Tailgate Question
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Tailgate Question
Hey all 
,
I was helping a friend move some stuff a couple of months ago, and must not have latched my tailgate completely closed. I have a rear mounted spare tire, and when I went out onto the road, the spare tire assembly whacked the tailgate pretty hard (still kicking myself and still cringing whenever I have to recount the story). Being as **** as I am about my Bronco, I want to get her back to her original beauty, also considering the fact that this accident has done quite a bit of damage to the rear window water seal, which will make the tailgate rust even more quickly than it would have otherwise (which is a shame, considering the fact that for a Massachusetts truck, it was showing NO signs of rust).
What I'm trying to get at with this long-winded post is that I have looked at the alternatives and figure finding another tailgate that hasn't been damaged is probably better than trying to fix this one. Again, being from Massachusetts, it seems as though finding a used one in good enough condition is close to impossible. I was wondering if anyone has had to do anything similar and what they may have done. In terms of aftermarket tailgates, I've noticed that they always say 1980-1993. Did the last 3 years of the Bronco have dramatic changes in the tailgate? This didn't make sense to me. Thanks for reading through this long post, and any suggestions would be helpful
Chuck
,I was helping a friend move some stuff a couple of months ago, and must not have latched my tailgate completely closed. I have a rear mounted spare tire, and when I went out onto the road, the spare tire assembly whacked the tailgate pretty hard (still kicking myself and still cringing whenever I have to recount the story). Being as **** as I am about my Bronco, I want to get her back to her original beauty, also considering the fact that this accident has done quite a bit of damage to the rear window water seal, which will make the tailgate rust even more quickly than it would have otherwise (which is a shame, considering the fact that for a Massachusetts truck, it was showing NO signs of rust).
What I'm trying to get at with this long-winded post is that I have looked at the alternatives and figure finding another tailgate that hasn't been damaged is probably better than trying to fix this one. Again, being from Massachusetts, it seems as though finding a used one in good enough condition is close to impossible. I was wondering if anyone has had to do anything similar and what they may have done. In terms of aftermarket tailgates, I've noticed that they always say 1980-1993. Did the last 3 years of the Bronco have dramatic changes in the tailgate? This didn't make sense to me. Thanks for reading through this long post, and any suggestions would be helpful
Chuck
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Joined: Feb 2004
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From: Calgary
Too bad about that tailgate, Bronco tailgates are good for 80-96 . Look around before you buy, there are aftermarket ones that are fairly cheap around $300-400, and then there are the original ford tailgates that are around $750-900. Keep watching ebay, that is where I got a great deal on mine.
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Joined: Sep 2002
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From: Gateway to the West
Not at all sure why anyone would list the last three years seperately. The tailgate remained the same through the end of the production run. Somewhere in the 80's the latches moved but thats about the only difference. Check out Jeff's (Bronco Graveyard). They sell both an OEM and an aftermarket tailgate. I have used the after market one already on another Bronco and had no problems with it. Some people will swear you HAVE to have the OEM unit because the sheet metal is thinner or some such nonsense. Whatever... the bracketry for the extrnal spare latch is the only thing reinforcing the factory gate anyway so it doesn't really matter which one you use. The pricetag is something to consider too. $250 for the aftermarket or $900 for the OEM. And the OEM price will only go up since the youngest of these trucks is fast approaching the ten-year-old mark and Ford will eventually discontinue the part.
Something to consider doing before you re-assemble the "new" gate is to take some preventive measures to ensure that it doesn't end up a victom of the typical tailgate cancer. When I replaced mine, I had the local Rhino lining shop do the interior surface and the inside of the gate in grey to match the interior of the truck. They were able to fill the crevices and corners inside the shell to create a barrier against the elements and moisture. Was working just fine til the truck got torched. The Rhino lining guys charged me $75 to do it. Well worth it for my money. Others have done the same type thing themselves with undercoating or brush-in bedliner coatings. These things are notorious for rusting from the inside out so its a worthwhile investment.
Something to consider doing before you re-assemble the "new" gate is to take some preventive measures to ensure that it doesn't end up a victom of the typical tailgate cancer. When I replaced mine, I had the local Rhino lining shop do the interior surface and the inside of the gate in grey to match the interior of the truck. They were able to fill the crevices and corners inside the shell to create a barrier against the elements and moisture. Was working just fine til the truck got torched. The Rhino lining guys charged me $75 to do it. Well worth it for my money. Others have done the same type thing themselves with undercoating or brush-in bedliner coatings. These things are notorious for rusting from the inside out so its a worthwhile investment.
Last edited by greystreak92; Sep 13, 2004 at 11:20 PM.
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