Weight Limit for Tailgate

Hey,
I want to haul my 700lb motorcycle in the bed. But I am concerned about how much weight the tailgate will hold. The last thing I want is to ride up the ramp to have the gate bend or fall off. So am I safe or do I have to reinforce the gate and/or gate cable?

I have a 2005 Taco

 

Pine needle or leaf

But not both at the same time.

But seriously I loaded and unloaded my quad thousands of times without dropping the cables and it is slightly bent in the middle.
I trailer my quad most of the time now.

Tons of reinforcement mod pics and threads, check out the "what have you done today" top sticky.

 

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/tailgate-bent.537176/
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/how-much-does-it-really-take-to-bend-these-tailgates.420648/
https://www.toyotanation.com/threads/motorcycle-bent-my-tailgate-bad.262719/

 

https://mobtownoffroad.com/product/2005-2015-toyota-tacoma-tailgate-reinforcement-plate/
https://www.relentlessfabrication.com/collections/toyota/products/05-tacoma-tail-gate-reinforcement

or run wood from the front of the bed to the end of the tailgate.

 

Hit the ramp faster and you won’t even touch your tailgate. Works better in a long bed though.

 

I was thinking of replacing the plastic top peice with 3/4" wood. I have a trailer with 3/4" plywood and it holds the bike flawlessly.

 

How about the steel cables that hold the tailgate? Do these need upgrading/strengthening as well?

 

I wouldn't be too concerned as most of the weight of the bike is towards the front not the rear wheel. Plus I haven't read anybody whining about the "shitty stock cables!" on here or complaining about them so my guess is there fine but if you're concerned about it, I'd probably reinforce or replace them.

 

That is fine once the bike is loaded. How about AS THE BIKE is loaded. The weight is on the tailgate, at least a good portion.

 

And now you’ve made me hungry, damn you !!! Gonna look for a snack.

 

Cut, fit a slab of 3/4" plywood to distribute weight. Mine is 54 1/2" X 22" with an edge overhang of 2 1/4", so I can clamp something I'm working on. Cut it flush (54 1/2" X 19 3/4") to use with ramps. It won't move, fits against bedposts and between tailgate support cables. Store it under the bed mat.

Whatever you do, keep loading weight away from the center of the tailgate, the most vulnerable spot, plus the latch hole in the sheet metal is right there, and close to the edge. Worst possible place.

Or just lift the tailgate off and load directly into the bed.

 

I put my 700lb motorcycle in the back of my Tacoma with no issues.

1984 Goldwing, standard no jammers.

 

Not completely true. Please don't spread false information without doing some proper research. A green leaf is much denser and carries more weight than a properly dried and seasoned leaf. There's almost a 20% difference in weight when green. The tailgate cannot handle that extra 20%. And you also need to be more specific when you say "leaf". Nothing larger than a clover leaf would be safe. The amount of false information on this site is astounding. Hope that clears things up a bit.

 

Mine is bent from loading my bikes about once a month, <300lbs and only 1 at a time. You can see light through the bottom when closed

 

Mine is slightly tweaked from sitting on it; I haven't hauled anything heavy that has touched the gate. I weigh 160 lb and the ex GF ~110 lb. So it doesn't take much.

 

So you and your ex GF were just sitting on it. Right. Sure. Ok.

 

I replaced mine last fall because you just never know.
They might be rusted inside the coating and you would never see it until it breaks.
I went with OEM but there are cheaper options out there if you feel lucky.
There's also the option of removing the tailgate for loading.

 

I just pick up my quad/riding lawn mower/harley and lift it over the side, keep the tail gate up and you don't have to worry about bending it, better eat your wheaties though

 

I had my tailgate down today and stepped on there before I jumped off. I heard some crackling and popping. It sounded like it was mostly the plastic, but still.