I need help adjusting my tailgate

[rang-a-stang]

When I open/Close my tailgate window I have to lean into it to get it to line up correctly with the body. If you look at it, it sticks out just a tiny bit from the body and when I lean into it, it lines up almost perfectly:





The tailgate gasket is new and soft. The little cones on the edges of my tailgate that accept the pin seem to be in good shape. I have opened the tailgate, loosened the the plates on the body and moved them as inward as I can but that didnt seem to make a difference.



Am I missing something? Is there another place to align the top? I know I can adjust the hinges down low but is that the correct way to adjust the top?

[Tripwire]

dude you are in serious need of new seals if you replace them i would wait till they are in for a few months before realigning the door so they can squish some....

does it do the same thing with the window down?

problem is the body panels were not well made many times the lower looks good and the upper not right or the other way around, you have to find a compromise

if its a even misalignment top to bottom then yes adjusting the 2 pins on both sides can help as well as the female latch parts and doctoring the lower hinges...its alot of trial and error. if i recall correctly..maybe not... the bottom hinge is adjustable on the bolts that mount to the body

steve

[SJTD]

He's got new seals.

If you move the bottom out the top will move in a little since the pivot point will be the strikes but then the bottom might be out too far.

When you close it does it make two clicks? If the strikes are too far in you could only be making the first click but not the second and they might actually need to move out.

Hard to splain but does that make any sense.

[rang-a-stang]

dude you are in serious need of new seals if you replace them i would wait till they are in for a few months before realigning the door so they can squish some....

does it do the same thing with the window down?

problem is the body panels were not well made many times the lower looks good and the upper not right or the other way around, you have to find a compromise

if its a even misalignment top to bottom then yes adjusting the 2 pins on both sides can help as well as the female latch parts and doctoring the lower hinges...its alot of trial and error. if i recall correctly..maybe not... the bottom hinge is adjustable on the bolts that mount to the body

steve

New seals have been in for about a year. I hear you about poor body fitment. It also does not help that my rig was wrecked hard and had a bent frame.
Here is how it looks now.

Yeah, tailgate sits the same whether window is down or not.

He's got new seals.

If you move the bottom out the top will move in a little since the pivot point will be the strikes but then the bottom might be out too far.

When you close it does it make two clicks? If the strikes are too far in you could only be making the first click but not the second and they might actually need to move out.

Hard to splain but does that make any sense.

Copy that. Makes perfect sense.
I do get the 2 positions. Here it is lightly closed in the first click:


It's really subtle how much this is off and here is the only reason I really care. If I close my window without leaning into it you can see how window goes between the seal and the body:


Then if I lean on it, it goes right up the middle of the channel in the seal:


Maybe I should hog out the screw holes in the striker and move it in a little more? It's only about 1/4 to 1/8" off. My tailgate sits a little off centered, too (look at the gap difference, the driver side is about 1/8" wider than the passenger side). Could that have a bearing on this?

[SJTD]

What's the latch look like? A rotating star or a "U"? Doesn't really matter but sounds like they, the strikes or the mechanism inside the gate that does the locking are worn.

Maybe moving the strikes down a little will help if you have the star shaped latches so they engage at a thicker part of the star. Obviously need to be careful not to go too far or they'll bind. Might help with the other shape also depending on the angle of the latch when it locks.

Prolly have to do as you said and open up the mounting hole.

[gopher_6_9]

See that plate with a pin sticking out beside/behind the weatherstrip? That is also a depth adjustment, they may be out to far, or the inserts that bolt on the tailgate may be damaged. I've seen similar issues from those.

If I recall correctly there is a bolt head for the adjustment that you access from inside, if frozen you can pull the retainer bolt from the body, remove the whole plate and work on it in a vise.

[backroadin']

+1. I assume gopher means the plate/bracket with the little rubber cones. Mine have screws just like the latch plate for loosening/adjusting.

BTW, is that a booger in the 5th pic down?? Gross...

[rang-a-stang]

What's the latch look like? A rotating star or a "U"? Doesn't really matter but sounds like they, the strikes or the mechanism inside the gate that does the locking are worn.

