Broken strut for rear tailgate (terrible design!)

[SkyKing]

After 8 months and 4,000 miles, the strut on the tailgate ripped out of the threads when trying to open it to 90 degrees at normal speed. The female receiving end is PLASTIC. The threads pulled right out and stripped it. It seems to me that this will eventually happen to 100% of Broncos. Hard to imagine what Ford was thinking with this super fragile design. Totally inadequate.

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[JediMcMuffin]

@IAG Performance : want to design a replacement strut for us? Something tells me you can beat Ford to a solution here.

 

[DUSTYcazOREGON]

After8 monthsand 4,000 miles, the strut on the tailgate ripped out of the threads when trying to open it to 99 degrees at normal speed. The female receiving end is PLASTIC. The threads pulled right out and stripped it. It seems to me that this will eventually happen to 100% of Broncos. Hard to imagine what Ford was thinking with this super fragile design. Totally inadequate.

Get a new one on warranty. All the one's that I have seen are made that way. Do they make one with a metal end piece?

 

[DaBroncstah]

After8 monthsand 4,000 miles, the strut on the tailgate ripped out of the threads when trying to open it to 99 degrees at normal speed. The female receiving end is PLASTIC. The threads pulled right out and stripped it. It seems to me that this will eventually happen to 100% of Broncos. Hard to imagine what Ford was thinking with this super fragile design. Totally inadequate.

Similar thing happened to me except I was rear ended last night and the strut popped off from the ball joint

of course the rear ending was what caused it but still not a fun experience

 

[Firefight911]

Complete non-issue for mine so far. The piston is set up to work in phases and it puts a lot of force on it when you try to push past these phase opening positions. It never takes more than one or two fingers for me to open mine.

 

[SkyKing]

Get a new one on warranty. All the one's that I have seen are made that way. Do they make one with a metal end piece?

I already have an appointment Ford is ordering a new one. However, I've already gotten used to having no strut and I might like it better. I wish they just made it so the door hinges were a bit tighter and required some force to open-close. But putting all that force on those tiny plastic threads is never going last. The whole strut idea was not a good one, and was poorly executed. I'd rather have a simple rope or chain that would prevent it from swinging too hard and breaking off it's hinges. Or just design it like a regular passenger door, with 2 positions where the door wants to rest.

 

[SkyKing]

Similar thing happened to me except I was rear ended last night and the strut popped off from the ball joint

of course the rear ending was what caused it but still not a fun experience

I saw that - it looks like you could simply pop the strut back on by pressing down on it - might not be broke.

Oh, and sorry about your accident - sucks.

 

[SkyKing]

Complete non-issue for mine so far. The piston is set up to work in phases and it puts a lot of force on it when you try to push past these phase opening positions. It never takes more than one or two fingers for me to open mine.

Interesting I had to lean hard on mine - I have heard that there is a lot of variance in how much force is required to pull the tailgate open.

Anyway - be warned - looks to me like everyone will break this piece eventually.

 

[DaBroncstah]

I saw that - it looks like you could simply pop the strut back on by pressing down on it - might not be broke.

Oh, and sorry about your accident - sucks.

yeah I do that when I need to close the trunk but it pops back off when I open the trunk so I’ll have to get it replaced

sucks it happened to you for no reason sorry about that!!

 

[Erock]

Gotta have a weakest link somewhere… or cause more significant damage in another spot. Just my guess. No problems with mine yet though.

 

[BigMeatsBronco]

This part should NOT be made of plastic just like the hood adjustment knobs.... complete junk and needed upgraded from day one. Eventually the aftermarket will catch up and all these weak cheap parts will have strong overbuilt replacements available. Capitalism at it's finest!

 

[Lifeliberty]

Edit: mine don't fit

It's a known issue.
@Redline Tuning has metal replacements

https://www.redlinetuning.com/product-p/72-00006.htm

Edit: mine don't fit

 

[Redline Tuning]

As @Lifeliberty mentioned we have metal replacement end fittings available here:

https://www.redlinetuning.com/product-p/72-00006.htm

 

[jehines3]

Agreed the part sucks. It could just be a piece of seatbelt webbing with no detent stops like some others that swing into everything in its path, leaving door and fender dings galore (looking at you jeep!)

I won't even park next to a wrangler.

We will be the proving ground of all the bean counters' decisions on the first generation launched in a long time (thankfully its not a Blazer). I had contemplated that the Bronco was really designed largely by a team that understood their current market and parts bin decisions. This level of departure back into a segment after 30 years is going to have many growing pains.

The after-market has proven a willingness to step up and fix many ailments so far, with only 100k units produced. There will be hundreds of parts on the market in the next 3-4 years to fix any cut corners and strengthen any subpar parts.

 

[BigMeatsBronco]

It's a known issue.
@Redline Tuning has metal replacements

https://www.redlinetuning.com/product-p/72-00006.htm

Thanks for the link! I just ordered 4 of them. These doodads could be used in other builds as well. Glad they could capitalize on Ford's engineering faults!

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