Tailgate Rattle / Tick Issue Fix -- TSB 23-2163

[Graham1911]

So glad to find this post. I have it and thought it was my Expedition One tire carrier causing it. I have removed the 37" spare twice, greased all the fittings, re-adjusted and no luck. I even got my wife to drive while I sat in the back to see where it is coming from. It sounds like it is coming from within the tailgate. I will try the Lithium grease.

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[Sandman]

Try WD-40 white lithium grease. Worked for me and others here on the forum. You want to make sure you spray the inside of the tailgate well. Seemed to have solved my issue. Applied the spray 6 months or so ago.

 

[HeyItsABronco]

We’ve got the same issue and have been waiting several months for Ford to ship a tailgate to the dealership for replacement. It’s a very loud metallic sound of metal slapping metal.

Now that they aren’t building broncos, you would think a tailgate wouldn’t be hard to get, but we have to remember that this IS Ford we are dealing with, so the clown show will likely persist for a lot longer before it’s fixed.

 

[Lak34ers]

Try WD-40 white lithium grease. Worked for me and others here on the forum. You want to make sure you spray the inside of the tailgate well. Seemed to have solved my issue. Applied the spray 6 months or so ago.

Ordered some on Amazon about $6. Tough choice to just get it fixed by dealer with a whole new tailgate or try grease and hope it work and doesn't void future TSB claim if needed and ticking comes back. Wish they would come out with better hinges or whatever is causing the issue. I have a Hammerbuilt reinforcement now so I will install this right after the replacement and still might spray some grease in the new one. About all I can do.

 

[sonofhammer]

I managed to fix mine in the stupidest way possible.
My plan was to carefully insert a bicycle innertube the long way inside the tailgate and inflate it just enough to keep pressure between the inner and outer walls.

I've seen people do similar to stop their truck topper from buffeting on the highway.

Well it inflated way too fast, stretched the panels, and popped the tube. Thankfully no paint or metal damage but damn if the rattle isn't gone!

 

[edernest]

I've got a 2022 Black Diamond, build date in June 2022. The tailgate has the metal-on-metal tick/rattle sound that others are also dealing with. It's coming from inside the tailgate in or around the area of the hinges. Mine's been there from day one, and may be getting a bit worse with time (I'm at 11,500 miles). It's annoying for sure, but not extreme (yet).

The fix put out by Ford seems to be TSB 23-2163, which calls for the replacement of the entire tailgate and both hinges. I'm evaluating whether to have that done. If it fixes the problem, it's likely worth it. But if not, then it's a waste of time plus the risk of the paint not matching, things ending up worse than before, etc.

For those that have gotten their tailgates replaced under this TSB -- would you please chime in on how it worked out? It'd be really helpful to me and I'm sure others.

I've seen sporadic comments in some of the other "tailgate rattle" threads from folks who replaced their tailgates. It seems that it was a success for some and ended up worse for others. But, because those other threads seem to cover a few different tailgate noises/squeaks with different sources, I thought I'd try to collect information in this thread regarding the metallic tick sound.

Thanks for any information about experience with this TSB and any other helpful thoughts.

I had my tailgate replaced by dealer under this TSB a couple months ago. That was after dealing with noise/paint issues for over six months. I left it with the dealer a total of 5 times (accumulated total of 7 weeks without my vehicle) where they attempted to make adjustments to no avail. My vibration was so bad that it wore the paint off the top of the tailgate; they corrected that paint issue only to have it return within a few weeks.

So once the TSB dropped I was glad to see Ford admitting to a problem that their delaers were unable to resolve. Apart from the time lost I am glad that I went through with the replacement. The body shop did a good job and as particular as I am about my Bronco I can say that I cannot tell it is not the original door or paint. I have not noticed the vibration nor sound or paint loss since it's been returned to me, but only time will tell. In my case, the issue seemed worse in winter.

All that being said, if you are on the fence about living with similar problems or having the work done I would recommend just doing it and with luck you will see some resolution.

FWIW, I do plan to add some kind of tailgate reinforcement at some point because I believe this issue is caused/enhanced by the weight of my sasquatch spare.

 

[Graham1911]

I am having this issue with an Expedition One Tire Carrier that is on a swing arm mounted to rear bumper. No weight on my tailgate at all. I am going to try the lithium spray lube.

 

[omg_bbq]

I had my tailgate replaced by dealer under this TSB a couple months ago. That was after dealing with noise/paint issues for over six months. I left it with the dealer a total of 5 times (accumulated total of 7 weeks without my vehicle) where they attempted to make adjustments to no avail. My vibration was so bad that it wore the paint off the top of the tailgate; they corrected that paint issue only to have it return within a few weeks.

So once the TSB dropped I was glad to see Ford admitting to a problem that their delaers were unable to resolve. Apart from the time lost I am glad that I went through with the replacement. The body shop did a good job and as particular as I am about my Bronco I can say that I cannot tell it is not the original door or paint. I have not noticed the vibration nor sound or paint loss since it's been returned to me, but only time will tell. In my case, the issue seemed worse in winter.

All that being said, if you are on the fence about living with similar problems or having the work done I would recommend just doing it and with luck you will see some resolution.

FWIW, I do plan to add some kind of tailgate reinforcement at some point because I believe this issue is caused/enhanced by the weight of my sasquatch spare.

I've had paint loss at the edge and never put two and two together until your comment. I just thought that it was dust in between the rubber and metal sort of sanding it off. But a rattle and more so a vibration makes a ton of sense.

 

[Nflandrum]

I had the tick and had the tailgate replaced. It took 2.5 months and three tries at painting the thing but the tick is gone (there are still paint issues but I’m tired). Only thing I am still waiting on is a new ford emblem and a brake light. They broke both during the 2nd attempt at paint.

 

[ToddGreen]

I had the tick and had the tailgate replaced. It took 2.5 months and three tries at painting the thing but the tick is gone (there are still paint issues but I’m tired). Only thing I am still waiting on is a new ford emblem and a brake light. They broke both during the 2nd attempt at paint.

Oh wow. What a pain, but at least it’s quiet?

 

[edernest]

I've had paint loss at the edge and never put two and two together until your comment. I just thought that it was dust in between the rubber and metal sort of sanding it off. But a rattle and more so a vibration makes a ton of sense.

I had the same thought, that the paint wear could be caused by dirt or soaps. But it finally made sense to me once I started noticing small pieces of black rubber debris on the top of my tailgate which was wearing off of my window seal. My dealer replaced that window seal at the same time I had the TSB completed, at my request because it had worn down a significant amount.

 

[Nflandrum]

Oh wow. What a pain, but at least it’s quiet?

Yep the tick is gone Thankfully

 

[Inigo Montoya]

White lithium spray worked for me!

 

[James Cole]

Guys is there a video of this noise? I am trying to see if its the same one that I have…

Thanks
JC

 

[ahunter2]

Bringing mine in this week to start the process. It's been pretty bad since January and had it in for service multiple times. Glad there is finally a fix but knowing Ford, this will take months.

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