Tailgate Strength Concerns

Good Morning,


So over the weekend I purchased a 4 wheeler. Its roughly 650 ish pounds. And with me on it is approaching 850-900 pound total.

My question is, I have read that the Tacoma tailgate is weak. An I admit when I was up unloading the 4 wheeler as I rolled over and sat the on tailgate for a moment it dawned on me that it’s probably a fair amount of weight on there especially when I’m on it, granted I know it is distributed to a point an not all 800 at once... I know lots of guys use there truck for this, I guess I’m just wondering how paranoid I need to be about it.. I know the risk is there, but trying to get a feel for how much risk if I plan on using it fairly often.. Anyone heard of a failure in this scenario?

I have seen some metal plates that replace the plastic for added strength, but it also seems that some feel it doesn’t really add much strength.

Any thoughts on this? Should I just send it and not worry about it?

 

Yes get a Relentless Fab Tailgate Reinforcement, or Mobtown Off Road Tailgate Reinforcement. That weight I am sure will cause an issue

 

Yeah absolutely get reinforcement.

 

Mr Ambassador lead the way to Mobtown sir.

 

What I’ve also seen was someone use a big sheet of 3/4 plywood that covers the whole bed and tailgate in one piece. That helps distribute the load nicely too.

 

https://mobtownoffroad.com/product/2005-2015-toyota-tacoma-tailgate-reinforcement-plate/

https://mobtownoffroad.com/product/2005-2015-toyota-tacoma-tailgate-reinforcement-cap/

 

Well I admit the cost of a sheet of plywood is a lot cheaper then the tailgate reinforcements.. BUT I don't know if I id end up the fool who pays the price down the road if it still fails, going that rout.. dang, should have thought this through better..

Thanks for the quick responses/ Advice

Would you recommend doing both the cap and the plate? or can I get away with just the plate..

 

Both they tie in together

 

I load my arctic cat 250 4x4 no problem.

 

Get a reinforcement plate. Until you do, take the tailgate off when loading and unloading.

 

This pattern fit my 2014 - it was a DIY project. Haven't managed to bend it yet. The panels serve to spread the load over more of the tailgate structure. I put an extra set of screws across the center of the panel - used button heads and threaded inserts in the steel tailgate.







Would work even better with one of the steel caps over the top edge.

 

I bent the tailgate on my 02 when it was new. I was hauling a dirt bike with the rear tire resting on the tailgate. I did not notice an damage at first, but the next time I washed the truck I saw small protrusions sticking out our the tailgate like little bumps. I assume the interior support structure concentrated the pressure into a couple points.

 

@Johnders, depending on where you are located I am getting rid of a reinforcement plate. I no longer need it.

 

@TuckerHardRide This might work. He's in Franklin, NH

 

Where do the wheels sit? When I used to load my Yamaha in the bed the rear wheels sat with most of the weight on the bed and only a little hanging back onto the tailgate hinge side. I never had any damage from that or snowmachines in the bed.

 

Get a steel reinforcement plate I was able to grab a motown offload one ribbed (for her pleasure) on the 2nd gen BST part of the forum for $125

 

I bought a KB Voodoo steel tailgate cap several years ago. It has done its job as I load my lawn tractor and me in/out of the bed via ramp without any issues. I don't know, but suspect that me plus tractor is 5-600 lbs. I know that KB Voodoo is somewhat out of favor here, but their product has been fine for me.

 

I would say without the top fold it's not doing anything at all. Our tailgates fail in bending, usually towards the center, and in order for any reinforcement to help at all it would have to be more rigid in bending than the tailgate and i know I could easily flex that steel plate just by picking it up and waving it around which means it cannot do anything to strengthen the tailgate. I wouldn't install one that didn't bend all the way around the top and down the front (back? handle side) of the tailgate.

 

The wheels sit just inside the bed.

@TuckerHardRide may be Interested, what brand is that? Does it go over the top?

 

I rock the relentless fab steel skin that i spraypainted hammered black and use the original fiber glass piece. Looks AWESOME, never have to worry about my tailgate strength and it feel like a real tailgate now. Its also the only (that i know of) ONE piece full wrap around skin. A simple flat piece on the top (like the stock fiberglass) doesnt do much for strength, but the wraparound makes it REAL stiff.