Thin ass tailgate panel?

My Grandpa installed a rubber mat on the tailgate via screws years before I got it. I finally took it off today because I am getting ready to get a spray in bedliner and noticed that the screw on panel was dented all to hell. I took off and its like a piece of fuckin tinfoil.

does anyone out there make a thicker replacement that I can get sprayed with bedliner and put that on instead?

 

any Juan?

 

doubt you will find any thicker access plate then what is.

wish there was tho'

thought I read they sell for near $ 25. new (likely primer)

prolly locate one cheaper at a salvage yard...

or... you can just beat yours back into shape

The center square is the most critical of the others...
because if dented too deeply...
It can sometimes hit the T-gate's latch handle (internally)
and that can push the latch handle outward some.

I've read of a few home brew reinforcement mods concerning...
But nothing that is without weld / fab work.

I hammered mine back out...
and now pay more attention to my knee's placement
when crawling over the tailgate.

Eventually I plan to cut out the centers of each square
and weld in a new thicker plate.

or maybe I'll locate another access panel...
and cut the squares out of that...
and weld those up making a double wall.

meh... I really haven't thought it thru
just know I'm tired of beating that panel straight.

I've seen folk run a full width/height tailgate cover plates...
ie: made diamond plate or the like
or the tailgate cover that comes with the plastic bed liners.
Those might minimize that bending some.

 

Getting your bed sprayed helps some. Mine feel slightly sturdier with the rhino lining on them, although I still wouldn't drop anything heavy or intentionally put a lot of weight on one of the access panels though . . .

 

Lots of people have complained about the weakness of the tailgates. There are several topics that discuss the issue, to include:

http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/2nd-gen-tacomas/29117-weak-tailgate-reinforcement-solution.html

http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/2nd-gen-tacomas/78315-my-tailgate-reinforce-project.html

http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/2nd-gen-tacomas/136618-how-im-fixing-my-flexy-tailgate.html

Personally, I bolted some angle iron on the inside of the tailgate and installed a replacement panel from Relentless Fabrication, they run about $150. I've since put 400 and 450 lbs motorcycles in the back of the truck with no problems multiple times.