Maybe moving the strikes down a little will help if you have the star shaped latches so they engage at a thicker part of the star. Obviously need to be careful not to go too far or they'll bind. Might help with the other shape also depending on the angle of the latch when it locks.

Prolly have to do as you said and open up the mounting hole.

I have the star one. its ugly and dirty but here it is. I'll try moving it down. That's a good idea.

I guess I should take a little time and clean this area of my truck up. It's pretty gross in there.

See that plate with a pin sticking out beside/behind the weatherstrip? That is also a depth adjustment, they may be out to far, or the inserts that bolt on the tailgate may be damaged. I've seen similar issues from those.

If I recall correctly there is a bolt head for the adjustment that you access from inside, if frozen you can pull the retainer bolt from the body, remove the whole plate and work on it in a vise.

So, I went to the pin, there is a locking nut on the back side. I loosened it and there is a torx end on the pin that allows me to screw it in and out. I screwed it in about 1/4". No change in symptoms.
Here is backed into the body a bit. I can see it is interfacing with the rubber cone in the tailgate but it does not look like it is too much.

+1. I assume gopher means the plate/bracket with the little rubber cones. Mine have screws just like the latch plate for loosening/adjusting.

BTW, is that a booger in the 5th pic down?? Gross...

When I bought my truck, those little cones were completely worn out and missing. I found a set on a rig in a wrecking yard and installed them. That stopped the ratteling sound from my tailgate but did not change the positioning of my tailgate.

HAHAHAHA!!! It does look like a booger! I will neither confirm nor deny that that "booger" came from a bodily function. You will always have to wonder!

[SJTD]

The fact that you can push the tailgate in more seems to exonerate those pin/sockets. By the way, BJ's sells the sockets.

I wonders why I don't see all your pics. One in Post #8 and two in #4. You're hosting them all in the same place, no?

[gopher_6_9]

Gotcha, if that didn't help I am not going to be of much help, all the ones I have worked on have the oblong U shaped latch, that star type latch is earlier and I am not sure.....

[rang-a-stang]

Copy all everyone. I think my next step is to take the strikers and patches off to clean and lube them. I had a few texts with WT77 and he showed me some pictures of his. I know that little spring loaded tongue inside my striker moves but not very well. I will clean all of it, lube all of it, and see where I am at. If that does not work (I do not think it will) I will hog out the holes a little and re-evaluate.

[backroadin']

Those cones that are stuck in the plate on the tailgate belong on the bracket with the pin in the door jam - the one behind the striker plate. I'm pretty sure the rubber goes over the pin and the tailgate closes onto it. Nit-picking, really, the end result is the same. The older ones musthave had a different design, my 73 doesn't look like yours as far as that pin plate goes.

[backroadin']

You will always have to wonder!

HAHA!!! I'd rather not............

[rang-a-stang]

SUCCESSSSSSS!!!!!

Tonight I pulled the striker off the driver side and this is what it looked like. Super gross.

I soaked it in hot water with some Purple Power de-greaser for a couple hours, then scrubbed it off and ended up with this:


MUCH better. I noticed the metal wear marks show my tailgate is not closing all the way. Then I thought back to this point:

...When you close it does it make two clicks? If the strikes are too far in you could only be making the first click but not the second and they might actually need to move out...

Hm. So I pushed the striker over the latch on the tailgate and took a measurement from the screw hole to skin of the tailgate and compared it to the body.



So, I moved the striker almost all the way out. Like maybe a 1/32" from all the way out. Screwed it down and gave the tailgate a good slam. Here's how it lined up:

Not only is it in the hair it needed to go in, it is SOLIDLY closed now (on the drivers side). I stuck the key in the bezel and turned it without leaning into my tailgate and the glass happily slide up the middle of the channel! WOO HOOO! I WIN!!!

So, root cause: Dirty striker prevented the tailgate from getting all the way seated. Previous owner moved the striker so the first click lines up pretty well and left it there.

I decided to clean the passenger side striker, too but 2 of the screws are seized in there. I ran out of time before I could drill them out. Hopefully this weekend but we will see.