Rusty Tailgates

[Colin S]

I'll start off with a bit of advice for those of you fortunate to have a rust free upper tailgate. PROTECT IT WHILE YOU CAN!! In the three years I've owned my truck, I've watched my tailgate go from straight, to bubbly to gone. The first major wakeup call happened when I hit a bump and the entire brake light/central lock/latch and pod ripped free from the glass. I figured "no problem I'll just screw it back on. This helped for a while but now the situation seems terminal. The other day I went to open my tailgate and the latch ripped free once again and the entire bottom of the tailgate disintegrated into a brown pile of iron oxide on my nice clean carpet. With nothing to hold the latch in place when I push the button, I am unable to open it. My question is twofold. Firstly, does anyone have any advice on opening it? I tried pulling the individual actuator rods but the trim piece prevents me from doing so. Secondly, is there a replacement tailgate that uses say, aluminum instead of steel? I cant keep climbing over the back seat to get something every time i need it. Also a side note, if it is extremely cold outside, dont tug on your door handles, they will snap with annoying expensive results. At least now I have a low tech security system.

[TOZROVR]

....if it goes, just get the aluminum unit from Bill at GBR...about $440 delivered in the US

[azpaquin]

Originally Posted by Colin S

I'll start off with a bit of advice for those of you fortunate to have a rust free upper tailgate. PROTECT IT WHILE YOU CAN!! In the three years I've owned my truck, I've watched my tailgate go from straight, to bubbly to gone. The first major wakeup call happened when I hit a bump and the entire brake light/central lock/latch and pod ripped free from the glass. I figured "no problem I'll just screw it back on. This helped for a while but now the situation seems terminal. The other day I went to open my tailgate and the latch ripped free once again and the entire bottom of the tailgate disintegrated into a brown pile of iron oxide on my nice clean carpet. With nothing to hold the latch in place when I push the button, I am unable to open it. My question is twofold. Firstly, does anyone have any advice on opening it? I tried pulling the individual actuator rods but the trim piece prevents me from doing so. Secondly, is there a replacement tailgate that uses say, aluminum instead of steel? I cant keep climbing over the back seat to get something every time i need it. Also a side note, if it is extremely cold outside, dont tug on your door handles, they will snap with annoying expensive results. At least now I have a low tech security system.

I put in a black powder coated aluminum upper tailgate from GBR. It is still perfect and I wallow in salt from the ocean and highways from the salt trucks. Now don't ask about the crossmber or underbody.. I am constantly babystitting the rust from the Prev Owners neglect.

[RR Paul]

Its not just here in rainy old england where the rust worm eats away at tailgates then!

[Serg]

Heck no.. I am in CA and mine has a nice rust spot on the lower left hand side.. it used to be a east coast truck.


Serg

[RR Paul]

Originally Posted by Serg

Heck no.. I am in CA and mine has a nice rust spot on the lower left hand side.. it used to be a east coast truck.


Serg

Its so weird to hear of Range Rovers being called Trucks!
Here in the uk we call them....... erm.....Range Rovers

[Roving Westward]

Originally Posted by RR Paul

Its so weird to hear of Range Rovers being called Trucks!
Here in the uk we call them....... erm.....Range Rovers

You think THAT'S weird. How about hoods being called "bonnets" and front quarter panels being called "wings."

[Serg]

You know.. the girl I am dating calls it a truck.. I think that is why I started calling it that.. duh!

Yeah I am gonna scrape and rustproof it. Being in CA I can't see much more rust spreading out..


Serg

[siam]

I wish that Truck and Rover thing works for the Insurance folks.. Hehe coz it's cheaper to insure a truck than a Rover ..

[Jonesy]

I am with the other guy who started this post! Just about a few months behind as mine latches and closes, but over bumps has a nasty habit of opening by itself! The rust is pretty prevalent so i figured I need the new one!

Q 1: Does it come with all the hardware or is it just the frame?
Q 2: Is it easy to install?

Also - What is the website to order it??? Mahalo!

[azpaquin]

Originally Posted by Jonesy

I am with the other guy who started this post! Just about a few months behind as mine latches and closes, but over bumps has a nasty habit of opening by itself! The rust is pretty prevalent so i figured I need the new one!

Q 1: Does it come with all the hardware or is it just the frame?
Q 2: Is it easy to install?

Also - What is the website to order it??? Mahalo!

[91hunter]

I would love to get one of the alum. liftgates for $440, instead of the $700+ that I normally see. Where can I get one? PS - can you give me more contact information for Bill in GBR.

thanks

[TOZROVR]

http://www.greatbasinrovers.com/

It is a kit. You need to dismantle your old unit and rebuild it with the new fram and your old glass.

Cheers!

RJ

[hamrendan]

Sometimes when the tailgate refuses to close, or when it opens up when going over bumps I do a little trick that works well! Take some tape. It can be black duct tape or even electrical tape. Wrap it around the metal tab that the tailgate latches to. Take a razor blade and cut the excess. You may have to put more on depending...

HTH