If you like OEM (but stronger) consider the Raptor hinges and the Raptor reinforcement bracket...it is as OEM a (stronger) setup as there is. If you are not adding any weight, your factory setup is ok as-is up to that 133 pound limit.
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New Product Spotlight: IAG Tailgate Reinforcement with Upgraded Hinge Assembly
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i did consider it seeing as i work at a ford dealer and get cost +10% on parts. the canadian retail on the bracket it $840 and the hinges are $382 ea.
the iag setup is $688 canadian.
iag has a large following in the subby world, with a high reputation on quality parts. i bought my magnum short block for my ej from them and trust there r&d.
the iag setup is $688 canadian.
iag has a large following in the subby world, with a high reputation on quality parts. i bought my magnum short block for my ej from them and trust there r&d.
Here you can get the hinges for 192 each and the bracket for right at about 400, but yes the IAG is cheaper (especially with the exchange rate). I just learned the hard way that even something that seemed so promising in the ads and in the hype among loads of people waiting for them to restock that the RTR setup would be THE answer, but it wasn't. The issue with aluminum hinges in general is that they still require a steel pin, or bolt, and there is no way to make the assembly nearly as close tolerance as a steel/steel setup. That equals sag.. but as long as you don't mind over-adjusting to compensate not a huge deal. I know at least for me that I felt immediate buyer's remorse when I got the RTR setup installed because even the OEM setup was cleaner, tighter, no over adjustment required, and just better overall. The IAG is going to require spacers on the driver side of the OEM carrier to compensate for the height of the IAG carrier on the passenger side (not sure why the IAG carrier doesn't span all eight of the OEM carrier bolt mounting locations) and being aluminum that height will require pushing the carrier and tire assembly outward (increasing the stress on the tailgate at least slightly). Not sure why IAG didn't engineer their bracket to support across the entire span of the OEM carrier...there is still the ability for the tire assembly to flex outward from the driver side. That is the same for the Raptor plate...it does tie the plate to the hinges for shoring up shear, but the carrier can still flex outward. The HB is the only one that not only spans the entire carrier but also bolts to the hinges independent of the bolts that are used to attach the tailgate. All that to say that even though I much prefer the HB/Raptor setup I hope you are able to snag the IAG and that it works out well for your intended application.
how does the raptor reinforcement space the tire carrier on the drivers side? the catalog isnt very clear on the raptor set up. i have the parts catalog at home but no hvbom. has anybody successfully added the set up on a normal bronco? i know the bronco emblem needs to be moved but thats it.
Flip installed it but had to notch his OEM carrier to compensate for the height of the Raptor plate. I believe the Raptor carrier must already be notched.
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@IAG Performance Great looking reinforcement. How does it add strength since there doesn't appear to be a reinforcement plate underneath all of the tire carrier?
Timing and pricing?
Timing and pricing?
The Raptor carrier is notched...so apparently the primary purpose is to add to shear strength in relation to the hinges and the pillar. Still, I think that the wind goes to the Hammer Built plate because an owner can use the OEM carrier without notching it, and buying the Raptor plate, and support the entire width of the OEM carrier. When everything is bolted up the thickness of the Hammer Built carrier also would add strength and not only the direction of the shear but also the tilting of the tire outward. The IAG setup is similar in design to the Raptor plate in that it only supports the outer four bolts of the OEM carrier and it will require a pretty significant spacer on the driver side to compensate for the height. I imagine the reason that IAG only supports the outer for bolts is because our tailgates have a slight curvature across the top and bottom of the area that meets the carrier and from top to bottom on each side...so something made out of thick aluminum would have to meet the curvature of the tailgate exactly otherwise when it would be tightened down especially with all eight bolts it would have to either pull the tailgate out of shape or it would stress the carrier. Something made out of plate steel that is thinner than that block of aluminum has a certain amount of flex to it so when it is bolted down it draws to the surface of the tailgate without too much issue. By only having to support the outer four bolts, the IAG bracket would only have to have one curve to account for.
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Does anyone know the weight of the Hammerbuilt system? it doesnt have any specs on their website.
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The Raptor plate is junk...... I ordered one with the intention of putting that and the Raptor hinges on mine. Hinges are great by the way. The plate..... 18G steel in parts, surrounded by injected plastic, with the words "Ford Performance" molded into the plastic. It doesn't even go totally around the wheel mount, so if it is protecting anything, it will only be on the passenger side. Not worth it, even if it was 50% cheaper..... I see you live in Surrey, so if you want to see my setup (Hammer Built HD plate with Raptor Hinges), PM me and we'll meet up some time.
Also, we have a BC 6G Bronco club set up on here and on Facebook if you want to go out on runs with other Bronco guys from the area. here is the facebook link..... https://www.facebook.com/groups/bc6thgenbroncos
Agree 100%...Hammer Built has a Raptor in the shop and they indicated that the Raptor plate is definitely on the more dainty side. The IAG setup will appear as robust but be limited by design.
Full disclosure...I wasted a LOT of time and money trying out many of the tailgate reinforcement setups...RC, then BAMF, then RTR, and finally Hammer Built actually picked up the phone (he listed his cell number in the forum) listened to what I was hoping to do (go with Raptor hinges to address my area of concern...the arched OEM hinges with no mounting points) and then communicated with me back and forth for weeks/months with me taking measurements and sending pics and they made me a Raptor hinge specific plate that worked like a charm even before final tweaks were made. None of the other companies were nearly as helpful/interested in producing something other than what they already offered...so although I don't work for Hammer Built I do endorse them for the lengths they went to just to help out even one forum member! I have nothing against IAG other than the fact that they chose to make a hinge assembly out of aluminum, and they made a bracket that only supports the outer four mounting points of the OEM carrier...and they don't have any universal mounting points for the typical gear that forum members may want to carry. It does have a couple of threaded holes into the aluminum that I anticipate them selling their own specific brackets for, but the Hammer Built setup is already good to go for an antenna or Rotopax or a shovel or a jack or many other universally mounted items. The Hammer Built set up also has pre-threaded inserts into steel, which I trust a lot more than a couple of threaded holes in soft aluminum. It is also much lower profile and keeps the spare tire in almost the same place as it was intended.
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Additionally, if you buy the Raptor hinges from one of the online Ford places you can get them for under $400, so the entire cost with the better hinges and the Hammer Built plates is about the same cost as the IAG setup. If someone buys the IAG bracket, they're still going to be into it for whatever additional bracket that IAG makes available to mount anything to it other than the tire.
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