Tailgate hinge too stiff/tight - RESOLVED

[Syr4RinNC]

2019 Laramie crew cab.
- I was having some issues with the tailgate closing and I tightened down the brackets on the tailgate itself. Ever since the hinge is really tight and difficult to open. If i double click the key to release the tailgate, nothing happens. I basically have to use most of my weight to get the tailgate down.

I released the tailgate from the hinge and I cant find any obstruction. I ended up using an adustable wrench to see if I could turn it 180 degrees to see if that mattered and I cant get the hinge to budge without the leverage of the tailgate.

For now I tried to blow out any debris and put some wd40 around it - made a small difference.

Anyone come upon this or have any suggestions for my hinge being really stiff?

 

[mikeru82]

I'm having difficulty following. Pictures of what you actually tightened down would help.

 

[Syr4RinNC]

The first image is the hinge itself. The part that is super stiff and I cant move with a wrench or anything without the leverage of the tailgate attached. The second part are the bolts i tighted on the bracket for the tailgate to help it close in a more aligned fashion.

So my problem is the hinge in the first part is super stiff. The two shouldnt be related at all

 

[LaxDfns15]

Your damper may be messed up. Does it fall on its own once you've opened it or do you have to press it down? The damper on the hinge is built for the weight and torque the tailgate provides to it, so it won't be easy to twist by hand without a big enough lever.

 

[Syr4RinNC]

Your damper may be messed up. Does it fall on its own once you've opened it or do you have to press it down? The damper on the hinge is built for the weight and torque the tailgate provides to it, so it won't be easy to twist by hand without a big enough lever.

I have to use my weight to get it down. Any idea how I go about attempting to fix this or repair it or if you can point me in the right direction?

Is the same type of thing as a strut/ shock that people mount behind the taillight?

 

[NorthStar]

I have to use my weight to get it down. Any idea how I go about attempting to fix this or repair it or if you can point me in the right direction?

Is the same type of thing as a strut/ shock that people mount behind the taillight?

Yes, it should be behind the left (drivers side) taillight.

 

[Syr4RinNC]

Yes, it should be behind the left (drivers side) taillight.

Could it be behind the passenger side? Thats the hinge that Im having a hard time to get down. So the tailgate attaches to the truck like a pin in a hole on the driver side. The passenger side has a c shape cup that fits into the square peg hinge. The square peg wont move for the life of me.

 

[LaxDfns15]

Yes, it should be behind the left (drivers side) taillight.

Yeah I thought it was behind the passenger light. With you having to put weight on the tailgate to get it down I'd say either that hinge is over tightened, it's binding, or there's something wrong with the damper. As soon as I hit the release on my tailgate it falls nice and smooth.

 

[NorthStar]

Yeah I thought it was behind the passenger light. With you having to put weight on the tailgate to get it down I'd say either that hinge is over tightened, it's binding, or there's something wrong with the damper. As soon as I hit the release on my tailgate it falls nice and smooth.

1500 is behind drivers side taillight. 2500 is behind passenger taillight. There is only one required per tailgate.

 

[LaxDfns15]

1500 is behind drivers side taillight. 2500 is behind passenger taillight. There is only one required per tailgate. View attachment 107840

Maybe that's why OP can't move the passenger side at all .

 

[vinnieloo]

Is that pin supposed to turn? I thought it has those 2 flats because that's the only angle you can pull the tailgate off. I wonder if tightening that bracket threw the tailgate out of alignment. That looks like scoring on the paint on the pin.

 

[mikeru82]

The first image is the hinge itself. The part that is super stiff and I cant move with a wrench or anything without the leverage of the tailgate attached. The second part are the bolts i tighted on the bracket for the tailgate to help it close in a more aligned fashion.

So my problem is the hinge in the first part is super stiff. The two shouldnt be related at all

I'm wondering why you tightened those bolts in the first place, but maybe just as important, did you try loosening them back up a little to see if the tailgate stopped binding? I'm not suggesting you leave any bolts loose. This would be more for diagnostic purposes.

 

[Syr4RinNC]

No luck with anything. I think tightening the bracket was more coincidental. I took off the driver taillight and nothing obvious causing a problem. It seems like everything is too tight/ stiff - the damper strut, the hinge and pin it is connected to and the other side.

Ill have to keep dealing with it I guess or take it in. Wonder if the extended warranty will cover it.

ON a side note, anyone know if extended warranty will cover this rust thats already forming back there?

 

[mikeru82]

What have you tried doing? Did you try disconnecting the damper to see if that makes a difference?

As far as rust goes, even the factory warranty usually only covers rust if it perforates the sheet metal. You'll need to read through your extended warranty paperwork to see if it's covered or not.

 

[Syr4RinNC]

So the problem ended up being that the driver side tailgate hinge was seized/ frozen and would not move.

I ended up breaking the rubber bushing/ pad that inserts into the tailgate from the hinge so I had to replace the entire part. PART # Tailgate Hinge, Left - Mopar (68312519AD).

When I took off mine, it I couldnt move it at all, while the new hinge easily moved. Swapped in the new part and problem solved. Bummer that this seized/ froze after 3 years.

 

[mikeru82]

Glad to hear you resolved your issue. At least it didn't break the bank and looks like a pretty easy swap.