My tailgate has developed a closing problem. When I close the tailgate, it bounces back at me. I immediately close it a second time and it closes properly. Yesterday I sprayed all connections with a lubricant. I just opened the tailgate for the first time today and I had to try to close it twice before it would latch.

Any suggestions?

 

Mine does that, too. It helps to manually push the tabs on the side latches towards the front of the truck before you shut it. It has me

 

Just in case any tailgate experts are out there I'l throw my problem in the loop here. My tailgate wont open wth the handle. The handle releases one side of it but the other side I have to reach to the inside of the gate latch and theres a littlte bitty latch there I have to pull up on. This may tie into the previous postings if the catches aren't letting go completely.

 

twhite: My tailgate developed the same problem. I used WD-40 and squirted the inside of the tailgate where the handle is attached and that took care of the problem. Tailgate's worked perfectly for the last 5 months.

DeWain

 

I used a similiar product and sprayed the handle well (or at least I thought so). I will try again. Maybe it needs just a little more encouragement.

 

I had the same problem. Popped he handle guard out of the tailgate and got acces to the scissor that pulls the rods to release the tailgate locks. All that stuff was really rusty and covered with salt, so I took tha garden hose to it and washed everything out. The door worked great again, so I added some oil for protection.

AlpineRAM

 

Mine was doing this too. I loosened the handle and twisted the tie-rods with pliers in effect shortening them. Works great ever since.

 

Mine did the same so I unbolted the two latches and pulled them out a little and lubed the pin in there that fixed it. The sticky latches cost me a storage door on the 5th wheel when the gate dropped down in an intersection. That sucked.

 

How do you "pop" the handle guard out of the tailgate? Use a wide blade and work it out?

 

I used a flat screwdriver with insulation tape wrapped around it. Just pulled out the lower side of it a bit until it came loose, pulled the handle and caught the guard bit (almost- well actually with my foot )

AlpineRAM

 

Mine popped off because I have to slam it so hard to close it! Maybe it is trying to tell me something... I'll give it a big shot of lube tomarrow.

 

my 99 started having the problem latly that it wont stay shut! sometimes it falls open drivin down the road

 

mine rattles and i live on a 5 mile dirt road and iam about ready to throw it off the intersate bridge or strap a come along on the opsoing stake pockets and ratchet the you know what out of it. its really annoying

 

It might be adjusted to tight. Try adjusting the two pins on the bed out about an eighth of an inch and see if that helps. Mine only does it when its 20 below or colder. If the pins are to far forward the gate cannot go far enough forward to make the latches grab. I've seen this on a few trucks not just the Dodges.

 

Is there supposed to be some kind of bushing in the lower hinge pin? Mine rattles like heck, and it moves back and forth on them hinges enough that it chips my new paint when the tailgate is down.