I know you've got time and money invested in your struts and cables, but you should take the whole rear makeover one step further and weld the tailgate to your liftgate and make it one big liftgate like the modern tahoes/burbs. Ditch the lower hinges, use bigger struts (probably at a different geometry), and you can use the original latches and button.
Every time I go to Costco in mine I and have to reach over the tailgate to load/unload I think about doing that (not a fan of barndoors).
Maybe I'll have to be the guinea pig on that one since you pioneered this one
