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If anyone has ever seen a tailgate that has been bent from pulling out from under a 5th wheel RV without lowering the tailgate you will know the what kind of damage I have . I'm just wondering if anyone has a good way to pull it back straight, the body work after won't be that big a problem. The truck is a 2013 F350.
Pull it off the truck and set it on 2 2x4s at each end not the top & bottom.
Now carefully put weight on the bent up part to push it back down.
Now if you standing on it will not bend it back gut a 3rd 2x4 and place it across the bent area and slid the whole thing under the truck or trailer and using the jack push it back into shape like using a press.
If that dose not work just get a new or JY used one or better yet a 5th wheel gate so this will not happen again.
Dave ----
I've already pushed it back out most of the way with boards and a 12 ton jack but its that last 1.5 inches that I'm wondering about. It now opens and closes and is functional but looks like crap. I don't want to push and harder on the face of the gate, the back structure is what's holding it out now.
I straightened a serious bow in a tailgate using a stout 4x4 as long as the tailgate was wide, a wood block under each end where latches are with tailgate open, then in the center I used a big C-clamp and placed a padded piece of thick plywood on the outside of the open tailgat (under it then) between tailgate's outside and the C-clamp's "foot", then tightened the C-clamp as it slowly straightened the tailgate.
I straightened a serious bow in a tailgate using a stout 4x4 as long as the tailgate was wide, a wood block under each end where latches are with tailgate open, then in the center I used a big C-clamp and placed a padded piece of thick plywood on the outside of the open tailgat (under it then) between tailgate's outside and the C-clamp's "foot", then tightened the C-clamp as it slowly straightened the tailgate.
Did you have to bring it past straight before releasing it to compensate for any rebound after it was released.
Did you have to bring it past straight before releasing it to compensate for any rebound after it was released.
Denny
Maybe a hair, but really it is easy to just release pressure and see where it's gonna stay.
How far from strainght is it anyway ... like if you go straight across the inside surface of the bed from left to right, how far is the center pulled out of line? If it's a long way, the tailgate will never support as much weight when open as it did OEM.
I read the thread again, the jacking idea sounds good to, but you're gonna need to jack, release a few times going a little further each time.
This is how I straightened most of the it, I also had to push on the center brace to get it back to where it belonged. At the time this was taken I already pushed a good 3 inches out of it.
The rest I had to pull the inner structure, it's a lot stronger than the outer skin.
Then it was down to body work, it was really beat up but I'm retired so I had plenty of time.
Finished and ready for the road. I'm glade there is a full plastic cover to cover up things. Not perfect but it will do.
. I'm just wondering if anyone has a good way to pull it back straight, the body work after won't be that big a problem. The truck is a 2013 F350.
