Tailgate Cables

[The Real Maverick]

Has anyone put stronger tailgate cables on their Maverick?

I use wood 2x12 ramps to roll an ~800 lb OHV into the bed about once a month.

Been fine for 6 or 7 trips.
And since there are "ramps" never is all 800 lbs on the tailgate but an unknown quantity is.

At first, some weight is on the ground. Near the end, some weight is in the bed.

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[Toddman45]

Nope, but I only haul ass....

 

[The Real Maverick]

Nope, but I only haul ass....

You must have a lot of it.

 

[Toddman45]

You must have a lot of it.

Not really, 6'1" and 166 lbs. Just prefer to move it around quickly.

 

[not null]

Perhaps a support/brace for the top of the ramp?

 

[not null]

Somewhere between 500 and 5000 pounds something exciting will happen. I don't know the weight, or the exciting thing, however:

• The MTC, Maverick owners, and I dare say mankind, are thrilled with your goal of increasing human knowledge
• Try and keep from being underneath when conducting your experiments
• And for bonus points you'll want to use the phrase "now hold my beer" in the video

 

[Dad]

I'm wondering if it's the bolts that support the cables as well as the cables themselves that top out at 500 lbs. load limit.

 

[OrCoaster]

Not really, 6'1" and 166 lbs. Just prefer to move it around quickly.

Sounds a lot like me, like the response.

 

[Gray Goose]

Nope, but I only haul ass....

Like this or without the tonneau cover??

 

[Rivers90]

Ford says the tailgate is good for 500 lbs.
I don't think the cable is the weak wink. That size cable should be good for over a thousand pounds. The tailgate may be its own weakest link.

 

[The Real Maverick]

Perhaps a support/brace for the top of the ramp?

Interesting idea. Thanks.
One more thing to fabricate and store though. Oh. On second thought, it won't really work.

The truck goes down a couple of inches as the springs compress.

I think stronger (thicker) wire cables are still the best bet. Or maybe two stock ones on either side? Wonder if gate would still close.

 

[A.Bursell]

I thought this was an interesting problem, so I asked Google and it's AI came up with this formula:

Weight on Ramp = (Vehicle Weight) x (Sin(Ramp Angle))

So if you are loading 800 pounds and your ramp angle is 45 degrees, the ramp would have a max of 565 pounds of weight. At least I think that's how it reads. If you use ramps that are only 15 degrees, then it goes to only about 207 pounds.

I'm not a mathmagician so it's the best I could do. But I'd like to know for sure.

 

[The Real Maverick]

I thought this was an interesting problem, so I asked Google and it's AI came up with this formula:

Weight on Ramp = (Vehicle Weight) x (Sin(Ramp Angle))

So if you are loading 800 pounds and your ramp angle is 45 degrees, the ramp would have a max of 565 pounds of weight. At least I think that's how it reads. If you use ramps that are only 15 degrees, then it goes to only about 207 pounds.

I'm not a mathmagician so it's the best I could do. But I'd like to know for sure.

Great post. Great effort. I appreciate it.

We all know you can lift one end of a ton, with a long enough of a lever.
(Think wheelbarrow.)
But, if the long end of the lever had 50 pounds on it, you would have 1950 pounds still on the ground. Or in my case, tailgate.

Now with my case the weight is in constant motion.

At the start, the weight is on the ground and the tailgate has almost nothing then the weight gradually transfers to the tailgate and the part on the ground gets lighter.

But then, the weight goes past the tailgate and into the bed, again lowering the weight on the tailgate.

So, I think, logically, roughly half the weight goes on the tailgate before decreasing again.

But I would believe more than half could be possible at the peak before weight is transferred to the bed.

Bathroom scales don't go that high.
But two side by side, one on each ramp would. I may try that just out of curiosity.

 

[North Coast Joe]

I would think that the tailgate itself might start to crease first. Also using a piece of plywood on the tailgate, that extends into the bed might spread the weight also. Good luck!

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