Tailgate issues

Hipster said:

^^^This one looks bassackwards, it looks like the drivers side, looks like the bolts were swapped top and bottom, and it's bent. Not that the bent area would matter much flipped back around, I would take a ball peen and hammer the bent section flat, and put it back on with the bolts properly oriented. You run the risk of losing the gate off the back of the truck if both straps are missing.


Do like this

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Yep, very much not assembled correctly, and bent. Your pic is a good example of what it should look like.

Richard

Hipster said:

^^^This one looks bassackwards, it looks like the drivers side, looks like the bolts were swapped top and bottom, and it's bent. Not that the bent area would matter much flipped back around, I would take a ball peen and hammer the bent section flat, and put it back on with the bolts properly oriented. You run the risk of losing the gate off the back of the truck if both straps are missing.


Do like this

Click to expand...

It has the straps on both sides just has the longer bolts top and bottom on mine for some reason,sorry for the extreme close up had to crop them down to get them to post. I will try to flatten those out a little see if that helps

Deuce95 said:

It has the straps on both sides just has the longer bolts top and bottom on mine for some reason,sorry for the extreme close up had to crop them down to get them to post. I will try to flatten those out a little see if that helps

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Also haven't changed anything since I've had the truck and this is a recent problem

Someone couldn't get the cable to go back over the rusted original lower striker bolt and flipped the striker in order to use a new bolt to secure the cable, instead of just getting a new lower striker bolt. I've had to clean them up before myself... never thought about flipping the striker itself and using a regular bolt. I bet the cable doesn't pivot very well either. I've also bent those strikers using them as an anchor point for a hook, but they usually bend in and won't let the gate drop at all. It looks like he flipped a bent striker. Just straighten it out, get a new lower striker bolt so the cable will slide over it, and reinstall.

Deuce95 said:

Also haven't changed anything since I've had the truck and this is a recent problem

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Not understanding your comment, if the engine quit running tomorrow, it would be a recent and new problem. It doesn't matter that it wasn't doing it before.
The gate falling open is the symptom,
Tail gate alignment, tweaked bed, tweaked gate, bad/worn gate hinges allowing side to side movement of the gate, tail gate handle bent inside gate from reefing on it not allowing the mechanisms to fully engage latches, bent latch allowing gate to disengage. Something's changed since you bought it.

Side to side gate movement, a buggered up latch, and a washboard road. pothole, etc. and you have your problem.

I said it simply as I can hoping you can understand. You have an obvious issue staring you in the face you don't want to accept as being part of the problem. Fix the obvious then check the next thing.

They are left and rights. Yours are bent and installed in opposite sides. Poundem’ straight and reverse sides.
Or replace, they are cheap enough.

Deuce95 said:

Ok sorry it took so long to get the pictures trucks been at work. Bed flex is about the only thing that makes sense at this point. Both catches have gouges were the latches are scraping when it comes open, plenty of spring pressure.

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Those striker plates should be flat. The curvature they have in those pictures is enough to allow bed flex to pop the teeth loose. There is not a lot of range on those teeth, less than half an inch.

He has them backwards still.
Should be:
Left:
And Right:

HotWheelsBurban said:

Those striker plates should be flat. The curvature they have in those pictures is enough to allow bed flex to pop the teeth loose. There is not a lot of range on those teeth, less than half an inch.

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My bad, strikers would be the correct term, latches are in the gate. lol

Caman96 said:

He has them backwards still.
Should be:
Left:

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And Right:

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You posted pics. I posted pics. He posted pics. Now it's down to Sesame Street level "which one of these doesn't quite look like the other".