Over 1,500 Sold!
We have been 3D printing and selling these latches since 2012, helping over 1,500 Territory owners all across Australia and New Zealand fix their dash bin lid. If you have a Ford Territory with a compartment on the top of the dash, and the catch that keeps it closed is broken, this part will fix it. Guaranteed.
Click here for Instruction Sheet
Youtube Instructions
Does your Ford Territory have a compartment on the top of the dash with a broken latch?
Mine did. The catch broke 2 days after we got the car. My local Ford dealer wanted $360. Ford only sell the entire compartment (not just the catch or the lid), and to make it worse you have to rip out half the centre console to replace it. With the fitting cost it was over $500. No thanks!
So instead, I pulled the latch apart, found the broken bit, and then designed and 3D printed a replacement.
This is a custom designed, 3D printed part (manufactured by us in Brisbane, Australia) that you can use to easily repair your latch instead of replacing the whole dash compartment lid! When you buy this you are getting an Australian designed and made product, as well as supporting a small family business, and encouraging a bit of Aussie ingenuity. Thanks!
Which Ford Territory Model?
This part fixes all Ford Territory models from 2004-2011 (TX, TS, Ghia, SX, SY, SYII). If your Territory has a compartment on the top of the dash with a broken latch, this is the part you need to fix it.
All Territories with a compartment on the top of the dash use the same latch. When it breaks the compartment won't stay closed. You end up with a hook like bit that is usually still in the latch, but loose and disconnected.
This 3D printed part fixes the problem. If for any reason it isn't the right part, I'll refund your full purchase price and your postage to send it back to us. We've helped over 1,500 Territory owners fix this problem with our 3D printed latch, and we haven't had a single one of our latches not fit or not fix the problem.
What you need to know about 3D Printed Parts:
This is a custom designed, 3D printed part you can use to easily repair your latch instead of replacing the whole dash compartment lid! It's made in Australia, using 3D printing, so it's a little different to a factory made product. Here's how:
It's not perfect. The finish is a little rough and textured, and has marks from the support material that held it in place while being printed. I spend a while on each piece cleaning it up, but it's never going to be as smooth or perfect as the original. It still looks fine, and my wife is very happy with how it looks in our Territory, so it passes the "Mrs" test. And if you think it is too ugly, you can return it for a full refund. I haven't had anyone take me up on this yet.
ABS plastic. This is the same type of plastic most of the original catch was made from, except the facing part, which on the original has a rubberised finish. This replacement does not have a rubberised finish. You can get nicer 3D printed things in resin or other less durable plastics, but we use ABS - uglier, but stronger.
Slightly flexible. Printed ABS parts are more flexible than injection moulded (factory) parts. The part flexes a little more than the original, but is certainly rigid and strong enough for the job. My son opened and closed one of these 3D printed latches over 1,000 times without breaking the latch (the hinges on the compartment broke instead). I think the flexibility of 3D printing helps it last longer. I have also stress tested the hook and it takes more than 13kg of direct force on the hook to snap it off. They're proving so strong we have only had 2 returns out of over 1,000 sold - and we strengthened the design after those returns.
Slightly different dimensions. I had to measure the part and then design it on a computer, so it's slightly different to the original part. I also reinforced the design to hopefully make it a bit stronger. The printing process has a slight fudge factor as well, so it's not exactly the same as the original. However, I guarantee the part fits and works for you, or I'll refund the entire purchase price and your postage to return it to us.
