Hi everyone

My dad's 2010 F150 is making some funny noises when you open the tailgate. Has anyone seen this, and if so what was the cause? Seems like something is going awry with the torsion bar.

 

There is no torsion rod in the tailgate.
Most likely dry and dirty hinge bushing on left side.
Might even be dirt and junk between bed floor and tailgate.

 

Just trash or mud in the hinges or between the tailgate and truck. Just pop the tailgatefoff and clean out the rocks and stuff. unhook the cords from the side of the gate and let the tailgate down about half way while pulling the gate to you. It will slide right off then you can remove the gravel and put the gate back on. Should take 10 to 15 minutes start to finish.

 

My former 07 had similar issue. It didn't hang up as badly as your dad's truck but it made that same snapping noise. On mine one of the plastic bushing/hinges was cracked and when it would rotate the crack would open up causing the OD of the plastic bushing/hinge to bind in the metal socket it sits in. The metal socket on mine had also started to rust which I think was a contributor to the problem.


I never did fix mine, but I would remove the tailgate and attempt to get lube into each hinge a couple of times a year. That would help a little but it's certainly not the fix.


And yes the 2004 plus F150 tailgates do have a torsion bar.

 

Thanks for the replies everyone!

I think I'll be up there next in a couple of weeks, I'll take the gate off and look at everything. svt204's idea makes the most sense to me, but we will see.

 

It looks like a truck that goes to work. I can tell by the noticeable quantity of dirt and grime. Tell him to hose out that bed once in a while and pay attention to the area between the tailgate and bed. A little lube once in a while helps too.

 

There are two 8mm bolts on the right side bottom of the tailgate that hold the torsion rod. With the tailgate closed, loosen the two 8mm bolts slightly using a short socket on a 1/4 inch ratchet, then tighten both bolts very snug. That should fix the issue.

I fixed a couple of trucks with the same issue.