Good video, thanks. Here are two ideas to help prevent breaking handles: My experience was I had to adjust the female brackets that the male/pins go into on the left and right sides of the tailgate. They fit so tight that the tailgate closed really snug, and I had to pull hard on the handle to get it open, and then it broke. Adjusting the female bracket position has allowed the pins to slide more easily, I played around until I got them positioned just right. Also, I’m going to try pushing the tailgate forward with one hand when opening, to take even more friction off the pins so the handle only has to overcome spring tension, which it should be able to do w/o breaking. Adjusting the female brackets too far back can make the tailgate loose/rattle. Hopefully the bolts are tight enough so the brackets stay in place over time....but if slamming the tailgate shut pushes the brackets forward again I’ll put a little piece of metal or a dab of JB Weld next to it so it can’t move forward.
Tony Montgomery I’ll be honest, that was too technical for me lol The handle was fine as long as I closed the tailgate while holding the handle open. The wife forgot a few times until it broke. Not sure where the stress went of the workings of not holding it open that caused it to break.
Sorry - basically just saying there are brackets attached to truck bed on left/right sides, with holes that the spring-loaded “pins”? from tailgate fit into (to keep tailgate closed). On my truck most of the force needed to pull open the handle was due to scraping the pins out of the holes...tension/friction = broken handle. Now, after adjusting the brackets, there’s hardly any friction. The handle would never have broken if things weren’t too tight in the first place. U can see for yourself by pushing tailgate fwd or backward while opening handle, feel the difference, in my case it was obvious. I haven’t seen anyone else identify this, and w/o fixing the real cause their handles will just continue to break. Hope this helps some people.
Also, looking at the mechanism, I don’t think holding the handle up while shutting tailgate makes any difference in regards to handles breaking, I think its designed to be slammed shut, the pins on left/right sides just compress their springs w/o affecting handle at all. Oh, and thanks for your video, exactly what I needed when my handle broke and I didn’t know how to disassemble. Appreciate it!
@@TonyMontgomery18 I think generally you are right about slamming the gate shut. For this truck, maybe it was just too old, or those pins too tight, but both times that we broke it was because we slammed it shut. Which was weird, but you work with what you have lol. Thanks for your comments, and your tips!
I used multiple layers of JB Weld to fix my broken handle, might be stronger now than it was new. U could also use it (or similar product) to reinforce your handle. But !! look at the handle moving in the tailgate so u know where there’s little or no clearance....or u can find out too late that the JB Weld is in the way and it won’t work anymore! And regular JB Weld sags/runs/drips for hours, so work around that, or use a faster-setting or more putty-like product. This takes time, and some craftiness, but if the replacement handles break then it might be worth it.
You're the only channel that has the same make, model, and year truck that I have. Thanks for the tutorials.
Glad you like them and I hope they have been helpful!
@@ninjaofalltrades4293 they have been
Good video, thanks. Here are two ideas to help prevent breaking handles: My experience was I had to adjust the female brackets that the male/pins go into on the left and right sides of the tailgate. They fit so tight that the tailgate closed really snug, and I had to pull hard on the handle to get it open, and then it broke. Adjusting the female bracket position has allowed the pins to slide more easily, I played around until I got them positioned just right. Also, I’m going to try pushing the tailgate forward with one hand when opening, to take even more friction off the pins so the handle only has to overcome spring tension, which it should be able to do w/o breaking. Adjusting the female brackets too far back can make the tailgate loose/rattle. Hopefully the bolts are tight enough so the brackets stay in place over time....but if slamming the tailgate shut pushes the brackets forward again I’ll put a little piece of metal or a dab of JB Weld next to it so it can’t move forward.
Tony Montgomery I’ll be honest, that was too technical for me lol
The handle was fine as long as I closed the tailgate while holding the handle open. The wife forgot a few times until it broke. Not sure where the stress went of the workings of not holding it open that caused it to break.
Sorry - basically just saying there are brackets attached to truck bed on left/right sides, with holes that the spring-loaded “pins”? from tailgate fit into (to keep tailgate closed). On my truck most of the force needed to pull open the handle was due to scraping the pins out of the holes...tension/friction = broken handle. Now, after adjusting the brackets, there’s hardly any friction. The handle would never have broken if things weren’t too tight in the first place. U can see for yourself by pushing tailgate fwd or backward while opening handle, feel the difference, in my case it was obvious. I haven’t seen anyone else identify this, and w/o fixing the real cause their handles will just continue to break. Hope this helps some people.
Also, looking at the mechanism, I don’t think holding the handle up while shutting tailgate makes any difference in regards to handles breaking, I think its designed to be slammed shut, the pins on left/right sides just compress their springs w/o affecting handle at all.
Oh, and thanks for your video, exactly what I needed when my handle broke and I didn’t know how to disassemble. Appreciate it!
@@TonyMontgomery18 I think generally you are right about slamming the gate shut. For this truck, maybe it was just too old, or those pins too tight, but both times that we broke it was because we slammed it shut. Which was weird, but you work with what you have lol. Thanks for your comments, and your tips!
I used multiple layers of JB Weld to fix my broken handle, might be stronger now than it was new. U could also use it (or similar product) to reinforce your handle. But !! look at the handle moving in the tailgate so u know where there’s little or no clearance....or u can find out too late that the JB Weld is in the way and it won’t work anymore! And regular JB Weld sags/runs/drips for hours, so work around that, or use a faster-setting or more putty-like product. This takes time, and some craftiness, but if the replacement handles break then it might be worth it.
Tony Montgomery That generally sounds like a good tip! Thanks!
great video, and thank you very much ,you made it look very simple.all the best .
Thanks for the encouraging comment :)
Thats crazy my tailgate handle looks just like that lmao I might have to do mine soon then seeing this lol
It's pretty easy! And rest assured it will break again lol Had to replace one twice.
Awesome helpful video
I like her, knows what she's doing 😍 also thanks now can get mine fixed
Blair Ervine thanks! Good luck fixing yours!
Very helpful , is it still holding up fine ?
Ty C it was, just sold it as I had too many vehicles suddenly
Ninja Of All Trades 😭😭😭
Amazon has a couple to chose from not sure which one would hold up the best
Ty C I went with a metal one, which my wife broke anyway and I had replace again. So plastic or metal seems not to make much of a difference lol
Put a link for the latch so we can order same one.