BAMF Tailgate reinforcement

[BAMF]

Its the tailgate reinforcement. I gave up on it. I had to cut a hole in the back of the tailgate to get the hinges to bolt back on after struggling to try and bolt this hunk of shit on there.

Sounds like you tried to install it with the gas strut still installed. You do not have to cut anything to install the bracket or reinstalled the factory hardware. it's as simple as removing the factory bolts and gas strut and bolt everything back in place. if your factory hinges didn't line up it sounds like the strut was still on applying force to the door.

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[Tcarp1]

Sounds like you tried to install it with the gas strut still installed. You do not have to cut anything to install the bracket or reinstalled the factory hardware. it's as simple as removing the factory bolts and gas strut and bolt everything back in place. if your factory hinges didn't line up it sounds like the strut was still on applying force to the door.

Its weird, i followed the instructions to a tee. Did everything exactly what was on the instructions. Oh wait there isn't any. All these details you are bringing up now are what you would put in the instructions.

 

[BAMF]

Its weird, i followed the instructions to a tee. Did everything exactly what was on the instructions. Oh wait there isn't any. All these details you are bringing up now are what you would put in the instructions.

You have been email me with other questions. But you couldn't contact us on the install question that pissed you off; that makes total sense. all you would of had to do is reach out via email we are here to help you all it takes is to reach out.

 

[zyglyrox]

Excited, got my shipping notice today for the tailgate reenforcement & hitch

 

[Tcarp1]

You have been email me with other questions. But you couldn't contact us on the install question that pissed you off; that makes total sense. all you would of had to do is reach out via email we are here to help you all it takes is to reach out.

It was sunday afternoon. There is nothing you can say to argue the fact that there are no instructions included. I have installed numerous other products on my bronco and ALL of them came with instructions. I should not have to email you to ask for instructions. And clearly you don't follow instructions either since I asked to not have it powdercoated, and it came powdercoated. I am over it, I will sell it or cut it up. You have made an unhappy customer.

 

[BAMF]

It was sunday afternoon. There is nothing you can say to argue the fact that there are no instructions included. I have installed numerous other products on my bronco and ALL of them came with instructions. I should not have to email you to ask for instructions. And clearly you don't follow instructions either since I asked to not have it powdercoated, and it came powdercoated. I am over it, I will sell it or cut it up. You have made an unhappy customer.

Who said I was arguing that? I've done everything I can to help you after knowing about it but you continue to be condescending and frankly an Ass for no reason. All I said is you could of reached out and the instructions would of been provided. And yes even on a Sunday I would of gotten back to you I'm always checking my emails but not checking Bronco6g threads to see if I'm tagged. Hell I would of walked you through it step by step on the phone if I had too. One thing about me is I get back to questions fairly quickly.

You also never said anything about it still showing up powder coated in the emails you were sending when you received it on 7/13 or the missing instructions we would of swapped it out for you to a bare one. The only thing you were asking was about coming down here to buy the tire spacer. So all of this seems a little odd when you could of just replied to the emails you have been sending and all of this would of been taken care of.

If your Post in this thread on Sunday was followed up with an email asking the question you would of gotten a reply with these instructions that day if not by Monday at the latest.

"To install Start by unplugging the camera and third brake light from inside the door. Remove the gas strut to the door and close it. Remove the tire carrier from the bronco. Then the 4 hinge bolts, use leather glove or towel between the door and bumper to shim the door while loosening the hinge bolts. Place the support on the gate, line up the holes and reinstall the supplied hardware on the hinge side loosely. If going to larger tires the flat rectangle plate will raise the third brake light remove the screws and install the plate with supplied hardware to raise it up. The lest step is to sandwich the plate with the tire carrier and reinstall all the hardware. Check the body gaps and tighten the hinge hardware. then reinstall the plug for the camera and gas strut."

 

[Sitruc_btb]

I just installed mine too...and my experience was very similar. For context, my spare is a Method 705 with a 35 mm positive offset...5 mm more than the Sasquatch wheel (and I am using the stock Sasquatch tire). With my 35mm offset, I needed to space my wheel nearly 20 mm off the carrier...and subtracting 5 mm to compare it to a Sasquatch setup (for anyone who hopes to use the BAMF bracket with a stock Sasquatch wheel and tire), you will need to space your wheel about 15 mm (over a half inch, not a quarter inch) if you don't want your sidewall resting/being forced against the edge of the bracket. Alternatively, you can grind the bracket down on the top and bottom edges, but that will compromise the coating BAMF uses (it is like a powdercoat but better because it is able to be "healed" using heat).

As Happy mentioned, the BAMF bracket does intefere with the OEM spare carrier...and you would need to either Dremel the carrier or grind the welds on the upper corners of the BAMF bracket in the areas Happy pointed out (I used a file on mine and was able to remove enough material to make the carrier fit over it).

Additionally, the diameter of the holes for the bolts that thread into the hinge nut plates are significantly larger than the diameter of the M8 bolts that go through them (unlike the RC plate which has holes that are very close in diameter to the bolts). The BAMF bracket is much more substantial in terms of strength, and flex reduction, but having larger holes means in order for the weight that is transferred to the hinges not to shift your tailgate alignment everything is dependent on the clamping force of the 4 M8 stainless bolts that are provided. With closer tolerances, like the RC plate, even if one or more of the bolts was slightly loose, the bracket wouldn't be able to shift...but with the BAMF bracket, because the holes are so large (and slotted), the bolts will need to be tight to keeps things from moving. Unfortunately, the stainless M8 bolts (and the thin smooth 5/16 washers) don't lend themself to a lot of torque potential. Additionally, the bracket is intended to sit directly on the hinges, which are angled slightly differently than the bracket, so the actual contact area is not ideal. I ended up using the conical spacers from the RC bracket (which match the conical/convex holes in the hinges) which allowed even contact between the four through-bolt areas, the conical spacers, and the hinges.

