The original! Relentless fab tailgate reinforcements

The reinforcements we originally designed for 05+ Tacoma's are now available for 1st gen's too!

A new addition to our tailgate reinforcements, we are finalizing a reinforcement for the 1st gen Tacoma's! The new product is preorder at this point, but will be stocked shortly.

Our 05+ reinforcements have been a hit for years now, so we decided to take that success and popularity and add in a reinforcement the 1st gen Tacoma's as well. While the 1st gen tailgate isnt quite as weak as the 2nd gen, they're still susceptible to bending, and our cover is the perfect remedy! Looks clean on the truck, and matches the tailgate profile perfectly.

Just like the 05+ Tacoma reinforcements, the 1st gen reinforcements are also available in 14ga steel or .100" 5052 Aluminum alloy. All covers can be ordered bare metal, or with a texture powder coat finish.

The product is simple and effective, and looks clean. Save yourself the headaches of bending a tailgate and get one of these reinforcements instead! I bent my 07 Tacoma's tailgate in the 1st month of owning the brand new truck!!- I was very disappointed to say the least! Less than a 1000 miles and already damaged! But ingenuity prevailed and this reinforcement was born out of necessity for how I used the truck.
The peace of mind is more than worth the price of the product! A new tailgate is typically between $500-1000 (ask me how I know ) which is either out of your pocket or a hit against your insurance policy if you claim the damage. At only $149(and 10% tw discount), you can't beat these if you use your truck for work daily, or use it for play on the weekends with motorcycles/atvs/etc!


Pricing is the same for 1st and 2nd gen covers:
Bare steel: $149
Bare aluminum: $169

Add $40 for powder coat.

These covers are usually in stock bare metal, and if ordered powder coated can be sent down for coating immediately. Coating time can take 3-14days depending on the workload at the powder coating shop here, so prepare accordingly. They often have large contracts which tend to bog them down, but the quality of their work is worth it. They've been coating since the 60's and do it right the first time!

05+ covers require no modifications for install. All holes are pre cut on my cnc table for perfect fit. Just remove the flimsy plastic covers from your tailgate via torx screws and clips, and reuse the torx screws to install the new reinforcement plate.
Should you desire, the large plastic cover will still fit over the reinforcement to give an even more stock-like look, you'll just need to cut off the alignment pins from the back side of the plastic cover for it to sit flush over the reinforcement. See example below of one of the reinforcements with the plastic installed over it.

1st gen Tacoma's will require drilling into the tailgate for install. Necessary hardware will be included with 1st gen Tacoma reinforcements.


Covers can be ordered right off my website at any time:
05+ reinforcement

96-04 reinforcement (preorder)

No need to wait on group buys or call us for discounts, I offer a 10% TW discount all the time. Just use code tw10off at checkout.

Thanks for looking everyone!

And now some pictures:

NEW 96-04 (prototype shown)


05+

Flimsy stock tailgate under the plastic cover:


with plastic cover back over the reinforcement:


Side profile(note the 05+ tailgate curves from the factory, no way to get around the mild gap at the ends. The gap is less than 1/2 this in the middle):

 

TTT!

I've got 2 steel and 2 aluminum 05+ reinforcements in stock and ready to rock! Bare metal, but can be sent to powder coat the day of order if needed.

 

Bump.
Have some in hand and material was delivered yesterday for my next batch.

 

Is the aluminum diamond plate, like the photo on the website?
Or flat or an option? For an 05+

 

All aluminum ones are now smooth. The diamond plate was a limited run due to lack of interest outside an initial group that purchased them.

I've got 2) smooth aluminum reinforcements on hand and ready to ship! Will ship following business day if ordered bare, or be dropped for powder coat immediately after order if ordered with coating.

 

I ordered an aluminum reinforcement earlier this week. I'm wondering what are people using to protect the top lip of the tailgate?

Thanks.

 

What do you mean exactly? The reinforcement wraps up over the edge, protects the whole top of the tailgate nicely

 

I was looking on your site under the install it says to use foam tape to protect the paint on the top edge of the tailgate, which makes sense. I just wasn't sure what type of tape or protectant others have had good luck with.

 

Gotcha. I like to use a strip of 'camper tape' under the lip of the reinforcement to help protect the tailgate during install and after in the case you ever hit something on it and bend the lip(highly unlikely)

 

Sounds like a good idea, thanks. I'm looking forward to installing this and not worrying eveytime I put something on my tailgate.

 

These have been pretty popular lately! Just got a batch back from forming and are all already spoken for! We already need to start a new batch, cant seem to keep them on the shelf for you guys! Thanks for the orders

 

7 of those pictured above going out today!
6 at powder coat, possibly back later this afternoon or tomorrow

3 smooth aluminum in stock and ready to ship bare, or be dropped for powder!

 

Sub'd for future buy. Saving to buy a TRD Supercharger in the mean time

 

Hello Eric,

I just placed an order through your website. I ordered the aluminum one (powdercoated). I entered the discount code TW10OFF in the comment section.

I've read quite a bit on your product & everyone has been happy with it. That's what swayed me into buying it.

Thank You

 

Quick question.

Besides the weight difference is there any benefit of going with the aluminum vs steel ones? I was thinking about getting one of these but didn't know which material to use.

Thanks for offering such a cool product. I wish the tacoma tailgate was a beefy as my old Chevys was. Kinda disappointing but that's cost savings for you.

 

Thanks
One consideration other than weight and a bit of strength would be corrosion. When used in a very damp or coastal environment this would be a more important consideration. The aluminum is a 5052 grade which is very corrosion resistant so if a coating got scraped off it would lightly oxidize over time whereas the steel would rust at a much quicker rate.

 

I live in Southern California near the coast but I don't do anything where the truck is near or in salt water. I'll go surfing but that isn't much water exposure lol

I mainly would like to reinforce the tailgate for motorcycles and general junk I'd sit on the tailgate. The most weight it may see is 400-500lbs from a motorcycle and that's it. I don't have any need for anything heavier. I actually don't have anything heavier than that. My father has a cruiser that weighs maybe 600lbs but that would be the most it would ever see.

Can the aluminum ones be powder coated as well? Whichever one I order would be powder coated to hopefully help with the issue of rusting or oxidizing. I'd play on putting the plastic one over the metal so the only exposed part would be the part folded over the tailgate.

Thanks again for taking the time to answer my questions

 

I think the aluminum one, powder coated, would suit you quite well. I'm somewhat familiar with SB, pretty moderate down there and as long as your truck isnt sitting ocean front 24/7 there should be very little corrosion to worry about.

 

I have an ARE tonneau cover on my bed. Will I be able to use your tailgate reinforcement plate?

 

I couldnt answer positively David as I have never installed one or tried to with any Tonneau. Tonneau's arent all that popular over here, probably since it's so dry, so I cant even recall the last time I saw a truck with one installed.