I just installed a EasyLift tail gate assist rod.
It changed the "both hands required to close", to only one hand required now to close!!!
In other words, it would require two men and a boy to close, now a small girl can do it by herself.
It was a gift from my son and it works great!
It required two 3/8" holes drilled, removal of the tail gate (to drill one hole and install the rod), then reinstall tail gate.
If you don't have one yet, you had better get one !!!
Made my life so much easier.

 

I saw a redneck invention that served the same purpose a few days ago.
The guy took the pull start rope and retract mechanism off a lawn mower engine and mounted it on the top inside of his bed.
Took the pull rope and tied it to the top edge of the tailgate.
Said it made lifting the gate into a one finger job.

Think I like what you have better.

 

My 2001 tail gate weighs half of what my 1990 does and is real easy to close .I could use one on the 90 though

 

I dont know if mine is the easy lift or not but it sure sounds the same. I was doing some transfer case seal work at a friends shop. I put some stuff in the back of his truck and noticed the ease of his tailgate and asked him about it. He told me what it was and that if I wanted one that he liked them so much he had bought several to have on hand at the shop for customers. I took one. The tailgate is now a one finger close. Two holes and a little finageling with the rod to get it inserted and done. Couldnt have taken more than 15 minutes and was cheap to boot.

 

BarryG:
It took me a little longer then 15 minutes, however, it was less then a hour. You will need someone to assist with the tail gate remove and reinstall.
The only number I found on the package was "a need help #". 1-800-835-0129. For those who would like more info.

 

After reading about this I talked to a friend who told me he installed the Easy Lift a while back. He said he loved it for about three months till it broke and a piece of it hit him in the face.
Cut him and he felt it easily could have taken out his eye.
He called the company and they offered him a new one for free but he opted to get his money back instead.
He also said if you read the reviews on amazon.com you'll see this problem isn't all that uncommon.
Be careful I guess.

 

Infidel:
I supose that a case could be made for any after market mod with both positive and nigitive. I find that in this case the pros will most likely out weigh the neys. But human nature is to very quickly tell the world about their less then positive experance. I am sorry that your friend had a bad experance with his tail gate mod, and like you am glad he did not loose his eye. It could be that it was a manufacturing defect from the steel manufacture. I suspect they buy metal rod on a roll, cut to length and then bend per application. I am not defending them, I am just saying that there may have been a manufacturing defect. There seems to be more positives then neg. Just look at the fuel can "BLITZ" manfuctured here in Oklahoma that just went out of business, due to the number of law suites against them. Those were everywhere, I hated them !! It took both hands to operate, then fuel leaked like crazy. Another example, just look at the after market lift pumps installed as well as the number of different failures.
I will be the first to voice my dissatifaction, right now I am a happy camper.