Fix or Replace bent tailgate

Thanks for everyone's input on this.

It looks like it's not fixable, so off it comes. I'll be using a bed net in the interim.

 

ebay

 

Did it still latch? If so, I would've kept it... More storage space!

 

I've heard good and bad things about these. Mostly that they aren't the same OEM quality. (I'd have to dig up the threads again)

I still have it; I just took it off for now. They're so easy to remove/replace that I can always put it back on if I need to.

 

Replace it with a new one. Not worth the hassel and risk of bending it so you can no longer close the gait.

 

That might be a good thing. It would be pretty hard to find sheet metal that's actually weaker than OEM toyota. Tinfoil maybe? I avoid looking directly at my truck when approaching for fear of denting it with a hard look.

 

Tin foil is most definitely stronger! IIRC, it wasn't the metal per say, but the dimensions, alignment, the handle and latches, etc.

 

I bought a double cab for this very reason. Once I saw how flimsy these tailgates are I figured that hauling our dirt bikes would beat the hell out of the tailgate if they were resting on it. I always had bigger trucks with sturdier tailgates before I got this one. I just pop the tailgate gate off and load directly into the bed and ratchet the bikes in.

 

Even my Ford Ranger had a beefier tailgate lol

But as others have mentioned, look into the the Relentless Fab Tailgate Reinforcement.

 

drive around until you see a blue tacoma and then swap tail gates when nobody is looking