Tailgate strut - is there a way to make it perform better or replace it?

[Silver-Bolt]

Where would the spare go?

Swing out tire carrier just like the old days.

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[carrellslake]

Hammerbuilt has a replacement strut. It only has 1 position, Open all the way. It has been one of the best things I've done to my Bronco. I hated opening it almost all the way and it coming back to 45 degrees. With a hard top the open to 45 degrees is completely useless if you want to open the rear window/hatch.

The Hammerbuilt was a little strong at first but it has settled in perfectly, pull the handle it opens to 90 degrees without even touching it.

https://hpbuilt.shop/products/limiting-tailgate-strut-for-6th-gen-bronco?_pos=1&_sid=86c94444c&_ss=r

How do you take off the stock strut? Does it just pull off? I just received the Hammerbuilt strut, but I’m afraid to pull any harder.

 

[GloNDark]

How do you take off the stock strut? Does it just pull off? I just received the Hammerbuilt strut, but I’m afraid to pull any harder.

there is a metal spring that goes around the plastic knuckle at both ends. Take a small screw driver and pop that out and it basically falls out. You will see a slot at the end of the rod where the metal clip goes around that knuckle To pop it out

 

[vzqhsg]

Is it just me that feels that access to the cargo area is so annoying because of the tailgate being SO heavy?
I mean, its not that its heavy but it just wont move that easily because of the strut that is barely extending when tailgate is opened.

I feel that I need to push it all the way open because it wont "pop" anywhere by itself.

Gotta make up your mind....heavy...not heavy...can't be both!!

 

[huey]

Another reason it should have been a fold down tail gate .

yes! with a window that drops down into the gate - old school

 

[stickshifthappy]

I for one appreciate the door isn't allowed to slam open. I plan on buying an extra piston, as I'm hedging my bets the shelf life will require replacement sooner rather than later.

 

[stickshifthappy]

yes! with a window that drops down into the gate - old school

I like a tailgate, (especially for tailgating) but where does the spare tire go then ? If they can't have flat, fold down rear seats, I doubt there's room for a spare below.

 

[huey]

I like a tailgate, (especially for tailgating) but where does the spare tire go then ? If they can't have flat, fold down rear seats, I doubt there's room for a spare below.

mount it off the bumper, then it swings out of the way. Yes an extra step but I would be good with that

Honestly the way the gate is built it would be better to have the spare supported by the bumper anyway. Especially with the bigger meats

 

[dgorsett]

I like the strut, prevents over exuberant opening and holds the gate open. The most frustrating thing with my old LJ Wrangler, (even more than a rare occurrence of death wobble) was remembering to park with the passenger side downhill to hold the tailgate open.

 

[kevin.gt]

Hammerbuilt has a replacement strut. It only has 1 position, Open all the way. It has been one of the best things I've done to my Bronco. I hated opening it almost all the way and it coming back to 45 degrees. With a hard top the open to 45 degrees is completely useless if you want to open the rear window/hatch.

The Hammerbuilt was a little strong at first but it has settled in perfectly, pull the handle it opens to 90 degrees without even touching it.

https://hpbuilt.shop/products/limiting-tailgate-strut-for-6th-gen-bronco?_pos=1&_sid=86c94444c&_ss=r

Thank you for this suggestion! Mine's stock and likes to stop at 45, but does not like to stop at 90 anymore unless I catch it and there's no wind. I might try the hammerbuilt, or ask the dealer to look at it when I have them address some recalls and re-glue my soft top

 

[stickshifthappy]

mount it off the bumper, then it swings out of the way. Yes an extra step but I would be good with that

Honestly the way the gate is built it would be better to have the spare supported by the bumper anyway. Especially with the bigger meats

Yep, the old spare tire swing arm trick, I've always thought they were a cool feature.

I can't remember, were the 60's Broncos tailgate or swing doors ?

 

[huey]

Yep, the old spare tire swing arm trick, I've always thought they were a cool feature.

I can't remember, were the 60's Broncos tailgate or swing doors ?

I believe they were tailgates

 

[vrtical]

There are already swing tire rack 6G bumpers, but it doesnt solve the stupid current door design. I bet there is a good size market for a true drop down gate conversion.

 

[Tex]

If you have a tire carrier that swings open, then having a drop down tailgate adds another step to getting your crap. Your tire carrier will still be in the same place as a swing out tailgate would be, and that comes with the same problems that a swing out tailgate has, except now you have to worry about that and dropping a tailgate too, AND you have to reach over the tailgate to get your crap out. Plus you'll want some kind of strut or tailgate damper because this isn't the stone age so you're back to needing one of those things unless you want your tailgate to slam down like a peasant. You can't leave the tailgate open like you would on a truck for longer cargo because you have a tire carrier. Basically, to eliminate a swing out tailgate and strut, you have recreate the same thing to hold your tire and use a strut on your drop down anyway, so it's a lateral move at best and more inconvenient in most cases.

Adding a roll down window is going to make the tailgate heavier and bulkier, which means you'll probably lose some cargo space and make a tailgate assist all but necessary to avoid breaking your window. It'll need a wiper and motor installed in it as well, which just adds to that bulkiness and weight. It'll be a frameless window, which everyone loves to complain about on the doors. Since it'll be frameless, the top will have to be precisely placed to seal and that means more wind noise to complain about too. The soft top variants will lose a lot of their soft top appeal by having a bulky solid frame to interface with the window, or there will be a wavy plastic window like they have now and you'll just lose the roll down window entirely...it'll just sit in your tailgate never to be used. And of course some dork is probably going to drive topless with it up, break the window, and blame Ford for it.

Not to mention truck tailgates are always the first thing to feel clapped out on a truck, they age like hot garbage. There's a reason why only trucks have drop down tailgates these days.

 

[88to21bronco]

I for one appreciate the door isn't allowed to slam open. I plan on buying an extra piston, as I'm hedging my bets the shelf life will require replacement sooner rather than later.

Mine’s already been replaced under warranty. Now, I can’t remember if it lost resistance or if one of the connections broke and it wouldn’t stay attached on one end. Either way, I rode around with no piston on there for a week or so. Trust me, having some resistance is better than the heavy thing free-swinging…
*clears throat* …in more ways than one.

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