How To Fix A Truck Tailgate

Saturday morning, you pull up to the local lumber yard with your list of supplies needed to finish the deck, replace those busted sprinkler heads, or whatsoever you have been putting off for months. Your shopping cart is loaded downward with tons of home-repair goodies. You achieve for the handle on the tailgate of your truck and bam, nothing. What? Why did that not work? The handle'south reason for being in this world is to open the tailgate. So, of course, y'all give information technology a few more tugs to no avail. Sure enough, the dang this is busted, kaput, no longer viable as a tailgate handle. Merely don't worry, nosotros are about to teach you broken tailgate handle repair.

The tailgate handle on this 2002 Chevy 2500 HD is not working, so we need to pop the cover off and take a look. — The tailgate handle on this 2002 Chevy 2500 HD is not working, so nosotros need to pop the cover off and take a look.

Finding The Root Of The Trouble

This can happen on whatever truck, but it doesn't accept to. The tailgate handles is non the result here, information technology is actually the latches themselves. At that place are two latches, one on either side of the tailgate. Over time, these latches go coated with clay and rust. When the lubrication is gone and the latch sticks, the increased try required to open the tail gate stresses the cast iron arms on the handle. Put too much stress on these artillery, and they pause, leaving you with a disrepair tailgate.

The plastic arms were intact, it is common for these to break. Unfortunately, this truck has a broken handle mechanism.

Fixing The Broken Tailgate Handle

Luckily NAPA has the prepare for both issues. NAPA Solution Parts has replacement handles for all of the nigh popular trucks on the road. We recently dealt with this upshot on a 2002 Chevrolet truck. The truck was a recent purchase and the tailgate handle was broken when nosotros bought it. A trip to our local NAPA provided usa with a new NAPA Solutions handle and a new replacement handle encompass, equally the original plastic cover broke when it was removed to open the tailgate.

The plastic clips just pop off of the rods, then the rods pulls out of the handle arm.

The bodily cleaved tailgate handle repair is easy, just three bolts and a couple of plastic clips that concord the rods that operate the latches concord the handle in place. We unbolted the handle and popped the clips off. This allows us to replace the handle, but what most the latches? If you don't take care of the latches now, the new handle will simply break again down the road.

There are three bolts inside the bed that hold the handle in place. They are metric 13 mm on this truck. You can see the left-side lever is broken, there should be a tab to push on the arm. It is missing. — In that location are 3 bolts inside the bed that hold the handle in place. They are metric 13 mm on this truck. You can see the left-side lever is cleaved, there should be a tab to button on the arm. Information technology is missing.

There are ii bolts holding the latches in place on each side. Only remove i at a fourth dimension, equally the tailgate cable has to be removed besides.

The latches are the main issue, as they get corroded and dirty. Two bolts hold them in. Only do one side at a time. — The latches are the main issue, as they get corroded and dirty. Two bolts hold them in. Just do one side at a time.

With the latch out, nosotros used some Slip Plate Black Ice graphite penetrating oil to lubricate the latch. The penetrating oil helps pull the graphite into the inner workings of the latch so that when the oil eventually dries up, the latch will accept a protective blanket of graphite for shine operation.

The latch is dirty and dry, so we knocked the dirty and crud off of it first. — The latch is dirty and dry, so we knocked the dirty and crud off of information technology first.

We used Slip Plate Black Ice lubricant to provide long lasting lubrication. You can use a plain wet lube, but the graphite in Black Ice will last much longer. — We used Skid Plate Black Ice lubricant to provide long lasting lubrication. Y'all can utilise a manifestly wet lube, simply the graphite in Black Ice will last much longer.

The latches were reinstalled and the tailgate closed. Be sure that the rod does not get behind the handle recess, or you will take to remove information technology to get the handle attached.

When the latches are reinstalled, you have to make sure the rod goes above the recess for the handle, otherwise you will have to pull it out and reinstall it. — When the latches are reinstalled, you have to make certain the rod goes above the recess for the handle, otherwise you lot will accept to pull it out and reinstall information technology.

Next, the new handle was installed using the original hardware. Don't forget to snap the latch rods into the plastic clips.

We picked up a new NAPA Solutions handle and trim cover for the truck for a perfect fit. — We picked upward a new NAPA Solutions handle and trim encompass for the truck for a perfect fit.

The handle installs just like it came out.

Then the three bolts reinstalled and tightened down. — Then the three bolts reinstalled and tightened downwards.

Don't forget to attach the rods to the handle and clip them in. — Don't forget to adhere the rods to the handle and prune them in.

The last step is installing the new plastic cover. If your cover is non broken, and then you can reuse it. All four tabs were broken on our embrace.

We popped the new cover into the hole. All done.

Before nosotros repaired it, the tailgate would open, but it took some try. Afterwards, the tailgate latch is smooth as butter. The total broken tailgate handle repair time is nearly 15 minutes.

Check out all the body & accompaniment products available on NAPA Online or trust 1 of our 17,000 NAPA AutoCare locations for routine maintenance and repairs. For more than data on broken tailgate handle repair, chat with a knowledgeable expert at your local NAPA AUTO PARTS store.

Jefferson Bryant View All

A life-long gearhead, Jefferson Bryant spends more time in the shop than anywhere else. His career began in the automobile sound industry every bit a shop managing director, eventually working his way into a position at Rockford Fosgate equally a product designer. In 2003, he began writing tech articles for magazines, and has been working as an automotive announcer always since. His work has been featured in Auto Craft, Hot Rod, Rod & Custom, Truckin', Mopar Musculus, and many more than. Jefferson has also written four books and produced endless videos. Jefferson operates Red Clay Rodz, his personal garage studio, where all of his magazine manufactures and tech videos are produced.