The conical spacers are somewhat limited for strength because they are composite material and not steel, so my goal is to find steel replacements for them. Additionally, I plan to swap out the stainless M8 bolts for black oxide grade 10.9 hex head bolts and thick M8 black oxide washers...that way I can at least get an accurate torque reading. It might seem like overkill, but every time we open our tailgates with a big spare and a table or whatever else is hanging off the gate (including the 26 pound bracket designed to allow us to hang stuff off the gate) results in a lot of leverage due to the distance from the four M8 bolts to the source of the weight...and with the big holes/slots, the only thing keeping our gates from shifting out of alignment is the clamping strength of the supplied bolts (which translates into tensile strength and not so much shear strength because of the large tolerances)...and stainless is not nearly as strong as as grade 10.9 bolts (like our OEM hinge bolts).

As for the bolts that hold the spare carrier on, the supplied washers are too large in diameter to fit in the depressions on the carrier...so if you use them and tighten them some of the clamping force will be on the outmost edges and not evenly distributed...again, probably overkill, but I bought grade 10.9 bolts and thick washers that matched the factory flange bolt diameter used to attach the carrier (from Belmetric...my local hardware store didn't have them). Hopefully with the stronger hinge bolts, conical spacers, thicker washers, flange bolts, and proper diameter washers for the carrier my BAMF bracket will perform well and for a long time.

What size cone washers did you use for the hinges?

 

[Dirtyjed]

Hey @BAMF how much extra are instructions? I am currently trying to install this thing on my bronco and this is a joke. I am beyond pissed right now. Unfortunately for you I am local enough to come see you about this. Very very very unhappy customer. Anyone looking at buying this thing run away!

100% agree with this.
BAMF customer service and lack of instructions is fucking horrible.
This is the 2nd product I've bought from them that didn't fit or work out of the box for me.
God forbid I wanna run 37's on a stock rim without a spacer or adding a bracket.

 

[broncorik]

What size cone washers did you use for the hinges?

I made my own....8mm ID grade 10.9. Perfect fit.

 

[BAMF]

100% agree with this.
BAMF customer service and lack of instructions is fucking horrible.
This is the 2nd product I've bought from them that didn't fit or work out of the box for me.
God forbid I wanna run 37's on a stock rim without a spacer or adding a bracket.

Really lack of customer service! you must be a hard guy to please because I helped you personally with every single question you had. Emails and on this forum.

 

[AttackGuy64]

On an unrelated note, I am having an issue with the bottom hinge. The nutplate inside the tailgate fell off as soon as I pulled the bolts out. I DO have to cut a hole in my tailgate to get it bolted back up. Just a word of warning to anyone playing with their hinges. This is not the fault of BAMF or anyone other than Ford.

 

[BAMF]

On an unrelated note, I am having an issue with the bottom hinge. The nutplate inside the tailgate fell off as soon as I pulled the bolts out. I DO have to cut a hole in my tailgate to get it bolted back up. Just a word of warning to anyone playing with their hinges. This is not the fault of BAMF or anyone other than Ford.

Mine moved a little out of alignment but I was able to move it with a small hex key it didn't drop out of sight. I think if you take the air vents off the back of the door you can get in there and grab it.

 

[broncorik]

Mine moved a little out of alignment but I was able to move it with a small hex key it didn't drop out of sight. I think if you take the air vents off the back of the door you can get in there and grab it.

Another forum member used a piece of string like a weed whacker uses and a magnet (the tailgate is aluminum) and pulled it back up that way. Those nutplates are not meant to be disturbed...and because the holes in the bracket are not precise and allow for movement it is too easy to get a bolt in slightly off during installation and it can result in popping the nutplate off the retainer.

 

[Defyfate11]

I made my own....8mm ID grade 10.9. Perfect fit.

Are you open to selling this custom fix for others that are also OCD on modifications to their new Bronco?

 

[broncorik]

Are you open to selling this custom fix for others that are also OCD on modifications to their new Bronco?

I just sold the only set I had to another member on the forum...if anyone wants the info on how to make them I can do some detailed instructions. I don't think most people want to go through all the trouble...you need longer 10.9 bolts, 40 bucks worth of conical washers to even out the offset caused by the unequal 9 mm spacers welded on the top, and the conical spacers. That runs like nearly 90 bucks (because although the bolts are cheap the shipping adds up...local hardware stores don't stock the weird grades and lengths). I went a different route altogether and bought Raptor hinges...they are much more robust than our OEM hinges and they are drilled and tapped to mount a modified tailgate bracket or a Jerry can or whatever. The BAMF bracket is IMHO a solid concept but also IMHO the alignment is not ideal (for my OCD tastes) and the 18mm x 12mm holes are too big to provide the mounting system security I seek. Conversely, the Raptor hinges mount the same way as ours do, with the same bolts...and they will support far more of a load even without a bracket...and you can mount stuff to them without having to disrupt the intended tailgate mounting setup.

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