I had a tailgate walk away from my truck.Always kept it locked,yesterday rolled back my bed cover and didn't relock it.What was the odds the one time gone &^%$.Question what years fits 2002 f250.Also guess never to late,i did a search on locks and found the Master tailgate sturdy compared to others,anyone have any recommendations for a lock.

 

Sucks to hear this. Any tailgate 99 and up will work on your truck. If you want an '08 or newer, it requires a hinge change on the left side. I don't have any experience with any kind of locks.

 

Alot of guy's put a hose clamp around the open hinge on the tailgate , not a sure theft deterent but it slows them down alot and maybe they will move on to the next one...

 

So you are saying if i change the bottom of hinge on truck side or both sides.I can fit newer door that would be cool.Found a nice newer door for few hundred bucks with super duty along bottom.

 

Thieves suck. Here's to Karma eating them alive.

I updated my 05 to the newer style last spring and there are some threads here discussing the swap in detail.

Any tailgate from 99-current will fit.

The 08-12 have the "SUPER DUTY" on the bottom, can be had with or without the integrated step, with or without the backup camera integrated into the handle, and have an internal torsion bar assembly to make it easier to close.
To retro-fit this style to 99-07 trucks you need one new hinge on the drivers side that is notched and enables the torsion bar helper to work.
Be aware that the pre-08 taillights don't exactly match up with this tailgate and many, myself included, update the taillights at the same time. Pre-08 taillights will function fine, but aren't formed to contour with the newer tailgates.

New in the 2013 tailgates is a trim channel/groove that goes from side to side and wraps around the handle. According to my local parts guy it is interchangeable with 99+ and purely a cosmetic difference. I think there are a few threads discussing this with pictures.

Hope this helps,

MOJoWales

 

I have an '08 tailgate on my 2002 F-250.
The tailgate will fit with out changing the hinge on the drivers side, but you cannot use the lift assist (torsion bar)
The hinge is available from Ford for about $ 16, they call it a "roller" then you can use the lift assist torsion bar.