Dampening Tailgate...?

Has anyone come across any devices to "dampen" the tailgate descent?

 

I got the one that RockAuto offers. EZDOWN or something like that. I installed it and ran into the same issues many others apparently ran into, which is when you close the tailgate, the cable will pinch itself in between the tailgate and the dampening cylinder. So every time you close your tailgate, you have to hold the cable in the right position. It's pretty annoying, but I guess it hasn't been annoying enough to the point where I have taken it off. I am not sure if other products work better. But that's my experience.

 

Why do you need to, out of curiosity? The tailgate on these trucks isn't heavy.

 

I'm interested in this, as well. For me, it'd be great to have so my kiddos - both under 10 - could open it up easily.

 

It's pretty damn heavy with our Mobtown Tailgate Skin and Cap installed. Adds about 30 pounds to the weight of the tailgate.

 

Ah, this is true. I don't have kids, so anklebiter accomodation hadn't occurred to me.

But that still isn't that heavy...
I mean, it would be if you were deadlifting it off the truck, but that's still only bounces the weight to probably 50-60lbs. The tailgate on my '69 Dodge weighs more than that and you can still close it easily with one hand.
And if the dampener is designed for the factory weight it wouldn't help much if you doubled it.

 

Its pretty dang convenient especially when your hands are full and you don't like it to slam down. I got dogs and its pretty nice to just pop the handle and let it do what it does. Somewhat of a hassle when closing it, but still worth it in my opinion. I have had mine for a few months now and probably open and close the tailgate a few times a week and the cable has a slight pinch in it, but no tearing or shredding of the cable or outer coating.

 

Yea, the only time I find the weight to be a problem is when my hands are full and I'm trying to open it without it slamming down. Otherwise, the extra weight just confirms how much sturdier the tailgate is with the extra reinforcement.

 

Do you still need the cable if you have the cylinders? Can't the length of the cylinders be sized so they are the limiting factor in how far open the tailgate goes?

 

There is only one cylinder in the kit that I bought and it goes on the drivers side. I wouldn't run without the cable. Especially if you plan on climbing in and out of the bed. This cylinder is definitely not made to handle that load. If a 200lb guy stands on the edge of the tailgate then that cylinder is seeing a significantly higher load since it is half the distance of the torque arm. Probably more like 1/3rd the distance actually.

 

After using my antique as a DD all summer I couldn't believe how light and tinny the tailgate on the Tacoma felt when I picked up grain the other day, lol.

 

I would be interested in one if it worked well. Mine always slams down when opening it because my hands are full.

 

I have the redline EZ down version and it works great but the tailgate support cable gets in the way when you close it. If you are okay with moving the cable out of the way of the EZ down "shock" it works well.

 

Grab our tailgate skin and cap. They make a huge difference. We have a Black Friday sale coming up soon.

 

Brotherman - do you have a picture of it installed? I'm sure I could find one on manufacturer's site, but I enjoy seeing it someone's actual truck that I know prior to purchasing anything.

 

Here ya go....

 

Thank you @Glueman !

 

Glueman where did you purchase the redline ezdown?