assembly

A rear door assembly, comprising

• a vehicle body structure having a roof structure and a side wall that defines a rear door opening;
• a rear door movable between a door closed orientation covering the rear door opening and a door open orientation exposing the rear door opening;
• and
• a four-bar linkage assembly supporting the rear door for movement between the door open orientation and the door closed orientation, the four-bar linkage including at least a rearward member, a support bracket and a forward member, the rearward member having a first end pivotally attached to an upright portion of the side wall and a second end attached to the rear door, the support bracket being fixed to the roof structure with a rearward end thereof being cantilevered from the roof structure and the forward member having a first end attached to the rearward end of the support bracket and a second end attached to the rear door forward and inboard relative to the rearward member, with the first end of the rearward member being outboard relative to the support bracket.

A rear door assembly, comprising:

• a vehicle body structure having a roof structure that defines at least one roof ditch structure and a side wall that defines a rear door opening;
• a rear door movable between a door closed orientation covering the rear door opening, and a door open orientation exposing the rear door opening;
• and
• a four-bar linkage assembly supporting the rear door for movement between the door open orientation and the door closed orientation, the four-bar linkage including at least a first bracket, a second bracket, a forward member and a rearward member, the first bracket being installed to the roof structure within the roof ditch, the first bracket having parallel vertical protrusions with a pivot pin extending through openings at rearward ends of the protrusions and an opening at a first end of the forward member, the second bracket being fixed to the rear door with a second end of the forward member being fixed to the second bracket for pivotal movement with respect thereto, the second end of the forward member being located outboard of the second bracket and a first end of the rearward member being fixed to the side wall at a location spaced apart from the first bracket and a second end of the rearward member being fixed to the rear door at a location spaced apart from the second bracket.

A rear door assembly, comprising:

• a vehicle body structure having a roof, a rear end panel and a side wall, the rear end panel defining a rear door opening and a cavity opening, the side wall defining a wheel well with a cavity being defined between panels of the side wall, the cavity extending from an upper area of the wheel well to the cavity opening defined by the rear end panel, with a first ball stud supported within the cavity to the side wall adjacent to the wheel well;
• a rear door movable;
• a four-bar linkage assembly supporting the rear door for movement between a door closed orientation covering the rear door opening and the cavity, and a door open orientation exposing the rear door opening and the cavity, the four-bar linkage including at least an extender and a rearward member, the extender having a lower end attached to the first ball stud, the rearward member having a projection with a second ball stud mounted thereon, an upper end of the extender attached to the second ball stud such that extensible movement of the extends causes corresponding movement of the rearward member thereby urging the rear door upward;
• and
• a flexible boot member fitted to the rear end panel covering the cavity opening, the flexible boot member having an opening that receives and upper portion of the extender.