Anyone try a stiff spring? We used to have a door at our camp that had a long spring that was bent when it was closed. When you opened the door the spring would straighten & act like a prop. You'd then have to bend the spring in the middle with your finger to make it close again.

 

I'm noticing the same thing on my install. The shock and mounts are still in place and it works great but I can tell that the inside mount will eventually fail due to the stress on the rivets from opening the gate. There is already some wiggle on that mount. We'll see how it goes but I was concerned about this from the beginning that mounting to sheet metal could eventually be a weak spot of this setup.

 

Exactly. I may eventually try taking out the rear tail light and bolting it through which would make it much stronger.

 

THanks for the info...I'll try those next time.

 

Thats the super duper Tim the Tool man Taylor door system. I like the idea though just a bit stout. Good tymes JOE>

 

I installed at an angle to give the gas cylinder its prescribed "rod down" orientation and it also gives a cleaner look to the bracket on the door. The only real concern is closing the door on cargo and the loss of a couple inches.

Brackets and strut from West Marine.
Stainless attaching hardware from Menards.

I installed the door bracket in about 1 inch from its full extended position.

 

Looks good! I don't like the idea of cutting into the rear door though.....that kind of freaks me out!

 

This is why I like Brett's kit.
The auminium bar distributes the force on a large surface. Mine is rock-solid...

 

Hey bud,

I've got a proposal for you. I'd like to see the folks get a review of my kit, as a comparison to others. If you're interested in posting up a review here, I'll send you one of my kits at half price ($35). And if you don't like it, then send it back for a refund. Be forewarned, this kit is much more work to install. But I think you'll be happy with it.
If your just over it and are not interested, I completely understand. And if that's the case, I'll make the same offer to HG97TJ

And for anybody installing any kit such as this DO NOT rely on the shock as a tailgate stop. The stock hinges are designed to do this. Let them do their job. Also, If I'm parked on a grade that's steep toward the passenger side, always hand-hold the tailgate to stop it from flying open.

Thanks for the props, Voodoo.

 

I installed a 30# strut last winter using pop rivets because the blind-rivet gun I ordered hadn't arrived in time to install the parts before I had to head out on a lengthy road trip. I've taken care to restrain the tailgate on opening and the brackets are just as snug now as they were four or five months ago. If and when the pop rivets fail, I'll drill them out and install the beefier rivets, but the point is, regardless of the fasteners or hardware, it'll always be necessary to ease out the tailgate. Small price to pay for terrific modification.