Tailgate Hanging Low, Adjustment?

[cafecito820]

Hey all!

Full disclosure, I'm not sure if I messed something up, or if our tailgate has been like this since we got our Jeep.

We have the Mopar tailgate reinforcement bracket, oversized spare tire carrier, and the camera relocation bracket. During the installation, I did the cardboard slats under the tailgate as instructed (honestly not sure if it helped though)... ?

Now, the tailgate still closes, but it requires a really hard slam. The gate seems to drop down about half an inch once it unlatches from the striker. I don't see any obvious places where I could adjust the horizontal level of the tailgate aside from the exterior hinges themselves, but there is absolutely zero wiggle room with how those go in.

Has anyone managed to overcome this?

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[chevymitchell]

Hey all!

Full disclosure, I'm not sure if I messed something up, or if our tailgate has been like this since we got our Jeep.

We have the Mopar tailgate reinforcement bracket, oversized spare tire carrier, and the camera relocation bracket. During the installation, I did the cardboard slats under the tailgate as instructed (honestly not sure if it helped though)... ?

Now, the tailgate still closes, but it requires a really hard slam. The gate seems to drop down about half an inch once it unlatches from the striker. I don't see any obvious places where I could adjust the horizontal level of the tailgate aside from the exterior hinges themselves, but there is absolutely zero wiggle room with how those go in.

Has anyone managed to overcome this?

Just needs some more adjusting is all. It'll take several attempts of trial and error to get it right.

 

[JPAloha]

It wasn’t wedged enough when you installed the reinforcement bracket. Remove the tire to take the bulk of the weight off. Loosen the 4 bolts for the hinges, retighten them with the tailgate in a level, closed position.

 

[cafecito820]

Just needs some more adjusting is all. It'll take several attempts of trial and error to get it right.

Well, right, but that's what I'm asking. I don't see any obvious points of adjustment that would address this.

 

[cafecito820]

It wasn’t wedged enough when you installed the reinforcement bracket. Remove the tire to take the bulk of the weight off. Loosen the 4 bolts for the hinges, retighten them with the tailgate in a level, closed position.

Do you mean like actively have something shoving the tailgate up and in while tightening the 4 hinge bolts on the outside? From an eye-level view of them, it doesn't look like there is any adjustment/wiggle room that would make a difference, that's why I didn't think to try adjusting those.

 

[kah.mun.rah]

With the gate weighted by the spare tire and while open, measure how much you think it needs to go up. Then take off your spare tire and measure how much the weight of the tire makes it sag. With the spare off loosen all of the hinge attachment areas on the face of your gate. Move the gate up (the distance you think it needed to go up + the distance the tire makes it sag) and tighten the bolts. It might appear a little too high but when you put the spare back on it should sag to the correct location.

Similar strategy from TeraFlex :

 

[cafecito820]

With the gate weighted by the spare tire and while open, measure how much you think it needs to go up. Then take off your spare tire and measure how much the weight of the tire makes it sag. With the spare off loosen all of the hinge attachment areas on the face of your gate. Move the gate up (the distance you think it needed to go up + the distance the tire makes it sag) and tighten the bolts. It might appear a little too high but when you put the spare back on it should sag to the correct location.

Similar strategy from TeraFlex :

That's more or less what I ended up doing, just by eyeballing it instead of using tape. I raised the tailgate to have the bottom of the latch notch hitting the striker dead on. I put the tire on, and magically everything is in the center.

 

[JPAloha]

Do you mean like actively have something shoving the tailgate up and in while tightening the 4 hinge bolts on the outside? From an eye-level view of them, it doesn't look like there is any adjustment/wiggle room that would make a difference, that's why I didn't think to try adjusting those.

Yes.
The adjustment happens in the tailgate. When you loosen or remove the hinge bolts you’ll see the inner hinges and how they move around.

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