Rear Tailgate Assist

MotionMan · November 30, 2016

You mean to tell me this thing is a piece of plastic? Mine just broke with 10,000 miles. I use it every day and tonight I heard a crack and noticed it was toast, popped the gate and pulled the pieces out. Now it slams open like a 1971 C10. I guess I will demand 30 of them.

Edited November 30, 2016 by MotionMan

Cosmic Charlie · November 30, 2016

Hmmm - like spring Plastic ? Pix ?

MotionMan · November 30, 2016

There is a torsion bar the plastic bushing attaches to on the side you lift it off, the other side has a rubber bushing that slows the fall. The plastic bushing split and crumbled There has to be a better way, plastic will never last long.

Cowpie · November 30, 2016

I never cared for the assist thing. I would prefer the old hook and chain style of my 1966 Chevy C10 than the latch thing that pickups have. Could use the hook and chain style to set the tailgate at differing angles, not just up or down. At least a tailgate that was easily removed when I need to do so like all my others up thru my '98 2500. The assist thing is alright for some. Mine goes on my 2500 and I will not be replacing it.

LakeSpeed · November 30, 2016

I agree, I cannot imagine how the engineers who designed this expected it to hold up. Got to be a better way.

revrnd · November 30, 2016

I agree, I cannot imagine how the engineers who designed this expected it to hold up. Got to be a better way.

Same ones that were behind the tailgate cable fiasco a few years ago?

When 1 of them broke on my 2000, I fabbed a pair of hinges using the C/K hinge as a suggestion.

MotionMan · December 1, 2016

The problem is I just started to trust it and not hold it all the way down. Tonight I just let it drop and it was not a good sound. I'm thinking the same, I'll get this one and if it happens again it's back to the old way. If my hands were full it is nice. Oh and the plastic piece is $40 but it's a warranty item.

revrnd · December 1, 2016

I'm surprised it works as well as it does. I think it was offered on the GMT900s & I don't think it made much difference.

newdude · December 2, 2016

I'm surprised it works as well as it does. I think it was offered on the GMT900s & I don't think it made much difference.

900's had the easy up assist which is the torsion bar in the tailgate that is keyed to the left (driver's side) hinge. The easy down gate feature started on K2 trucks. They use the dumb plastic bushing in the passenger hinge, and then there is an dampener behind the passenger tail light.

20Denali22 · December 3, 2016

Mine broke @ 8k. I'm not even going to worry about it at this point. I don't want to waste my time for another one to break and repeated trips to the dealer... If there is a design change with an updated piece, maybe.

MotionMan · December 3, 2016

If I were a Tool & Die maker I would make one out of Bilett Aluminium and never look back I did get a new one and I was wrong on how it works, it's a spring cam on the bushing side that slows it, without the bushing it is pretty sloppy. So I will give it one more try but I think the engineer who designed this has no clue to the fact that plastic on metal moving back and forth will eat that plastic.

newdude · December 3, 2016

Mine broke @ 8k. I'm not even going to worry about it at this point. I don't want to waste my time for another one to break and repeated trips to the dealer... If there is a design change with an updated piece, maybe.

They sure charge a pretty penny for it...retail is $41.05!

If I were a Tool & Die maker I would make one out of Bilett Aluminium and never look back I did get a new one and I was wrong on how it works, it's a spring cam on the bushing side that slows it, without the bushing it is pretty sloppy. So I will give it one more try but I think the engineer who designed this has no clue to the fact that plastic on metal moving back and forth will eat that plastic.

You'd be rich making replacements with all the trucks out there...

Edited December 3, 2016 by 15HDriver

revrnd · December 3, 2016

If I were a Tool & Die maker I would make one out of Bilett Aluminium and never look back I did get a new one and I was wrong on how it works, it's a spring cam on the bushing side that slows it, without the bushing it is pretty sloppy. So I will give it one more try but I think the engineer who designed this has no clue to the fact that plastic on metal moving back and forth will eat that plastic.

LOL

Does anyone have any pics?

Was the Vehicle Line Executive for the K2XX program a woman? I seem to recal the "big cheese" @ the head of the GMT900 was a woman. I wonder how much real world exeperience she had w/ trucks?