Tailgate assist install help! How to tighten the Allen bolt on the lower plate?

[tcw8848]

For the life of me, I cannot figure out how to tighten the Allen bolt on the lower plate (on tailgate). It just spins or falls out. I have zero patience for this kind of thing (mostly because I’m not very handy). How do I do this? Any help appreciated!

Sponsored

 

[NavyBob]

From what I saw on the install video, you need to be putting some pulling pressure while you tighten it. If there is no pressure then it will just spin.

 

[testa422]

For the life of me, I cannot figure out how to tighten the Allen bolt on the lower plate (on tailgate). It just spins or falls out. I have zero patience for this kind of thing (mostly because I’m not very handy). How do I do this? Any help appreciated!

Pull the bracket toward you while screwing it in away from you. Very counterintuitive

 

[tcw8848]

Pull the bracket toward you while screwing it in away from you. Very counterintuitive

I’m trying but I’m not sure how to pull on that and tighten at same time. It still flips or falls. And no YouTube videos actually show it, they just skip to the next part.

 

[StillWaiting]

For the life of me, I cannot figure out how to tighten the Allen bolt on the lower plate (on tailgate). It just spins or falls out. I have zero patience for this kind of thing (mostly because I’m not very handy). How do I do this? Any help appreciated!

Superglue and/or duck tape

 

[wjg]

For the life of me, I cannot figure out how to tighten the Allen bolt on the lower plate (on tailgate). It just spins or falls out. I have zero patience for this kind of thing (mostly because I’m not very handy). How do I do this? Any help appreciated!

Use a vice or a pair of pliers and tighten the nut most of the way leaving just enough to put nut through hole. Rotate 90° and tighten pulling out slightly. It will tighten easily.

 

[tcw8848]

I got it folks. Thanks everyone. I think the locktite they put on the bolt was the main culprit for turning a five minute job into a 45 minute job. Sometimes I think manufacturers just like to make us angry during installation.

 

[TacoHolder]

I guess they can't sell you a tiny strut and a couple of metal plates for $50 if they installed some soft open hinges on the factory line. Ford really needs to update their tailgate design. It's one area where the Santa Cruz is pretty impressive.

 

[Dad]

For the life of me, I cannot figure out how to tighten the Allen bolt on the lower plate (on tailgate). It just spins or falls out. I have zero patience for this kind of thing (mostly because I’m not very handy). How do I do this? Any help appreciated!

I struggled with that as well. I removed the blue thread glue or whatever its called to ease the problem of trying to tighten the bolt while pulling the plate out. It helped considerably. I then used the rounded knob to pull on the plate to pressure it against the tailgate hole.

 

[Dad]

I got it folks. Thanks everyone. I think the locktite they put on the bolt was the main culprit for turning a five minute job into a 45 minute job. Sometimes I think manufacturers just like to make us angry during installation.

Same problem here. Once I removed the blue locktite everything went much more smoothly.

 

[PebbleMav]

Yes.. I put that special nut in a vice and ran the bolt through it a couple times to reduce the amount of blue thread glue. Then used a screwdriver-style hex driver until the nut pulled tight into the tailgate slot.

 

[SkeeterB]

I dropped the nut inside the tailgate. Ask me if that lengthened install time. I had to get a thick washer, file it to slip through the hole, use double stick tape so it didn't spin and then tighten it up. Don't ask how it dropped (drill was on unscrew). Love the assist.

 

[Dad]

I dropped the nut inside the tailgate. Ask me if that lengthened install time. I had to get a thick washer, file it to slip through the hole, use double stick tape so it didn't spin and then tighten it up. Don't ask how it dropped (drill was on unscrew). Love the assist.

I've NEVER had anything like that happen to me! (Did the sarcasm come through?) I lived in fear during the entire install that would happen. Your hack fix sounds like a better install anyway. Agreed, the dampener makes the tailgate so much easier to use. Now if I can just find a tie down that doesn't get in the way.

 

[SkeeterB]

I cut the bottle opener in half and screwed it back on. Out of the way and useful as a tie down. Might not be as strong, but I don't see a big load there.

 

[ValenciaOrange]

I cut the bottle opener in half and screwed it back on. Out of the way and useful as a tie down. Might not be as strong, but I don't see a big load there.

Good idea.

Sponsored