It's amazing. OK, I might geek out a little here. If you want to know how it works, here's the quick version: First you design the part using a 3D CAD program, then the 3D printer software slices the design into 0.2mm horizontal slices. The 3D printer takes a spool of ABS plastic (looks like a large reel of stiff, black fishing line) and melts the plastic through a nozzle at 260 degrees to a very fine thread which it "prints" by moving over the workpiece like a plotter (sort of like an inkjet printer). Unlike an inkjet or plotter, it can only do one colour (I use black ABS filament for this latch). After it completes a layer it lowers the workpiece 0.2mm and prints the next layer. It can take hours to print (this latch takes about 3 hours), and then you need to cut off the support material (extra bracing it prints to hold it together while being printed), and then clean up other marks on the plastic with a fine paintbrush and acetone. There are always small imperfections, and the finished product has various textures, including one I quite like which is a linen-like texture of the threads of each layer. Overall, it's very time consuming, the parts aren't perfect, and there's a lot of things you can't 3D print, but it's a whole new ballgame when it comes to making things - custom made things you simply can't buy.
What you need:
Skill level: Easy. See the instructions, or watch me do it in the video. Takes me about 5 minutes (I've done a few now), and Mums and Dads tell me it takes them about 10 minutes. I have never had anyone unable to install it.
Tools needed: Phillips head screwdriver (short and stubby one is best to remove the lid from the car), and a flat bladed screwdriver (Optional: WD40 / grease or similar).
Original parts: You need to keep and re-use all the other parts of the latch assembly: the upper lid, latch cover, latch base, and 2 springs (see instructions).
How Tough Is It?
Breaking point: I stress tested the part that sticks out and takes all the force, and it holds at least 13kg before it breaks.
Repetitive use: It's definitely kid proof. I have used one in our Territory since 2012. I gave my son the job of testing it to destruction by opening and closing the dash compartment on our Territory dozens of times every day on the way to and from school. After over 1,000 closes the hinges on the back of the compartment finally broke, but not our 3D printed latch.
Sun resistant: I had one sitting on top of a water tank in the full Queensland sun. After 3 years it started to fade slightly, and up until about 10 years it was still as strong as new.
Returns: I've sold over 1,500 of these and only had 2 break. Both those were early models, and I tweaked the design and made it even stronger after those two returns.
12 Months, 100% Money Back Guarantee
We love our 3D printed latches, and we want you to love yours too. So you get a 12 month guarantee. We will happily refund your money or replace the part if it doesn't fit, breaks, doesn't work how you expected it to, doesn't fix the problem, is too ugly, isn't what you expected, or if you are in any way unhappy with the part. We will even reimburse reasonable postage costs to return it to us, and if you'd like a replacement we will pay to send the replacement part back to you.
We really want you to love this part, so if you have a problem we really want to know about it, and we really want to help. Please get in touch if you have any problems at all.
What Do Our Customers Think?
"Awesome product, literally saved me hundreds of dollars."
"Great product, great idea, great communication, swift delivery, thank you."
"A pleasure to deal with, and the product seems stronger than the original part."
"Works real good. Saved me $280 if I had to replace the main centre dash console!"
"Deepest thanks for supplying a strong excellent product. Great improvement on the original. Price very reasonable. Well done and thank you for all the help."
"After a quick search I found this and ordered a latch ... part arrived fairly quickly from Aussie to NZ, part fitted and tested within 4 mins, fitted perfectly and worked as good as the original, fantastic service and support"
"After months of using blutac to hold our dash compartment closed, it is now fixed! Thank you! Thank you! The latch arrived within 24 hours of payment and it took less than 15 minutes to install. We will recommend this product to all our friends. Highly recommended."
"We just wanted to pass on our feedback regarding the replacement compartment latch we just purchased for our 2008 Ford Territory. Like quite a few others we see on the road these days, our latch failed and the quote for the replacement compartment from Ford was way too much to justify. Your solution is excellent, and shows great Aussie ingenuity combined with the latest technology in a 3D printer, as well. We had the part in our hands 2 days after we ordered it. Your instructions are clear and simple to follow and the installation was completed in 5 minutes. The car was parked out in the hot sun which is why it took a little longer! Thank you very much for providing a purpose-built solution for this issue." - M & J (Perth)
$42.50 AUD
(About $28 USD)
Each
Qty: 1
