New gripe about tailgate
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Junior User
Joined: Feb 2017
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New gripe about tailgate
I was driving my month old super duty around the farm today with the tailgate down.
I'm sorry but if you need a truck ; sometimes you need to drive with the tailgate down.
The road around the farm is a grass farm road. It is not blacktop or manicured gravel.
It is not pool table smooth , but isn't a 4x4 road . I have driven my car around it slowly .
While driving around the farm with my tailgate down I was noticing an unusual amount of bouncing . I finally figure that the excessive bouncing was the tailgate bouncing up and down.
I assume the tailgate has some sort of lift assist on it , and every time the truck encountered any type of bump the tailgate would bounce up in the air and crash back down on the cable.
Sorry but this is a Truck if you can't shut the tailgate without a assist you probably should just stick to a car!
Anyone else had a problem with this.
I'm sorry but if you need a truck ; sometimes you need to drive with the tailgate down.
The road around the farm is a grass farm road. It is not blacktop or manicured gravel.
It is not pool table smooth , but isn't a 4x4 road . I have driven my car around it slowly .
While driving around the farm with my tailgate down I was noticing an unusual amount of bouncing . I finally figure that the excessive bouncing was the tailgate bouncing up and down.
I assume the tailgate has some sort of lift assist on it , and every time the truck encountered any type of bump the tailgate would bounce up in the air and crash back down on the cable.
Sorry but this is a Truck if you can't shut the tailgate without a assist you probably should just stick to a car!
Anyone else had a problem with this.
Posting Guru
Joined: Oct 2005
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Hey Gold....not sure you noticed...but the "assist" on this truck is to LOWER the tailgate...not to lift it. Still the same ole heavy tailgate as on the previous gen. Well....it might be a tad lighter. But there is no "assist" to lift the gate.
Logistics Pro
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 3,541
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From: Weatherford Texas.
What I meant, sorry I wasn't clear, is do the xl, xlt have the down assist without the step tailgate?
Elder User
Joined: Apr 2016
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I have the folding bed extender installed on my truck. If I'm going to leave the tailgate open, I extend it and lock it into place. It keeps the tailgate from bouncing.
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Cargo Master
Joined: Jul 2003
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I've looked at an STX, XLT, and Lariat and the tailgates on all three were very very easy to flip up and I could see how they would bounce around. The tailgate on my '13 bounces around a bit but it's a lot heavier than the new ones.
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Junior User
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The tailgate lifts the first few inches with very little effort. This lead me to believe it might have some sort of lift assist.
I don't understand the down assist you are referring to. Is this the strut that slows the tailgate from falling so fast and hard ? If so mine doesn't have one. I would like to add one as I had one on my old Dodge , and liked it. This might stop the tailgate bounce.
None the less I've never had a truck that the tailgate bounced up and down
Cargo Master
Joined: Feb 2017
Posts: 2,428
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From: Wisconsin
Put on one of these, should take about 15 mins. I don't know why Ford didn't include these standard.
17 Ford Super Duty F250 F350 F450 OEM Ford Tailgate Damper Kit - No More SLAM! | eBay
17 Ford Super Duty F250 F350 F450 OEM Ford Tailgate Damper Kit - No More SLAM! | eBay
Posting Guru
Joined: Oct 2005
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Ok. Thanks for setting me straight.
The tailgate lifts the first few inches with very little effort. This lead me to believe it might have some sort of lift assist.
I don't understand the down assist you are referring to. Is this the strut that slows the tailgate from falling so fast and hard ? If so mine doesn't have one. I would like to add one as I had one on my old Dodge , and liked it. This might stop the tailgate bounce.
None the less I've never had a truck that the tailgate bounced up and down
The tailgate lifts the first few inches with very little effort. This lead me to believe it might have some sort of lift assist.
I don't understand the down assist you are referring to. Is this the strut that slows the tailgate from falling so fast and hard ? If so mine doesn't have one. I would like to add one as I had one on my old Dodge , and liked it. This might stop the tailgate bounce.
None the less I've never had a truck that the tailgate bounced up and down
Hotshot
Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 10,120
Likes: 652
From: NH
All of the trucks have a "lift assist" which is basically a spring that makes the initial lift easier. Trucks with the remote tailgate release have a damper which slows the tailgate down as it opens.
My tailgate has the factory step in it - it seems to be heavier than any of the other tailgates I've had on the previous generation. Maybe it is light without the step. Obviously, these gates are made of aluminum instead of the previous steel.
My tailgate has the factory step in it - it seems to be heavier than any of the other tailgates I've had on the previous generation. Maybe it is light without the step. Obviously, these gates are made of aluminum instead of the previous steel.
Postmaster
Joined: Jun 2014
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From: Lewisberry, Penn
I'm pretty sure it's because it's NOT the same old heavy tailgate, but a very light one. Light enough that it's easy enough to take off for a few hours if you need it out of the way.
Ford has a commanding market share in nearly every industry. I took note (as a wanna be farmer myself) that the one area that Ford still lead, but did not have 50% market share was agriculture. While it's probably not because of the all new bouncy tailgate, of it's markets, ag is going to be considered after other industries. Most places where the tailgate is operated down it's got long heavy items on it. So Ford may or may not have even considered driving through the fields with the tailgate down and no weight. Just the likely perspective to give reason.
Adding dampers would be a good solution if you don't want to take it off.
Ford has a commanding market share in nearly every industry. I took note (as a wanna be farmer myself) that the one area that Ford still lead, but did not have 50% market share was agriculture. While it's probably not because of the all new bouncy tailgate, of it's markets, ag is going to be considered after other industries. Most places where the tailgate is operated down it's got long heavy items on it. So Ford may or may not have even considered driving through the fields with the tailgate down and no weight. Just the likely perspective to give reason.
Adding dampers would be a good solution if you don't want to take it off.
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Junior User
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All of the trucks have a "lift assist" which is basically a spring that makes the initial lift easier. Trucks with the remote tailgate release have a damper which slows the tailgate down as it opens.
My tailgate has the factory step in it - it seems to be heavier than any of the other tailgates I've had on the previous generation. Maybe it is light without the step. Obviously, these gates are made of aluminum instead of the previous steel.
My tailgate has the factory step in it - it seems to be heavier than any of the other tailgates I've had on the previous generation. Maybe it is light without the step. Obviously, these gates are made of aluminum instead of the previous steel.
These first few inches almost feel as they are floating if you get what I mean.
This is in my opinion what is causing the tailgate to bounce.